Photos: The Neo-Victorian Women of Steampunk’s World Fair
In Piscataway, New Jersey, last weekend, legions of so-called steampunks convened at the Steampunk World’s Fair, a three-day melting pot of fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and insane face paint. They had attended the fair dressed in fantasty-meets-Victorian-meets-mad-scientist outfits to frolic around the grounds. The schedule was packed with musical acts, art auctions, extravagant balls, costume contests, and even a workshop dedicated to creating a “believable alternate Steampunk world,” a sort of anarchy-inspired update of the American industrial revolution. The Cut sent photographer Amy Lombard to capture the alt scene in action, snapping steampunk’s finest retro-futuristic ladies wearing horns, pounds of makeup, extravagant headpieces, tons of black lipstick, and ominous-looking hoop-cage skirts. Zoom through the slideshow to see the costumes up close, and definitely don’t blow past our favorite: the unicorn maiden dressed in lilac.








