(Editor’s Note: This interview with alternative model Violet Eyes was conducted back in March 2012 by Tom Heckbert for the now-defunct website Eyestrane.com. It’s been republished at Idol Features courtesy of Tom.)
Violet Eyes is a chameleon and she can easily slip into any genre for the camera. She is an agency represented (often latex clad) model and performer. She has worked for and been featured in many publications ranging from Bizarre magazine, Pin-up Perfection magazine through to Devolution magazine and even Terrorizer!
She has worked for many companies ranging from the sweet and innocent Attitude Clothing, Hell Bunny and Iron Fist through to the more shiny and deviant Catalyst Latex, Rubber Monkey, Bondinage, and Inner Sanctum to name but a few.
She’s the love child of Marylin Manson and Jessica Rabbit (so I’m told!), inked and zombie-obsessed with intent to take over the world in the shiniest outfits and highest heels known to man. Caution: Comes with flying monkeys. Photo at left by Dean Wilkinson.
EYESTRANE: Violet, tell us a little about yourself. Where did you grow up and how would you describe yourself as a child? Was fashion and modeling something you were interested in growing up?
VIOLET EYES: Me as a child, now you’re asking? I grew up in South Yorkshire and I was a complete tomboy. You’d find me in jeans and a Teenage Mutant Ninja t-shirt …I loved that t-shirt!. Covered in bubblegum tattoos, my parents should have guessed at my future then as I was obsessed with them! …either up a tree or trying to nail two skateboards together to make the ultimate skateboard! I succeeded and ended up with a concussion! I remember crying at a school disco because my mum had curled my hair and put me in a dress.
When I hit 11, I discovered eyeliner and black clothing and also had to wear glasses, I became a little introverted and my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt was exchanged for long black dresses and black, black, black….
Things turned around for me at about 14 when I discovered Bettie Page, thank you Euro trash!, and started to develop a fascination with corsets and stockings and “naughty, dirty women’s clothing” as my mum put it, which made me even more curious about it! Looking back, it’s quite amusing as the house I grew up in was lathered with art nude prints, as my mother is an art teacher, and there were a ridiculous amount of nude ladies on the walls!
EYESTRANE: How did you first begin modeling and do you remember your first photo shoot? Were you nervous?
VIOLET: My first photo shoot was when I was 18, I was at university and a friend of mine was a photography student. She’d always comment on my style and how she’s love me to do some retro photo’s for her. I agreed, rather reluctantly at the time, the photo’s got out and I ended up with other people asking me to pose and it snowballed from there.
EYESTRANE: How would you describe your style and what types of modeling do you prefer?
VIOLET: My personal style is a mixture of rock ‘n roll and dirty pinups! When it comes to modelling though, I’m happy in almost any style. I tend to get booked a lot for latex work and pinup work I think that’s what I se to be best known for.
EYESTRANE: You recently shot as a blonde but promised that would never happen again. Why?
VIOLET: I decided that 2012 would be the year I tried out a few different hair colours as I’ve had jet black hair for about five years straight and it was starting to bore me. I decided to try platinum first and its almost killed my hair, I also didn’t feel comfortable as a blonde. I’ve been used to having dark glossy locks and going blonde was a total shock to the system, I just didn’t feel comfortable as a blonde and its really hard to look after. Big kudos to you blondes out there I don’t know how you do it!
VIOLET: I wanted to have a section of my website dedicated to fairytales and stories I was read as a child, but put my own twist on them. Rapunzel was a story I remember being read. I adore art nude shoots and had this image of a nude Rapunzel in my head with long hair draping ’round her covering what needed to be covered but with a dark gothic twist. This is where Jamie Mahon comes onto play. His style was perfect for this set, but I had to talk him round as he hadn’t shot art nude before and wasn’t interested in it. Needless to say, I talked him round and I think he took the concept in my head and made it a reality. There’s lots more to come in the Fairytales set. Each set takes so much planning re costuming and locations, but I have at least eight more characters I want to shoot before I move on to comic books characters!
EYESTRANE: Violet, you are the the official Q&A columnist for Lash and Ink magazine. What kinds of questions do you get and have there been any you have not been able or willing to answer?
VIOLET: I am indeed! The issue with all my contact details has only just been released, so I haven’t received any questions as yet. If you want to, you can email me some at violeteyes@therockitroost.com. I’m not easily perturbed though. Do your worst!
EYESTRANE: You do a lot of work for Catalyst Latex and Rubber Monkey. First, can you tell us about what appeals to you about rubber clothing? Do you need talc or wet lubes to be able to get into them?
VIOLET: I’ve always admired latex I love the way it enhances your silhouette and makes you all shiny! For me when I pull it on, it transforms me into another person. It gives me confidence and makes me feel a million dollars! With catalyst latex the clothing, they supply is chlorinated which means it doesn’t need to be shined up or lubed up to get into it. It slides on like silk. Ah, the ease of wearing catalyst latex to shoot in is amazing. For everyone else, I use a water based lube or talc to get into it, lots of squeaking from the changing room, and a silicon polish to get the shine …the lovely shiny shine!
EYESTRANE: Your image also appears on jewelry from Venus Flytrap. What images were chosen and what types of jewelry are available?
VIOLET: Venus Flytrap chose a series of images from my work with Catalyst Latex. There are earrings, cufflinks, and necklaces to the best of my knowledge, but you had better go check for yourself at VenusFlytrapjewels.co.uk.
EYESTRANE: Tell us about the t-shirts you offer on your website. Who designed the caricature and logo?
VIOLET: The logo and caricature was designed by a lovely lady I met on the burlesque circuit who goes by the name Bam Bam Blue. She drew me it up and I instantly had to use it. The second t-shirt was drawn up by a small and relatively new production company called Zombie Brand 666, who also recently filmed a promo teaser for my nurse autopsy performance. T-shirts are provided by a company called Weirdscenes, who lovingly hand print each one to order to make sure your getting quality product. Go see for yourself (gives a wink).
EYESTRANE: Tell us a little about your tattoos. What are some of them and do any have a special meaning to you?
VIOLET: Where do I start …I have a full back piece that incorporates a waterfall of stars, swallows and lots of old school inspired pieces. This was done simply as I love old school tattoo art and wanted a piece to dedicate to it. I have a diamond on the back of my neck. No reason, I just like it! I have a zombie pinup on my arm as I’m absolutely obsessed with zombies and pinups. A sleeve on my rights arm, again dedicated to all the things that inspire me. So, lots of old school new school designs. My ribs have a large skull and roses piece on them ….again just because I like the design. I have a beaten up gothic Russian doll on my arm below my zombie pinup as I love Russian dolls but wanted one with a twist. My foot has an anchor on with a scroll through it. This was done for my grandfather when he passed away, as he was in the Royal Navy and my hero! My other foot was my practice foot and just has a random assortment of stars, music notes and a stick duck, which probably has the most meaning of all, as it was done for my two pet ducks, Dolly and Burt, who were sadly killed by a fox.
VIOLET: I love horror films, I love zombie’s and the whole B-move genre. I discovered Troma when I was about 15 and The Toxic Avenger became one of my favourite movies. My fascination grew from there. I’m a bit of a geek at heart really!
EYESTRANE: What are some of your favorite horror films?
VIOLET: That’s an impossible question! I think it would have to be a classic such as Freaks or choose any of the hammer horror films. Classics!
EYESTRANE: In addition to watching them you have appeared in a number of films including Vampires of the Ages and Zombie Queen of the Amazon. Can you tell us about the roles you played in these films? Is acting something you enjoy and hope to continue to do?
VIOLET: I love acting, sadly, I don’t get much chance to act these days as it’s hard to be able to commit time to filming schedule. I find it hard enough to commit time to myself! In Vampires of the Ages, I play a 1940s vampire femme fatale who battles against a vampire from the future to rule over the human race. Yes, it’s as cheesy as it sounds and it was sooo much fun to shoot! In Zombie Queen of the Amazon I play an Amazonian woman. It has an Attack of the 50 Foot Woman feel to it, but the twist is all the Amazonian women are turned into zombies and end up killing everything and everyone. After shooting the final scene I traveled home on the train, as I was desperate for my own bed, covered in fake blood, and wearing a beanie hat over a huge bird nest of hair. I bet I looked like a serial killer hobo.
EYESTRANE: Can you tell us a bit about “The Nurse,” “Autopsy,” and “Gorelesque“?
VIOLET: Of course. My gorelesque acts are my only performances. I’ve copyrighted the acts and SFX because of this. All I can really say is if you like blood and guts and half naked ladies you’ll love my acts! I once performed a now retired act at Skin Two North and made an unsuspecting member of the bar staff sick as they really didn’t know what to expect. There’s a teaser trailer on my website and I sometimes stream live shows to my site so keep your eyes peeled!
EYESTRANE: Are there any future projects coming up you can share with us?
VIOLET: I have more sets to add to my fairy tale series, an amazing shoot coming up with Vix Tuff Pics including lots of comic book inspired latex by Rubber Monkey, a top secret shoot with Jamie Mahon and Lena Quist, but if I told you I’d have to kill you. I will be on the catwalk at The Great British Tattoo Show next month in London, so swing by and say hello if your there! Generally lots of posing with a sprinkle of new ink thrown in!
EYESTRANE: Where can we go to find out more about you?
VIOLET: Everything you ever need to know is at VioletEyes.co.uk with links to my Twitter and Facebook pages where I regularly hold competitions and generally spew nonsense about what I’m up to.
About the author
The now-defunct website Eyestrane.com featured many interviews with some very notable ladies. Since said interviews were too good to go unseen after the site was shut down in August of 2014, former Eyestrane editor-in-chief Tom Heckbert has graciously agreed to occasionally resurrect some from his archived files for republication here at Idol Features. Tom and his former staff at Eyestrane always maintained a deep respect for the talent and creativity of the people they interviewed for the site.
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