Libby Bulloff’s Exoskeleton Cabaret is a producer of non-permanent, customized synthetic hair pieces and wearable art. Her hair pieces range from elastic-attached falls, dreadbands, half and full-head wigs, and specialty hair attachments.
She has a backstock of prefabricated pieces, but if you’re looking for customized pieces, you’ll have the option of choosing from synthetic and wool dreads, EVA foam, and tubular crin (or for those looking for a true cyber-kinetic look, add in vinyl or splitloom tubing, rexlace, grid plastic, shot bead chains, glitter felt, vintage wire-wrapped vacuum tubes, faux/silk flowers, pvc or cleary mylar strips, computer/circuitry/tech parts, and electroluminescent wiring–oh my!).
Her prices make this unique form of expression accesible to everyone, with basic fall pairs beginning at $30 and up. However, if you’re looking for something more permanent, Libby is available in Bloomington to install dread extension installations.
I first came into contact with Libby’s work when a friend recruited her to create a hat and hairpiece combination for his Mardis Gras Mad Hatter Costume. After seeing the finished product she had created for him, which rigs the hair falls into the inner lining of the hat, I had to meet the woman myself. Stepping into her mini-warehouse of prefabricated pieces, I felt like a child in a toy store. The closets were lined with brightly, multi-colored hair pieces that were shiny, soft, bouncy and sparkly. What person could resist being put into such an environment?
That night I came home with my first hair piece, a pair of waist-length tubular crinoline falls in pink, black, and silver with pink tubing throughout . While satisfied with my purchase, I couldn’t help but fantasize about what would become my second purchase, the falls pair featured to the right; they’re made from EVA foam & leopard print fabric falls in, you guessed it!, a pink, black and white color scheme. Apparently, I have a very pink personality.
Exoskeleton Cabaret’s products don’t appeal only to the gothic and alternative subcultures. Locally, many of the tribal belly dance troupes perform regularly wearing her crinoline falls, such as Bloomington’s Dark Side Tribal. When Libby isn’t creating wearable art or working as a graphic designer, she’s busy co-organizing Axis of Evil, South Central Indiana’s only gothic, industrial, electro, IDM, synth dance night.
Keep an eye out for the launch of a new site this Fall!
