SHOW ME WHERE THE BULLIES ARE!!!

It's been a good few years since the lovely Raquel Reed emerged into the underground fashion scene and is since dominating in the field. Respected by fans and colleagues and gracing more magazines and press images than I can count off the top of my head, I can tell with out asking that Raquel has a tongue in cheek outlook towards some of the negative feedback she gets, with her website titled "Ihateraquelreed.com'.

Having a web based business myself (which has also utilised and supports Raquel in her career path) I am no stranger to the seemingly odd and petty comments that sometimes come from strangers and lurkers on the internet. I am no stranger to bizarre emails and behaviour, Coming into contact with ALOT of people is going to guarantee some people that I always butt heads with, but after seeing a Current blog post, regarding Raquel, I wonder to myself...When is it valid??? and when is it just an excuse to bully someone, armed with a keyboard and hurling odd accusations across the internet.

I am from a very supportive network of various gurus in the industry. We support each other as often as we can and we hear about it when someone is playing foul....so when i saw a link to a blog 'naming and shaming' Raquel as a 'copycat' I asked my colleagues what they thought. Same thing I did..."this is getting REEDONK!!!"

I wont link or name the blogger or the blog because I dont want to bully or slam anyone down and I definately do not wish to slander anyone. But the blog depicted images of Raquel in her burlesque outfit, mid performance, along side images of another dancer from the same venue in her outfit. Both traditional looking burlesque outfits. Pearls, Sparkles, Fringing, Beige coloured. Very traditional show girl inspired outfits. Both BEAUTIFUL i might add. But both different. The caption of the image (shown top left) reads as follows..." Imitation may be the most sincere form of flattery, but ripping off my COSTUMES is going too far…".

I immediately thought to myself..."is this just a blog of a performer venting?" or is THIS going too far??? Branding another girl that you work alongside a copycat and a rip off artist for the same colour costume??? Its not just a blog, its a low blow over something SO trivial. To the blogger it must have been worth it, but as an outsider, it looks like something very close to a bad excuse to bully someone in their moment.

Costumes very similar to the ones depicted by both girls in both performances were very traditional indeed. So gorgeous. But the key word here being traditional. Used for the past century by leading ladies, and skyrocketing in the era of the silver screen due to the black and white imagery, the costumes were usually made in beige and are continued this way as tribute to the original sirens. To have the words branded across you online for everyone to see as a 'copycat' over a traditional Costuming choice is in poor form.

I hope the blogger rethinks starting such trivial disputes in the future. I was sad to see Raquels moment ruined by a petty blog. Both ladies keep doing what youre doing, you both make people very happy, but my past personal and professional relationship with Raquel has been refreshing and I have always found her style and presence Innovative and fresh. Raquel is too much of a sweet heart and too business savvy to ever speak out against this ridiculous form of bullying when it becomes so personal. As an outsider looking in...it unfortunately does seem like a very poor excuse and attempt to name and shame a respected lady. Its in bad taste, and I hate to say it, comes across as a little bit of a 'clutching at straws' situation to shame her.

Bullying??? Uncalled for??? or Valid??? My money is on minor bullying rearing its head in the work place..and putting a downer on our favourite performers.

THE QUESTION I ASK..Is this bullying? or is this Harmless??