{ never say goodbye } the legacy of liberace

as i mentioned yesterday, i had a game-changing, borderline-religious experience while visiting las vegas. no, i didn't get married. nor did i hit the jackpot. i didn't even go all fear & loathing. instead, i dragged my dear friend and vacation-mate cleo (who just started a blog!!), and our beleaguered boyfriends to the liberace museum. it was incredible.
for those of you who are not familiar with his legacy, liberace (pronounced liber-ah-chee) was a famous pianist, known for his over-the-top showmanship, a longstanding career on the vegas strip, and for being the highest paid entertainer in the world from the 1950s-70s.

from the looks of things, most of that money was reinvested into his wardrobe (a solid choice, in this case). apparently, he once single-handedly saved swarovski (the crystal company) from bankruptcy. an american hero, obviously:

but back to the museum. instead of being housed in a gaudy, glittering castle on the strip (as the lib's legacy so clearly deserves), it's nestled in some seedy suburban strip mall, next to the creepily-windowless good times bar (which offers 'recession specials' and opens at 8am! yikes.).

{ i wore: my most vegas-worthy, self-titled 'elvis sunnies' by devi kroell for vogue eyewear (last seen HERE), the glamourai necklace, s2vs shirt, betsey johnson dress, coach bag, lamb shoes }

luckily, this lousy locale belies the awe-inspiring splendor of what hides inside:

{ indeed, we have just seen a disco-ball rolls royce ("boy, it really stops traffic when i shop at safeway!"), a pink feather cape (with train!) and a swarovski crystal-encrusted piano with lucite lid & matching bench. OMG. }

perhaps my favorite thing about the self-described "one-man disneyland"? his intense dedication to finger-bling...


...though the details in all his attire were truly breathtaking. i mean:





like the man himself says in this video, "look me over! i didn't get dressed like this to go unnoticed." amen, mister.

if ever you find yourself visiting vegas, please make time for a trip to this hidden gem!