‘Pulp Fiction’ fashion, art, and burlesque show hits Providence

The second installment of the Tarantino Project, a night of “fashion, live performances, and art in every form,” goes down at Alchemy in Providence on Saturday, and this time the inspired hostesses from Dutchess Lingerie are bringing one of the director’s most adulated films, Pulp Fiction, off the screen and to the runway.

Along with exhibitions of the Duchess line, the show will also feature designs from the local likes of Who U Rep, Ortega Jewelry Designs, and Nathalia JMag of Project Runway notoriety. Art and accessories from Andersyn Elaine and others will be on display and for sale, while the entertainment will carry the rest of the evening. For those who need a little more than just a glimpse of Vincent’s bolo or some classic Mia Wallace black and white, the event will showcase comedy from Colleen Farrell and Alessandra Grima, plus a hula hoop performance from Betty Hoop. Sounds like a party that Quentin himself would approve of.  

Finally, the show will also bring Tarantino-inspired burlesque performances, including a set from Boston-based model and dancer Naida Black. I caught up with Naida briefly to ask about her coming trip to Providence in homage to a bloody cult classic.

Are you a Tarantino fan yourself? Which is your favorite?

Yes! I’m a very big Tarantino fan. That’s a really tough one … I do love Kill Bill though.

What does it mean to bring one art form—the movie Pulp Fiction in this case—to another very different art form in your burlesque performance?

I’m planning on bringing elements from a few different [Tarantino] movies into my performance. It’s, well … it’s definitely work! I try to properly create a burlesque show that embodies those movies while still respecting the original art form. The first thing is always picking the songs for me and I go from there. Once I have the music flowing through, it makes it a little easier to create a set. I have a couple songs that I’m using from the actual movies. One is a mix from one of the movies. One is a secondary [song] that mixes in well.  

So this event is in Providence. Could you tell me a little about the Boston burlesque and modeling scene? Is there much of one or do you travel a lot around New England?

There’s a small scene for burlesque in Boston, definitely. But I have done a lot of traveling over the last few years to do performances. Last year, I did New York, Georgia, and Louisiana.

What are you most looking forward to?

Most of the burlesque shows I’ve done have been pretty unique. They’re very thematic for me. But I’m very much looking forward to the actual performing itself. It’s always fun. All I’m gonna say is make sure you’re there.

TARANTINO PROJECT VOL. II: PULP FICTION RUNWAY AND ART SHOW. ALCHEMY, PROVIDENCE, RI. SAT JUL 8. 8PM/18+/$10.