My lovely and talented photographer friend, Veronica iBarra has been wanting to do a Candy Darling inspired shoot with me since 2005! She was one of the many people to notice my striking resemblance to this NYC transgendered icon and Warhol Superstar. It was never an intentional thing. I didn't even know who Candy Darling was before I moved to NYC. The more I researched her, the more amazed I was by our vast similarities. The main thing (besides the obvious), is that we are both fascinated with the glamorous blonde icons that inspired us as children. Candy emulated the 1930's/40's/50's screen sirens she grew up watching like Lana Turner, Jean Harlow and Kim Novak, while I have always done the same, only with 1970's/80's/90's stars like Madonna, Debbie Harry and Courtney Love.
Candy Darling 1969 Darian Darling 2010
When Lady Starlight asked me to guest host her 70's glam rock party, Lady Starlight's English Disco in 2006, I of course needed a stage name. Since the other stars of the party used names like Breedlove, Anna Copa Cabanna, Veronica Vain and Hollywood Starr, just using Darian simply wouldn't work. She thought about it for a moment and said "You're Darian Darling, obviously". At first I was a bit leery of using it. I didn't want to be disrespectful or come off as a Candy impersonator but she assured me it was a homage and the right choice. And it was. I've learned never to question Starlight's instincts. When she tells you to do something...you do it! I used it again in 2007 when I worked the door at Lady GaGa and Lady Starlight's party New York Street Revival and Trash Dance. After that the name stuck and I've been Darian Darling ever since.
Andy Warhol's Women In Revolt, 1971
This was my wonderful Grandma Cáceres' recipe. She used to make it for my mom in the 1940's/50's and then made it for my cousins and I in the 1960's/70's/80's. She taught me how to make it when I was 7 and it was the first thing I learned how to bake. All the Corn Flake Cereal Cookies I've seen involve flour and some sort of dough so this recipe is quite unusual. Since it's a retro cookie with a lot of nostalgia I thought who better to link it to than Candy Darling, who shwerked a 1940's/50's inspired look during the 1960's/70's.
This was my wonderful Grandma Cáceres' recipe. She used to make it for my mom in the 1940's/50's and then made it for my cousins and I in the 1960's/70's/80's. She taught me how to make it when I was 7 and it was the first thing I learned how to bake. All the Corn Flake Cereal Cookies I've seen involve flour and some sort of dough so this recipe is quite unusual. Since it's a retro cookie with a lot of nostalgia I thought who better to link it to than Candy Darling, who shwerked a 1940's/50's inspired look during the 1960's/70's.
pale blonde cereal cookie with a luminous, high shine candy coating.
Ingredients:
* 4 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/2 box Corn Flakes cereal
* 1/2 box Special K cereal
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
In the bowl of an electric mixer whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Add the sugar and vanilla and whip until incorporated.
Add the Corn Flakes and Special K into the egg whites, mixing together well- but do NOT mash.
Drop by spoonfuls into mounds on greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 7-12 minutes or until golden in color.
Allow to cool on a wire rack.
Makes 48 cookies.
Darian Darling as Candy Darling
photos by Veronica iBarra
Brought to you in association with La Bella Memoria
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