The Victoria Steam Exposition is a celebration of a growing subculture called steampunk, which unites Victorian era esthetics and futuristic inventions with modern literature and fashion. Steampunk was coined in the late 1970s by the science fiction author K.W. Jeter as a term for the genre he and his contemporaries used to emulate the speculative fiction of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne. Wells wrote The Time Machine, which fueled a pop culture fascination with time travel and quirky inventors set in theVictorian era.

A steampunk renaissance is happening in fashion. Check out recent issues of fashion magazines and you’ll find editorial homages to Victorian style with a futuristic bent. This may be described as neo-Victorianism – the amalgamation of Victorian esthetic principles with modern sensibilities and technologies. Some have proposed a steampunk philosophy – sometimes with punk-inspired anti-establishment sentiments, and typically bolstered by optimism about human potential. In the Victorian era there was an unbridled optimism about what technology was going to do for society. That’s part of the appeal today with so much changing technology, there’s a quest for authenticity and a genuine understanding of how man/handmade items with a mechanical element work.

Steampunk couture has been replicated by designers such as Alexander McQueen (above ankle bootie from his Spring 2010 collection), John Galliano, Robert Cavalli, Ralph Lauren and Hermes. For a glimpse of the Victorian era esthetic, step into the world of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes or catch the steampunk vibe in Panic! At The Disco’s latest music video: The Ballad of Mona Lisa.

Like other non-mainstream movements, steampunk places great importance on the value of beauty that reflects unusual or antiquated ideals. Steampunk jewelry pieces are often bold and aggressive in appearance, but usually attempts to retain at least an echo of femininity.

We couldn’t help but feel that there’s something very steampunk about the SOL Collections, which bridges intelligent/mechanical/futuristic and unpolished/metallic/antique with subtle biomorphic and feminine undertones…

Look out for more of this vibe in pieces to come…