Get to know Alston Stephanus and Eren Schifferling
One look at their pictures and it’s clear: Alston Stephanus and Eren Schifferling have a thing for the eccentric, morbid, and bizarre. The catch is they pull off whatever theme you throw at them to the upteenth degree.
From sculpting their own home into a space any Victorian-era power couple would envy, all the way to their kaleidoscopic wardrobe, their vintage lifestyle is an instant eye-catcher. Focusing on mid to late Victorian and Edwardian fashion, the couple painstakingly restore each antique gown and suit they acquire to their former high-class glory.
Dapper couple
Alston is the Creative Director for A5 Accessories, a luxury accessories company founded in 2005, while Eren is an established sketch artist and painter. Together, the couple handcrafts and selects every detail of their lifestyle together.
Love for their Victorian and Edwardian aesthetic transfers into their passion for cosplay, incorporating a distinct style from any vintage era and adding whimsy into their designs. Cosplay styles include 1920s Manny and Gypsy from A Bug’s Life, Lumiere and Babette from Beauty and the Beast.
According to Alston and Eren, their vintage-inspired lifestyle is not so much about idealizing the past but celebrating the timeless nostalgia that inspires them and contributing to a community that is inclusive, diverse, and body positive.
In their own words, “We chose 1850-1915 to be our living aesthetic, from home interior to fashion, we love it all, but we leave the values of that era in the past. By elaborating on the best this age has to offer, we feel we are keeping something special alive.”
International living
As one would imagine, Halloween is nothing less than prime time for the couple. In the past, they have outfitted themselves in textbook precise Mojo Jojo, HIM, and Gomez and Morticia Addams attire with makeup to match. This year, the couple plan to dress up as characters from one of their favorite Tim Burton films, Beetlejuice and Lydia.
The sight of a Victorian era enthusiast in 2021 is a head-turner anywhere outside of a Sherlock Holmes film set. To see two enthusiasts, in Indonesia of all places has made for an adventurous existence for the couple and their animals.
In their own words, their obsession does not hold them back from daily life while wearing their antique or historically accurate replica designs. They live with their dogs, cats, rats, reptiles, fowls, and insects. As plant enthusiasts, Eren collects succulents and cacti while Alston feeds his carnivorous plants and tropical ferns.
