A custom made costume collection worn by Courtney Love on the cover and throughout the interior editorial of Blender Magazine, May 2004 — photographed by Judson Baker — consisting of an original vintage American flag halter bikini top and a matching American flag flouncy corset, designed, hand-made, and styled by Ligia Morris of Primal Stuff Entertainment, Inc. Photo-matched to the published cover and interior editorial photography. The collection additionally includes two further pieces by the same designer in the same vintage American flag material — an alternate halter top and a pair of shorts with organza panels — which came with the primary costume.
Photo-Match
This costume is photo-matched to the Blender Magazine May 2004 cover and interior editorial through the highly specific and handcrafted construction details of both pieces, including the arrangement of star motifs in the halter top, the vertical panel construction and lace-up grommet system of the corset, and the flounced hem treatment. These features are individually distinctive and collectively definitive across the published cover image and the interior editorial photography. A dedicated photo-match graphic is included in the photographic documentation accompanying this listing.
A dedicated photo-match graphic is included in the photographic documentation accompanying this listing.
Historical Context
Courtney Love (born Love Michelle Harrison) is an American musician, actress, and artist best known as the founder and frontwoman of the alternative rock band Hole, whose albums Live Through This (1994) and Celebrity Skin (1998) are among the most critically celebrated records of the 1990s.
Her May 2004 Blender cover coincided directly with the release of her debut solo album America’s Sweetheart — the title a pointed provocation, and the American flag costume used for the shoot a direct extension of that imagery. The cover story, headlined “I Will Rock My Way Out of This!” appeared at a turbulent and highly publicized moment in Love’s public life, and the shoot’s aggressive, provocative visual language — captured in both the cover and a full interior editorial with multiple images by photographer Judson Baker — became among the most discussed editorial appearances of her career.
Blender was a leading American music magazine published from 1994 to 2009, known for its sharp editorial voice and high-profile cover subjects.
Editorial Use
This costume appears on the cover of Blender Magazine, May 2004, photographed by Judson Baker at Quixote Studios in West Hollywood, California. The session took place on February 5, 2004, as confirmed by a caption in the published article. The full shoot comprises the cover image and a multi-page interior editorial in which Love wears the costume across multiple setups, including full-page shots against a red heart-pattern backdrop and additional images against a red floor surface. The feature runs across several pages of the issue alongside the profile article, which opens with Love referencing the Blender cover directly. Behind-the-scenes photography from the session, showing Love in the costume being styled, has been documented online as part of the full shoot release. Per the Ligia Morris Certificate of Authenticity: “Courtney Love for Cover and editorial of Blender Magazine, May 2004. Ph: Judson Baker. Original vintage American flag, Flouncy Corset and Bikini by Ligia Morris, styled by Ligia Morris.”
Specifications
· Type: Custom Made two-piece editorial costume
· Designer: Ligia Morris / Primal Stuff Entertainment, Inc.
· Construction:
· Bikini/halter top: American flag halter-style top constructed from original vintage American flag fabric in blue stars field; triangular cup construction with halter tie. White star appliqué elements on blue ground.
· Corset: American flag corset constructed from original vintage American flag fabric in red, white, and blue stripes and stars; vertical panel boning construction; center front lace-up through silver-tone grommets; flounced/peplum hem. Note: The original lacing cord is not present; the center front lace has been replaced with a similar white shoelace for display purposes.
· Additional halter top: American flag halter-style bikini top constructed from original vintage American flag fabric; blue stars-field panel with white star appliqués; ruched/gathered fabric ties at neck and waist sides; plain blue-grey band along bottom hem. Same designer and material as primary costume.
· Shorts: Red denim/cotton shorts with dramatic red sheer organza fabric panels attached at the waist and extending along both legs, creating a flowing theatrical silhouette. Same designer and material as primary costume.
Condition
Good. The costume retains its full construction and the vintage flag fabric is intact across all pieces. Wear consistent with professional editorial use and age. The original center front lacing cord of the corset is missing and has been replaced with a similar white shoelace. All four pieces are present.
Included Items
Original copy of Blender Magazine, May 2004, featuring Courtney Love on the cover in this costume. The issue contains the full cover image, the multi-page interior editorial, and the accompanying feature article. Also included: alternate American flag halter top; red shorts with organza panels.
22 photos.
Provenance
Accompanied by a Letter of Authenticity from Gotta Have Rock and Roll (signed), issued in conjunction with the prior sale at their “The Winter Rock & Roll Pop Culture Auction,” December 10, 2022, Lot #477. The LOA describes the lot as “Courtney Love 2004 Blender Magazine Cover Worn American Flag Corset Outfit” and attributes design and hand-making to Ligia Morris of Primal Stuff Ent.
Also accompanied by a scanned (not original) Certificate of Authenticity from Ligia Morris / Primal Stuff Entertainment, Inc., signed by Morris and bearing a reproduction of the Blender cover image, with the attribution statement quoted above. Note: The Ligia Morris certificate is present as a scan only — the original signed document is not included in this lot.
Prior public sale: Gotta Have Rock and Roll, “The Winter Rock & Roll Pop Culture Auction,” December 10, 2022, Lot #477.
Nostalgia Bandit Letter of Provenance
This lot will be accompanied by a Nostalgia Bandit Letter of Provenance — a document printed on official Nostalgia Bandit letterhead, signed by Nostalgia Bandit’s principal, and affixed with the official Nostalgia Bandit embossed seal. The Letter of Provenance reproduces the complete final auction description for this lot in full, memorializing all provenance documentation, attribution, supporting evidence, and condition details as presented herein. It is designed to travel with the lot through all future ownership transfers as a permanent, platform-independent physical record of the item’s documented history.
Shipping & Measurements
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