Where Is Babylon

Dress Blues Off-Broadway In 'The Eyes Of Babylon'

Southampton - A 6'5", 230 lb. Marine in his perfectly tailored dress blue uniform stands at stoic attention; heels together, shoulders back, an unwavering depiction of discipline and strength. We've seen the billboards, posters and commercials of these men and women who confidently describe themselves as "The Few and the Proud". However, this particular Marine is on stage at the 59E59 Theater in Manhattan. The American Junction, AL native Jeff Key is this Marine performing his one man show, "The Eyes of Babylon."

Key is a Veteran of the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, a Marine Reserve unit based out of California. While serving as a maintenance and vehicle recovery operator, he and his unit were deployed with the 1st Marine Division in April 2003 during the first stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Key's experiences as a Marine during this time had him crossing the Kuwaiti border into Iraqi all the way to the border of Iran. Along the way, typically camped outside small villages or open desert, Key and his brothers witnessed the awesome military power of the United States Military and also human effects of warfare as they set-up camp alongside Iraqi homes and farms. Key and his unit quickly had to educate themselves at being warriors and also diplomats at the same time. Throughout these experiences Key constantly wrote in his journal and documented his experiences through photographs and videos in upholding his strong sense of patriotism and as he beautifully describes, "�defending those who are defenseless."


Key's dedication towards defending those who can't defend themselves was forged during his young life as he struggled to come to grips with the fact that he is gay. Coming from the Deep South in Alabama and being instilled with strong Christian values, he found it difficult to balance the contradictory elements of his environment. He describes himself as being a skinny effeminate male in the South during the 1970s and 1980s as not the most comfortable setting to be in. Upon graduating the University of Alabama with a degree in Theater Performance, Key moved to California to pursue his career as an actor.

Finding a more accepting environment in Southern California, he began to be able to mix the tremendously different environments of his youth and adulthood.

John Galliano And The Fashion Babylon | The Fashion Time Magazine

Sometimes you are a sinner, sometimes you are touched by the hand of God. Lee Alexander McQueen was both a saint and sinner, a combination of the nightmarish and the beatific. A contrast in contradictions: the Trickster McQueen’s power as fashion’s “outsider insider” was to design pieces that both enticed and provoked, curtain calls of sensualities and sensibilities.

But what of his own sensibilities? The dark seamy underbelly, the chthonic, held a lifetime fascination for the International Designer of the Year. His college collection was called “Jack the Ripper stalks his victims,’’ and his first commercial collection in 1993 was based on themes from “Taxi Driver.’’

McQueen once said of death: “It is important to look at death because it is a part of life. It is a sad thing, melancholy but romantic at the same time. It is the end of a cycle — everything has to end. The cycle of life is positive because it gives room for new things.’’

So, it is not surprising his own suicide in February of 2010 was bespectacled with seamy romanticism. The autopsy report found, “a significant level of cocaine, sleeping pills, and tranquilisers in the blood samples taken after the designer’s death…” , cogently summed up the nature of the Beast: “I think what happened with Galliano is that they kept on feeding the beast because the machine kept on performing…”

In fact, Galliano was thoroughly removed from reality: As well as the driver and a lawyer on speed-dial, he had two personal trainers, a personal chef, and an endless stream of assistants.

But the Beast is quite powerful and enabling future designers to fall fast and hard. We leave you with this tidbit of insanity: One British designer only eats baby food, “because he is too busy to digest…”

Images & Sources Credits: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG8598962/John-Galliano-trial-Fashion-can-be-very-toxic.html, http://asianmodelsblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/daul-kim-has-new-look.html, http://articles.boston.com/2011-06-23/lifestyle/29695344_1_alexander-mcqueen-alexander-mcqueen-savage-beauty, http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2010/04/28/fashion-designer-alexander-mcqueen-hanged-himself-after-taking-cocktail-of-drugs-inquest-hears-86908-22218140/, http://www.oodora.com/fashion/fashion-designers/alexander-mcqueen.html, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2008744/No-going-Galliano-LVMH-boss-puts-end-rumours-second-chance.