About

Who Are The Holdup Heroines?

Legend would have it that in 18th Century Europe, four remarkable young beauties from all corners of the globe came together to cause consternation, dread and heartbreak amongst the noblemen and women of the day.These swashbuckling sirens became known for all time as The Holdup Heroines.

Imagine if you will a desirous mix of Charlie's Angels and the Four Musketeers. Armed with weaponry of sabres, a peppering of gunpowder and held up with stockings, you'll know that this is no ordinary story and certainly not your run-of-the-mill costume party.

Founded by fashion designer Chris Birch, jet set party planner Mari-Liis Ivalo and based on a near forgotten legend of highway women from the times of Marie Antoinette and Dick Turpin, Holdup Heroines is the epitome of girls out of control; pure, boudoir chic.

And so, take a step back in time with us to witness the rambunctious and risqué Holdup Heroines for yourselves as they hold court at the parties of the Holdup Heroines

The Legend Begins

It is at Marie Antoinette’s grand masked ball that our four ladies first meet. Mei-Lien Qin has met a handsome and dashing French cavalry officer, but so has Lady Amber Chatelaine and they fight over his affections. Annie Smithfield breaks the two ladies up, pointing out that they should be fighting the man not each other and soon the three are giggling at the thought of what they will do to him. Meanwhile Catherine is performing acrobatics on ropes above the crowd and spots the girls arguing, but also a ring of men in cloaks with concealed daggers slowly converging on them. Her decision will forever change the 18th Century world. She drops down, warns the three of their danger and one of the greatest fights erupts amongst the finery of the palace and the dismayed guests.

For now imagine, if you will, four masked heroines galloping on stolen horses from the burning palace, pursued by guards and watched, with some great pleasure by the Queen of France herself. And so begins the great adventures of the Holdup Heroines...

Countess Catherine Scarlet (The Masque)

“You might not know who I am, but I can guarantee you’ll remember me.”

It is boring being rich, deadly dull. From an early age, Catherine was discontent with her lot in life, even though she had everything money could buy. Like any spoilt rich girl, she had no idea of how privileged she was, only seeing the constrictive rules placed by upper class society on her behaviour. She needed to escape, and the only way to do so was to become someone else.

With no need to work, Catherine was free to spend her time as she liked, and it was not uncommon for a lady of her class to spend the day playing dress up with make up and costumes. However, Catherine would take things one step further. Swapping clothes with her maid she would escape her family estate to experience life outside in the real world. The dirt and squalor outside shocked her at first, but then fascinated her. She always had the option to return home away from it all, but while there she could be anyone she liked.

As time went on she perfected several disguises and play acted her time away as an array of characters. She maintained at least three separate lives in the local village, as a maid, as an old woman and even as a young lieutenant in the army garrison. In that last guise she learnt how to use a sword and a pistol, as well as an awful lot about how men behave away from the company of women. Each guise held no consequences for her as she could always throw away the mask if things became difficult or boring for her. She learnt to kiss first and ask questions later.

After a while her family began to notice what was going on. While Catherine was a mistress of disguise, the maid she left in her place was not. Her family urged her to stop as the line between her various characters was beginning to blur for Catherine. Sometimes she forgets who she really is, losing herself in the character completely. Her family offered to help her, but she would not give up her lives so easily. When the family finally decided to send her away to a mad house to ‘healed’ she decided she didn’t want their form of cure . So adopting one final disguise she ran from the family home, promising to return before her brother left for the army (Seven Years War). Her family haven’t seen Catherine since her disappearance. She joined the circus in Moscow and trained under the master acrobrat, and soon found herself performing at Marie Antoinette’s masked ball in Paris .

Mei-Lien Qin (The Jade Smile)

“Precision is the key my darling, be it making love, or firing a pistol.”

The woman who has become Lady Qin was born in one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Shanghai. She knew little of her parents or family as she was sold in to life as a courtesan at the age of four to pay her family’s debts. She worked long hours being trained to be the perfect companion until she was old enough to be sold.

When she was initiated into the life of a courtesan, it was no real trauma to Mei-Lien. It was the only life she knew, and after having been so invisible for so much of her life, the attention was a little intoxicating. Her luck changed a little when she met the Venetian trader Pietro Villante. He was in Shanghai advancing his family’s trade empire and was captured by Mei-Lien’s beauty and quick wit. He offered her a new life if she’d run away with him, and she had accepted before the words had barely fallen from his lips.

Mei-Lien and Pietro stole away from Shanghai that very night, with her Triad owners hot on their trail and ready to drag Mei-Lien back to her life of slavery. Together, she and Pietro sailed to Venice and romanced their way across the city. Pietro taught her to shoot a pistol, and was surprised just how adept she was at it. Despite having escaped the life of a courtesan Mei-Lien was drawn to the glamorous world of Venetian society. She learned much in the art of seduction and deception from the ladies of the Venetian courts. She even joined their masked games when Pietro was unaware of what she was up to.

But her luck couldn’t last forever, and the Triad she had crossed had not forgotten her. Eventually they tracked her down, and murdered Pietro. Mei-Lien decided to run deeper into Europe and plan her revenge.

Annie Smithfield (The Magpie)

"You don't need to be invisible to steal; you just need to be cleverer than the person you're stealing from."

The daughter of a countryside innkeeper, Annie had learnt to defend herself from brigands, drunks and ruffians from an early age. Her sweet smile and innocent looks made many men underestimate her. But experience has taught Annie that you need not be strong to drop someone to the floor, you just need to know how to hit them in the right place. Working in rough bars also taught her how everything can be a potential weapon, from a tray to a tankard to a chair.

Had fate been kinder, Annie might never have discovered Europe, her mother became terribly ill when Annie was only 14. She was forced to grow up quickly and take her mother's place running the inn with her step-father (her dad died in an accident and his brother took over running the inn and looking after the family. Doing her best to take care of her mother took its toll in spirit and money as each doctor and treatment needed to be paid for even when they failed to make Annie's mother any better.

Annie's step-dad seemed indifferent and so Annie decided that she had best be the one to find the money they needed. Growing up among the ruffians and scoundrels that frequented the inn on a road west of London near somewhere that would become Notting Hill, Annie had picked up a thing or two, although never put her skills into practice. Starting small at first she moved from opportunistic theft to burglary. She was quick and careful, always paying close attention to what she was doing and never getting greedy and taking too much to carry.

Her diligence paid off and after many years of secretly supplementing the inn's income, her mother began to regain her health, much to the seeming annoyance of her step-father who she suspected wanted the inn for himself or to sell it and take the proceeds. It was as her mother regained her health that Annie met a French noble woman who stopped at the inn on the way to London – the two bonded instantly. At the same time, her step father discovered evidence of her crimes and called for her to be taken to gaol to pay for her crime. A fight ensued in the pub and Amber and Annie escaped to London on horseback. Together they made their way to Paris and a masked ball being held by Marie Antoinette – by way of the shops to secure some decent clothes for Annie!

Lady Amber Chatelaine (The Rapier)

“If you can beat me in a fight, expect a rematch. If I can beat you in a fight, you’re just no damn use to me.”

Lady Amber was born into a privilege she came to loathe. Being the result of a secret indiscretion between her married mother and a visiting English nobleman Amber was burdened by her mother's shame. However, it was many years before she discovered why her mother seemed to want so little to do with Amber, her dalliance being a closely guarded secret.

Being ignored by the rest of her family had distinct advantages for Amber. As long as she mostly did as she was told, she was left to her own devices. She made friends with the Chateau's Sergeant-at-arms, Antoine, who had lost his own daughter to illness many years ago. To heal their mutual wounds they adopted each other and spent all their time together. Having nothing else to teach her, Antoine taught Amber how to fight and shoot a pistol, something she proved to have both talent and enthusiasm for.

However, Amber could not be ignored forever, and as she grew up the family looked to be rid of her through marriage. Amber had other ideas. After several arguments she was betrothed to an English noble that she had never met. Sent away to England she found herself at the mercy of the very worst kind of English noble, and after a violent fight, leaving him scarred she ran away to London where she stumbled across Annie.

One day she hopes to find her real father, but what she will do when she finds him, she is still uncertain of.