Madame Allsorts
Regardless of how stylish you are, or how stylish you wish to be, the undeniable need to wear clothing is apparent. We are in the era where nudity and nature's uniform is no longer acceptable - so we are forced to cover what our mother's gave us with at least one garment or another. Even the most reluctant of fashion victims use clothing to tell the world what they should think of them. A suitable suit, a screw you tracksuit, or a proud-of-the-booty bodycon; the state of the statement, however subtle, is usually noted by the world that surrounds us.
So what does fashion mean to you? And ultimately, what does style mean to me? As I began to put together my next clothing collection the answer to this question became more crystal clear than ever. Ultimately, I am still the little girl who wore fluorescent yellow cycling shorts and neon sunblock to her eighth birthday party; the girl who was head banging off the walls of the bouncy castle as the other girls watched in horror, scared to spoil their best party dresses. Even as an eight year old girl, I was swamped by an internal feeling that being the prettiest, best-put-together girl at the party didn't necessarily make for a more interesting life, or for a better time. Life without teasing the state of a statement seemed like selling myself short; I had so much to say, so why stop at what I was wearing?
Madame Allsorts
Performing has always given me a stage to make a statement, but in life there isn't always a stage, and undeniably, there isn't always a performance. Which takes me back to the relevance of appearance, as sometimes it's all a stranger has to judge you on.
Revolting as it may sound, how you look is generally noted by the civilians that surround you. Are you comfortably ugly? Or reaching for the nearest pack of bin bags hoping to drown in an endless sack of black? (No offence black, I fucking love you!) If you screamed, "Yes!" to the ugly question, then it probably means that you don't fit what you feel society deems as attractive, which in my opinion, makes you far from ugly!
Madame Allsorts
Clothing can talk where words sometimes fail; it can camouflage us when we don't want to be seen, or excel us when we need to be noticed. I create clothes to wear on stage. I often spew my internal thoughts into a fabric print, just so I can cover myself in it! As long as clothing is mandatory, I am going to make sure my style is personal, and I am going to make sure I am saying something with a little more depth than, "Look at my ass", regardless of who's interpreting it! Punch me if this is patronising, but I really want to encourage more people to find their own personal style instead of just following the fashion set to commercial gratification.
Madame Allsorts
I recently took these photos in the spirit of "Breaking the Mannequin". The thought process was to try and dispel other's ideals of beauty and how we should look, and celebrate our own personal style and physical attributes. Style kudos comes too easy within the mainstream fashion industry. There seems to be a warped appreciation society; chapping everyone who is wearing the same "on trend" garment! Clap, clap, congratulations; you're a bloody clone. Now march inline and munch hungrily on your slice of cool!
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