‘Queer Alchemy’ Collection Lookbook

Today at university I presented my final collection of garments for one of my classes – it was my last presentation for the semester, now I’m on break for a few weeks before starting my final semester and therefore my graduate collection… Eeep!! 🙂 This collection is presented as menswear, although is more-so unisex. I hand-dyed the linen fabric rainbow myself, as well as making all my own bias binding, and hand-sewing on all the sequins… Hope you enjoy taking a peek at the end result of many sleepless nights and long days working hard, hehe! 😀

STATEMENT OF INTENT:
My work aims to be a positivity commentary on and celebration of the increased queer visibility within fashion and the broader mainstream community. To communicate my theme and concept I will be subverting the suit by ‘queering’ it. By drawing on influences including historical Dandyism, queer Campness/’fabulousness’, the Club Kids of the 1980s/90s, ‘Mr Showmanship’ Liberace, and the current movement in fashion for queer inclusion/representation I will turn suiting into a means of communicating a positive, celebratory message of queerness. Design elements that are strong cultural signifiers of queer pride (such as sequins and a rainbow colour palette) will be used to create a collection that is vibrant and flamboyant, revelling in the love of excess, sensuous textures, and fabulous artiface that queer Campness entails. I will employ garment silhouettes that have a slouchy fit, obscuring the figure beneath, in combination with elaborate detailing. This will contribute to a menswear collection that is gender-queer in appearance, blending masculine, feminine, and everything in between and outside of. It will be a visual potion fusing elements of queer culture, Campness, and suiting in a wizards cauldron of fashion… The result: A magical celebration of queer visibility, representation, and empowerment.

My collection will be entitled ‘Queer Alchemy’ in reference to an idea I read about in the work of Andrew John Buzny, referring to the seemingly magical ability of the queer community to transform shame into pride.