“For the Resene Colour of Fashion, I received the colour ‘Grenadier.’ Typically, bright oranges are not something which I gravitate towards, however, it is nice to create something which challenges and pushes you past your comfort zone. Typically I gravitate towards blacks, whites and muted colour tones. So Grenadier is definitely very different to the colours I usually design with. My design is inspired by crustaceans and arachnids.

I am interested in queer fashion, specifically designers like Mugler, Mr Pearl and drag artists. My main fashion inspirations in the past have been that of Gena Marvin – a Russian queer artist who uses their fashion to provoke and make statements – often staging their fashions as performance art in public settings. And Salvia, a Welsh performance artist, who communicates a beautifully grotesque perspective on the mutilation and alienation of the queer body. Both artists reject the traditional iconography and beauty standards.

I was initially inspired by Thierry Mugler’s silhouettes and corsetry, specifically his deep cut corsets, sharp and exaggerated points such as hips and shoulders, and the way he uses skin as an integral part in his designs. I enjoy the idea of creating shapes on the body through cut outs and A-symmetry. The texture and bodies of crustaceans and arachnids also influenced the fabric manipulations that I included in my design. Specifically the use of tucks, pinned tucks and knife pleats used to draw attention to specific areas of the garment, and create interesting shapes.

My design is ultimately a representation of exaggeration, queerness, alienation and discomfort. The idea of wearing your skeleton on the outside like a crustacean, bringing what is traditionally held within to the forefront for all to see.”