My vision for Future Loves Punks springs from this unique moment in time. A dopamine rush as we emerge from stillness and embrace movement. My aim was to express the joy of re-emergences and transformation, while also capturing the collective sense of mixed excitement and apprehension.
The process of bringing my collection to life is organic, flowing and evolving from a single concept or energetic starting point. I begin by simpy absorbing the themes and ideas present in the world around me. Standing on the precipice of the metaverse and looking into a digital future. I was initially thinking a lot about Y2K nostalgia.
That energy drew me back to the nineties and early ‘00s and I began to immerse myself in the sounds of imagery at that time – particularly European and British rave culture of the nineties; artists like Björk, the iconic pages of I-D and the Face; and looking even further back to the art of Basquiat and the music and fashion of artists like Roxy Music and Bowie.
As I started to conceptualise the collection, my research took me further into the massive cultural imprints of glam, punk and post-punk movements. I became fascinated by the youth subcultures that grew out of them.
Strong theses started to consolidate around post-punk and counter-culture, independence and futurism – a celebration, coloured by a sense of discord.
Like the artists who inspired my collection, the women in it are disruptors. Young, raw, fiercely independent but not naïve, they’re driven by the passion of rebellion. These are individuals who find joy in fashion and beauty, yet they need nobody’s approval. They’re creative, self-assured and unapologetically themselves.
Their style is unique and eclectic, a combination of punk and art-pop mixed with a splash of anime-inspired e-girl style. The common thread is a laser focus on feeling good and expressing their authentic selves. Bold colour is hero – tomato reds, neon greens and mermaid blues married with artful accents, global textures and DIY finishes.
Hair: Pauline McCabe @pauline_mccabehair
Salon: Rock Paper Scissors @rockpaperscissorsfreo
Makeup: Hendra Widjaja
Styling: Rochelle Renwick
Photography: Andrew O’Toole
Retoucher: Peter Orlik