Jim Jarmusch, the American director of the 2013 movie Only Lovers Left Alive, states: “Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. (...) Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul”. No one speaks more to my soul than Eiko Ishioka, the renowned costume designer for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Her talent does not even attempt to be normal; her works draw you into this alien world. Expression, true, unfiltered expression, is what I yearn for, and that is ever so present in Ishioka’s work.
With an architect grandfather, a painter grandmother, and an interior designer mother, art was ever so present during my childhood. I have always turned to art to communicate my being to the world. From an early age, my hands and legs would constantly be covered in paint stains, and everything I owned would be customized and altered. I truly enjoyed having my surroundings show who I am and how I feel. I would experiment with as many different types of mediums as I could. When I got older, I found myself attracted to photography and its ability to capture humans, as they truly are. After this, I slowly discovered that I can take art wherever I go, through the fabrics that my body wears. I could see the way that it affected my mood. In a good outfit, I could easily feel more confident, beautiful, and smart, so I started to dress up as a means to express my inner being.
The concept of performing through dressing up has led me to pay more attention to costuming in the performing arts. These garments can tell a story without uttering a single word. Communication is done through powerful visual means. I began to watch certain movies for the sole purpose of the mise en scène. Paying close attention to the creature designs in science fiction and the beautiful ethereal gowns in fantasy. This newfound passion incited me to want to learn the art of costume design.
I was fortunate enough to live in a country that teaches sewing from an early age, and I got to improve that skill greatly over many years. Through trial and error, I became passionate about making things myself, and the art of DIY was applied to everything I could.
My artistic passion led me to Milan, where I studied Fashion Design. However, during those studies, I became disillusioned by the fashion industry’s ethics and values, which clashed with my own. This internal conflict led me to pursue a more meaningful creative path—one rooted in storytelling, community, and culture, a path into scenography at the National Theater School of Canada.
My culture plays a big part in my creative expression, and the national Jamaican motto "Out of Many One People" guides my hand in my designs.