About

Who am I? My name is Charlie. I am a non-binary unisex fashion designer and textiles designer, focused on breaking down fashion norms and showing the world my conceptualism and unique blend of art and fashion. 

I was born in 2004. From an early age I felt the need to explore my gender identity and experiment with different clothing, I remember being obsessed with wearing princess dresses when I was a toddler. My autism was also a big factor in my gender journey, as I didn't like certain fabrics, clothes and textures, it was during my latter years of highshool I started to secretly experiment with my gender expression, like growing my hair long and wearing clothes that made me look more feminine.

College was when I really started to express myself, going to campus with a full face of makeup, high heels and crossdressing, which made me consider the possibility of being trans, however after a lot of thought and continuing to edit and change my outfit style, I realised that the transgender label didn't exactly fit me, preferring the term "androgynous". It was when I was 19 I discovered what it meant to be "non-binary" and I decided to use that label to describe my gender ever since.

My interest in fashion also originated in my childhood, being rather interested in watching wrestling entertainment, specifically entertainment wrestling during the earlier decades, being mesmerised by all the colours and the spectacle of the outfits, especially the wrestlers with the more glamorous and feminine gimmicks, such as "Adrian Street" and "Gorgeous George". That style of fashion blended well with the world of drag as well, which was one of my origianl career aspirations, to either be a drag queen, or design outfits for other drag queens. 

Unfortunately, after passing college with flying colours, university did significant damage to my mental health and confidence, certain teachers constantly filled me with their condecension and harsh word that were weakly disguised as "constructive criticism" those three years forced me into a box I didn't want to be in, I was stuck in a cycle of being told to "follow their teachings and do things their way" but when I did that I was told to do the complete opposite. 

Those problems, combined with my autism and literal thinking (a way of thinking the teachers did not like) giving me a metaphorical ball and chain, I finished the course feeling like a shell of my former self, constantly trying my hardest to be good enough, only to be told my work was barely above a passing grade, whilst everyone else around me was achieving all sorts of success and producing showstopping garments.

The only good thing was my teachers suggesting I try textiles instead, a suggestion I initially thought was insulting, however after experimenting with print design and art, I discovered I had a newly found interest for the craft, reigniting the spark in me that fashion had brutally stomped out. 

Now I am on a journey trying to get my spark to grow, and mature into a beautiful flame, combining my new love for conceptual art and print with unconventional fashion, trying to rebel against the rules teachers forced into my brain.