Androgynous model about #freethenipple

Today's guest is Filip Ängelsson, a 21 years old boy from Sweden. He's currently studying graphic design and working part time as a freelance androgynous model.

I interviewed him about his recent unpleasant experience with censoring his photos, nipple approval, activism, sexuality and gender stereotypes. Read it below!

• What experience did you have with FB and censoring?

I am using FB as a means to communicate with people I’m involved with in projects, be it school or work. Sometimes I use it to keep in contact with friends that live away. In any case, because of my job as a freelance model, I have to update my pictures quite frequently.

It was a shock for me to find the best and most liked picture was reported for nudity. There was hardly any pornography, or female nudity for that matter. I am a guy after all, and my image was showing my topless torso. However the picture has been reported and removed as many times as I have uploaded it.

I’m not the only one that has suffered such unfair treatment. Fellow androgynous model Van Burnham has also talked about this issue of having his pictures taken down by FB because he was topless while in makeup.

• Why do you think there is such difference in female and male nipple approval?

I think that female nudity censorship is a leftover of women’s oppression by men. It hasn't been more than 50 years since women in the US stopped being men’s accessories. In many countries in the world women are owned by men, no matter how crazy that might sound, it’s true.

With the female liberation, so came the use of female sexuality as a means of advertisement. Nowadays most ads show this self-contradicting image of a woman that is sexy but innocent, experienced but virginal, selfless but vain.

Women have been hypersexualized so much that ads have been banned even though there was no evident nudity. I'm not surprised that the unclothed state of the female body is such a big taboo.

• Do you feel oppressed because of that?

Of course I do. It’s such a double standard. My summer photos with me in the beach enjoying the sun while wearing just swimming trunks are perfectly fine to be published on FB, but the moment there is red lipstick, eyeliner, mascara and flowy hair, my photo is inappropriate? I just don't get it. What changed?


• How important activism is to you?


It actually depends on the kind of activism. In most cases such as human rights (including female rights, gay rights, racial rights) I'm all for it.
But if things get too out of control then it is safe to say it’s no longer activism, but fanaticism instead.


• Could you describe yourself as a feminist? Why so?

Yes, absolutely. One would have to be a blithering idiot not to be a feminist. An activism that promotes the equality of sexes is something that should be embraced by everyone. Men and women alike.

In such a male dominated society, where for example being vulnerable and emotional is deemed as a feminine trait, both men and women are at a disadvantage. Men end up building up all of these emotions inside them to the point that makes them a ticking bomb ready to explode, just because they are afraid of being devalued and made fun of. And women are always being criticized for being themselves. It’s a situation where everyone loses if they don't support feminism.


• What tips do you have for men in same situation as you were in?

Good question Agnes. In case they don't care about their account being terminated, then they should respect the service’s rules and guidelines, even though they might be unfair. If they want to go against the system, then they can by all means continue what they do. That’s my advice.

You never know, if more guys took the time to create such intriguing pictures of themselves where they have the face of a girl and the body of a boy, perhaps the page’s moderators would make their rules fairer.

• What's your opinion on stereotypical masculinity and on the other side male femininity? Is there an issue?

Stereotypical masculinity disgusts me actually. Because one can see that the men that exhibit and perpetuate it are not comfortable with what they're doing. It’s merely a grotesque façade that supposedly protects them from judgement and gives them a free pass in life.

To me, male femininity is just embracing one’s humanity. Who came up with the idea that long blonde hair, painted nails, big lips, and voluminous eyelashes are something only women should have and enjoy? Or to want to be kind and gentle to others. When did these traits become something men should avoid so that they won’t be deemed feminine?

Concepts such as femininity and masculinity are artificial. For example, before Hitler came in power, pink was for boys and blue was for girls. Such things got reversed after that dictator left his mark worldwide with the homosexual holocaust were gays were distinguished by a pink triangle on their arm. Another example is how high heeled shoes were an exhibit of masculinity and status in French Renaissance. The height of the heel was equivalent to one’s status. At first such shoes were sported only by male royalty but soon women wanted to adopt a more androgynous fashion, and so they also started wearing high heels.

• So, being feminine doesn't mean you're gay?

Of course not. Sexuality, gender identity, and personality traits are three completely different things. People come in all different kinds of forms, colors, personalities. Just because most known gay men happen to act very feminine, doesn't mean that anyone that is feminine is also gay.

There are men that have hairy muscular bodies, watch football and drink beer, and are acting like the typical idea of a man, but they still get turned on by other men and identify as gay. There are women out there that are so feminine that one would describe them as the ideal straight female, yet they are gay.


• How does one become confident in their own skin.

The most important thing to do, but also most difficult one, is to stop caring about the opinions of others and surround themselves with people that love them unconditionally. If the latter is difficult, then they should start spending more time in front of the mirror, and only compliment themselves on the things they like about themselves. No negativity at all. Eventually they will be able to embrace their individuality and learn to love their image.

I'm no expert though, as I am still struggling with such a task. But I feel positive that I am in a very good route towards accomplishing it. I believe that eventually this is how one becomes confident in their own skin.

Photo: Filip's FB (https://www.facebook.com/phil.juicy.lips)

-ACTIVATE YOURSELF-

Xx, Agnes

Ghetto Mermaid: DryCry

As a huge fan of artificial materials, bold designs and futuristic style I came across with a very young British brand DryCry. They wanted to collaborate with me and voilà! I have already showed you one of their backpacks in my birthday's post in January. To introduce it to you I did a short interview with the designers.

Agnes: Can you describe DryCry for us?

DryCry: We take pride in creating their own prints and invest in premium textiles and trims from independent sources. Our products are of high quality fabrics and craftsmanship. Each piece is unique and handmade by designers in their Bristol studio. The DryCry girls’ ethos is they won’t make anything they wouldn't rock day in day out.

Agnes: Who are the talented designers behind DryCry?

DryCry: We are Polly Nicolaou and Daisy Thomas,the creators behind the fast fashion brand DryCry. We are Fashion and Textile graduates who founded DryCry in 2014, to share our must have pieces with the world.

Agnes: What inspires you?

DryCry: Our collections envision the fluffy no-nonsense street style looks of the post apocalyptic urban princess. DryCry is an on-trend fast fashion clothing brand describing their signature look as Ghetto Mermaid: sheer, iridescent, all that glitters, 90s, cyber. They take the nostalgic classics with currents trends and twist them with negligee fabrics and bondage detail.

Agnes: What is the accomplishment you are most proud of?

The goals we are most proud of are starting up our business together and spending every second of our life's pursuing our dreams in the most positive and creative way possible. We love the fact we are able to spend our days working with creative, inspirational souls and being involved in an independent movement.

Agnes: Who would be a perfect customer for DryCry?

Our perfect customer would be a woman who knows herself, her sexuality and isn't afraid to show it through her appearance as well as demeanour.

Find DryCry on:

Official Website

Facebook

Instagram

I'm wearing:

DryCry Twilight Crop Tee (available here)

New Balance sneakers from Ikona Ljubljana

H&M skirt

H&M bralette

brother's jacket :)

Photo: one and only, Robert Ribič

I'm wondering how many more Ghetto Mermaids we will see in Ljubljana this spring... 

Xx

Agnes

DRH Interviewed me: Agnes' views on Body image

I was requested by Das Rock Haus to answer some very interesting question about my views on body image. It's such a privilege to be featured on their site.

"Das Rock Haus is an up-and-coming fashion label inspired by and hand-made for the everyday women. Our goal is to bring fashion to women who don’t seek to fit in with the current definitions and beauty standards as portrayed in the media. By extension, we encourage and engage women to embrace their inner spirit, love their bodies and elevate their style, regardless of their size and body shape."

DRH: As a younger woman, have you noticed parts of your body changing? How did you respond to these changes from a fashion perspective?

Agnes: "I hit puberty quite late. I was even one of the shortest and smallest girl in my school until the age of 12 when I grew rapidly - 13cm in one year. It was only when I reached 16 years of age when I reached my final height of 178cm. Many of my friends were still shorter and I didn't feel comfortable wearing heels at all because if it but then I still decided to rock it rather than cry over it so I bought my very first pair of comfortable 10cm heels and started wearing it for... "

DRH: We loved your "Lovechild" blog post -- What inspired you to stand out from the crowd and move away from what society says is beautiful?

Agnes: "I inspired myself. When I started writing my blog I didn't have a clue what I wanted to represent, who I was and what my goals were. With a help of other social media and amazing inspiring profiles such as Charlie Barker, Joseph Harwood and Asher Britton I realised my biggest strength is that I was always being myself. ..."

Read the WHOLE INTERVIEW here:

http://www.dasrockhaus.com/blog/drh-weekly-vol-5-featuring-agnes-krown-and-her-views-on-body-image

Thank you for reading my blog!

Xx, Agnes

Interview with Agnes Krown in Vtikač magazine (SLO & ENG)

I'm very thankful and honored to be featured in Gimnazija Bežigrad's magazine Vtikač. Thanks to each of you who bought and read it, thanks to lovely Urška Krasnik for translating it and massive thanks to Svit, Tim and Peter who interviewed me. :)
Scroll down to read it in English.

♛

SVIT KOMEL, TIM HORVAT, PETER KRŽAN

DON'T GO WITH THE FLOW

Intervju z dekletom iz sveta mode

Kronski dragulj te številke, intervju, ki smo se ga najbolj veselili, ki je bil tudi najdaljši, najbolj živahen in najbolj presenetljiv. Kar trije smo se ga lotili, to naj bi že nekaj povedalo. Zlezli smo v hlače modne blogerke, si nadeli ekstravaganco dijakinje četrtega letnika in brez pomisleka prek nogavic obuli sandale dekleta, ki objavlja množico vrhunskih fotografij na socialnih omrežjih, preživeli smo čas z arzenalom različnih mejkapov z dekletom, ki je mnogim mlajšim dekletom pravi idol. Da, govorimo o Neži Slak, dijakinji, ki poskuša premikati družbene okvire.

1. O kom bomo danes govorili, Neži Slak ali Agnes Krown? Zakaj alternativno ime?

V bistvu je to umetniško ime, ki ga rabim predvsem zaradi tujine. Trudim se, da bi bila ciljna publika s časom tuja, tja se imam namen tudi preseliti. Ko sem začela z blogom, niso znali ne izgovoriti ne napisati mojega imena. Zato sem se morala predstavljati drugegače, da bi se me lažje zapomnili. Agnes je moje ime, Neža, v grščini,Krown deluje kot pozitivna afirmacija.

2. Koliko časa že pišeš svoj blog? Imaš veliko obiskovalcev?

Od maja lanskega leta, torej 2013. Ja, recimo, okoli 500 na dan.

3. O čem pišeš na svojem blogu? Kaj so tvoji cilji, nameni, zanimanja?

Moj cilj je, da se povezujem s kreativnimi ljudmi. Začela sem, zato ker sem hotela spoznati ljudi iz podobnega področja – da bi lažje prišla do njih, da bi lažje kaj novega odkrila, beležila svoj napredek, prišla kasneje na tisti faks v tujini, na katerega hočem; zanj rabim portfolio.

4. Kaj točno pa je tvoje področje?

Na splošno me zanima povezovanje ljudi. Ne bi bila rada oblikovalka, temveč člen med kupci in ponudniki oziroma oblikovalci.

5.Kateri je ta faks?

Fashion management v Londonu/Amsterdamu.

6. Čutiš da imaš poslanstvo v življenju? Kakšno?

Ja, recimo. Rada bi spreminjala mnenja ljudi oziroma jim dala priložnost, da razmišljajo o nekaterih zadevah, na katere sploh niso nikoli pomislili. Da si ustvarijo svoje mnenje in ne sledijo družbi.

7. Imaš kakšen primer takega delovanja?

Recimo v povezavi z estetiko. Na primer odnos do tega, če se moški ličijo ali pa da se ženske ne brijejo.Moti me ozkoglednost.
S fotografijami oziroma s tekstom na blogu skušam pokazati, da to ni nič takega, da naj se tega ne bojijo. Še posebej zato, ker imam veliko mladih (bralcev), katerim sem kot nekakšen idol, pomembno se mi zdi dati možnost izbire.

8. Kakšni so pa odzivi na tvoje »provokacije«? Dobivaš pozitiven feedback?

Ja, večinoma. Negativen je zgolj posledica nerazumevanja, ni ničesar neprijetnega. Kdaj je kakšna kritika tudi na mestu, to pa me spodbudi k spremembi in rasti.

9. Kaj pa »hejterji«?

Ja, seveda, so. Vendar me nič ne posebno prizadane, saj nikoli ne rečejo nečesa, kar bi bilo res res. Večina reagira iz ljubosumja ali nevedenja, kar se takoj vidi. Ponavadi take komentarje zbrišem.

10. Kaj je zate lepota?

V bistvu sta dve različni vrsti lepote, nekaj je naravno, da je človek lep, ima lepe obrazne poteze itd. Lahko pa je lepota nekaj kar ustvariš preko umetniškega izražanja (make up, oblačenje), v kar ti vneseš svojo kreativnost in pogled na svet, to izražaš navzven in s tem ustvariš nek karakter, persono. To se meni zdi prava lepota.

11. Torej se ti ukvarjaš predvsem s prikazovanjem stvari v drugačni estetski luči?

Ja.

12. Bi rekla zase, da živiš zdravo?

Relativno. Sem veganka in se trudim, da čim bolj zdravo jem, vendar imam svoje razvade.

13. Koliko časa pa si že veganka?

Kmalu bo eno leto, že prej pa sem imela obdobja testiranja.

14. Kako si se odločila za to?

Kar naenkrat nisem mogla več jest mesa in takrat sem bila zelo v tej »zdravi prehrani«, še posebej zaradi modelinga, saj so mi priporočali, naj ne jem mesa in mlečnih izdelkov. Začela sem veliko brati o tej temi in sem ugotovila, da mi to najbolj ustreza. K odločitvi so doprinesli tudi etični razlogi. Skratka zato, ker se tako počutim boljši človek.

15. Kaj narediš dnevno za svoje telo poleg tega, da paziš na prehrano?

Delam jogo, peš hodim v šolo, meditiram v večerih.

16. Kakšna posebna jed, ki jo pripravljaš, imaš rada?

Najraje imam azijsko hrano, kakšen chopsui. Nekaj, kar se da pripraviti na hitro. Nisem neka posebna kuharica, čeprav se trudim, da bi bila. Včasih imam kakšno čisto noro obdobje – instagram itd. – ampak sem malo postala lena. Nisem veliko doma.

17. Si naročena na šolsko malico? Če ne, kje pa potem ješ?

Nisem, prinesem si s sabo tisto kar mi mami pripravi (smeh).

18. Kam hodiš ven?

Zadnje čase na Metelkovo. Všeč mi je, ker je sproščeno. Ni mi všeč preveč classy, vseeno mi je, če se usedem na tla.

19. Kakšno glasbo poslušaš?

Najljubši mi je grunge iz 90ih – Nirvana, Pearl Jam. Pa tudi kaj modernejšega, recimo alternativni rock ali pa indie. Tudi klasična glasba, včasih sem igrala violino. Če imam preveč misli v glavi, si med meditacijo zavrtim tudi kakšno glasbo v tem duhu.

20. Koliko časa rabiš za »look«?

Po navadi okoli 40-50 minut, vendar imam tudi dneve, ko sem zelo zaspana, na primer danes, ko se ta čas zmanjša na 15 minut. Ampak se rada, če se le da, zgodaj zbudim zgolj zaradi tega, ker mi je to zelo zabavno.Ne kako zgledam z make-upom, všeč mi je sam postopek.

21. Od kje odločitev za spremembo barve las?

Nisem se počutila v redu z naravnimi, preveč »Plain Jane«. Hotela bi še bolj sivo, vendar imam že preveč uničene lase. Intuicija, očitno. Zdaj z belimi sem bolj prepoznavna, dobila sem tudi ponudbe sodelovanja večjih tujih trgovin.

22. »Socksandsandals«. Zakaj?

Ravno zaradi tega negativnega pogleda na njih. Imaš tiste prave »fashionsinse« in tiste, ki so storjeni zanalašč z namenom, na primer drag queens in njihov pretiran make-up. Meni so sandali in nogavice kot kombinacija zelo všeč oziroma se mi zdi, da povečajo izbiro outfitov.

23. Kje dobiš svoje obleke? Imaš najljubšega designerja?

Veliko preko interneta, tudi od mojih sponzorjev. Več jih mam, McQueen, Tom Ford, Alexander Wang, Peter Som, Versace, Balmain, Anthony Vaccarello,...

24. Prej si omenila britje kot kontroverzno temo. Se ti osebno briješ?

Ne, pod pazduhami se ne brijem in se ne mislim, zdi se mi zdi lepo. Vendar pa to ne pomeni, da sem zanemarjena. Estetsko se mi zdi tudi pobarvati na npr. roza.

25. Torej, če povzamemo, veliko lepša je lepo obrezana živa meja kot pa gol vrt?

Ja, to je kot lepo negovana brada!

26. Kaj pa ta reklama z modrcem, »ni obvezen je pa nujen«?

(smeh) A to ste videli na Facebooku, ko sem bila malo furious? To je ena izmed tistih zadev, ki mi grejo najbolj na živce. Popolnoma seksistično in zelo zastareloprepričanje. Živimo v 21. stoletju, leta 2014 in bi moral vsak zase razmisliti v čem se dobro počuti, ne pa za vse enako. Tako kot nimamo vsi enake barve lastudi ne moremo za vse reči: »Vse ženske nosite modrce!« ali pa »Vsi fantje se bildajte in jejte proteine!«. Vsakemu svoje.

27. Bi darovala organ po smrti?

Ja, bi. 

28. Še misel, sporočilo za na konec intervjuja? 

Don't go with the flow!

♛

SVIT KOMEL, TIM HORVAT, PETER KRŽAN

DON'T GO WITH THE FLOW

An interview with the girl from a fashion world

The brightest jewel of the crown – the longest, most vivid and surprising interview. It took three of us to do it properly. We were talking with a fashion blogger, an extravagant high school student who's not afarid of wearing socks and sandals at the same time. With a girl whose social networks are full of stunning photos, whose make up skills are simply fascinating. It is safe to say that she is a true roll-model. Yes, we are talking about Neža Slak.

1.) Who are we going to talk about today, about Neža Slak or AgnesKrown? Why the alternative name?

It's actually an artistic name that I need especially because of the foreing countries. I'm planning on moving out of my homeland and I want not only the domestic audience, but also a foreign one. When I started writting my blog, people didn't know how to pronounce or write my name, so I had to come up with a remarkable name in order to be remembered. In greek, Neža means Agnes and Krown is just a positive affirmation.

2.) How long have you been writting your blog? How many readers or at least visitors do you have?

I have been writting my blog since May 2013. Around 500 per day.

3.)What are your goals, interests?

My goal is to get in contact with creative people. I wanted to meet new faces with the same interests, that is pretty much why I started writting my blog, writting about my progress. My biggest goal is to become a student of a foreign university – I need a portfolio to achieve this.

4.) What exactly is your »area«?

I'm interested in connecting with other people. My wish is not to be a desginer, but to be that person between customers and designers.

5.) Which facutly is in your plans?

Fashion managment in London.

6.) Do you feel like you have a special mission in your life?

We could say so, yes. I would like to be able to affect people's opinion, to make them think of certain things they have never thought of before. I would like them to have their own opinion, instead of being just another sheep.

7.) How are you currently trying to affect people's lives, opinions?

I express myself mostly through aestheticism. For example, I'm freely expressing my attitude towards men who do make up and women who don't shave. What bothers me are narrow-minded people. I want to show my audience, especially the youngest ones, that doing your make up, not shaving, not wearing a bra is nothing unusual. Don't be afraid of who you are or who you want to be. I believe I am a roll-model, and I want people to know that they always have a choice.

8.) You like to provoke. How do people react, is the feedback always positive?

Most of the time, yes. A negative feedback is just a result of unawareness. I always accept valid criticism, which only encourages me to develop and grow even more.

9.) What about haters?

Their comments doesn't hurt my feelings, because they are mostly written by people who are jealous or unaware. I usually delete that kind of comments.

10.) Describe your idea of beauty.

There are certainly two types of beauty. We all know the natural beauty – when someone's facial proportions are just breathtaking. But you can also create beauty with your make up, clothes, your own style or basically anything that you put creativity and effort into. What is more, how you see the world may help you with becoming a character, a persona. To me, this is the true beauty.

11.) So, you want people to think more about aestheticism?

Yes.

12. Do you live healthy?

Relatively. I am vegan. I am trying to eat healthy, but I have my bad habits when it comes to food.

13. How long have you been a vegan?

For a year now.

14. What made you change your mind?

All of a sudden I didn't want to eat meat anymore. I was all into healthy food because of the modeling. Their advice was not to eat meat and dairy products. I started reading about veganism and I found out that I like the idea of this whole thing. I feel like a better person now.

15.) What else are you doing for your body?

I do yoga, I meditate and I also go to school by foot.

16.) Is there any specific food that you really like?

My all time favorite food is asian. Chopsui, for example, basically anything that doesn't require much time. I am not a top chef, but I am trying my best. I have become lazy and I am barely at home.

17.) Do you eat your school's meals?

No, my mom usually prepares me a meal, so I always bring my own. (laughter)

18.) Do you go out?

Yes, I like Metelkova, it is a very relaxing place – I don't mind sitting on the floor. I don't like classy places.

19.) What music do you listen to?

I love 90's grunge – Nirvana, Pearl Jam and also alternative rock or indie. I used to play violin, so I'm certainly no stranger to classical music. I like listening to it, especially during my meditation.

20.) How much time do you spend on your makeup/look?

Usually, around 40-50 minutes. But there are days like this when I'm sleepy and forced to do my make up in 15 minutes. It's no problem waking up early, I like the whole process of applying my make up.

21.) Why the drastic change of the hair color?

I wasn't very comfortable with my natural color, it was very »Plain Jane«. I would like my hair to be even more grey, but they are already too damaged. However, people recognize my white hair in a second and I've also got offers to collaborate with foreign companies.

22. »Socks and sandals«. Why?

People are so resentful. Fashion is full of »fashion sins« that are made intentionally, for example, drag queens and their excessive make up. I like the combination of socks and sandals, period.

23.) Where do you get your clothes? Who is your favorite desginer?

Mostly via internet and also from my sponsors. I would say McQueen, Tom Ford, Alexander Wang, Peter Som, Versace, Balmain, Anthony Vaccarello, …

24.) Shaving is apparently a controversial issue. Do you shave?

My armpits are hairy and they will stay hairy. I find that beautiful and it doesn't mean that I'm neglected or whatever. I'm also planning on dyeing my armpits baby pink.

25.) So, there's nothing wrong with having hairy armpits and taking care of them?

Exactly, just like there's nothing wrong with having a beard and taking care of it.

26.) What about the »bra commercial: it's necessary!«

(Laughter) Have you seen my furious facebook status? That's exactly what bother's me the most. It's so sexist. We live in 21th century, it's 2014. Do you see us all having the same hair color? No, and we don't have the right to say: »All women should wear a bra!«, or »Men should go to fitness and eat proteins!« To each his own.

27.) Would you donate your organs after death?

Yes.

28. That's it. Do you have some kind of a messages? 

Don't go with the flow!

Quirky Me

Quirky Me is a new brand, founded by Cintia Gonzalvez, a young designer from Barcelona. It's known for its coolness, edge, futuristic touches & materials and sharp aesthetic vision. Fashion with a heart.

She loves patent and sheer as well as faux fur and leather, fishnet and clear materials. Also zips, cutouts, buttons and original closure methods like clasps, snap buttons, buckles and other elements in unexpected ways. Regarding colors, she's known for combining black and bright colors. Her signature jackets has been adored all around the world including by Le Happy and other famous bloggers. I'm very honored to have a chance to present you such a promising designer!

SHOP HERE: http://www.quirky-me.com/

Follow Quirky Me:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuirkyMe.shop

Instagram: @quirky_me

Read our INTERVIEW!

Agnes: Who is the creative behind Quirky me? What's your designer story?

Cintia: I'm a self taught designer and artist. I didn't go to a fashion school but have illustration formation, which is the profession I thought I would make a living of. And I did for a while, as a comic artist, in a video game company and as a freelance artist. But that changed for me in an unexpected turn of events because of some health issues, and so I had to decide what to do with my life and that favoured the creation of Quirky Me, a dream of mine I never thought I would start working on that soon.

I may not have a fashion design grade, but I think I was born for it. Not only fashion design but design overall. I could design from a building to a pen if I could haha. :)

 (Brand embodiment, Cintia Gonzalves herself.)

Agnes:Who or what is your inspiration and why?

Cintia: I don't like to look at other designers for inspiration because I want my designs to be as genuine as possible, although I think everything has already been invented in the fashion industry, so I just look for inspiration in materials, colours, textures and concepts that catch my attention, and of course, in my other favourite hobbies such as video games, music, comics, movies and many kinds of art. I like to think music is my muse, I find it undoubtedly, the best source of inspiration. There's some songs which I can't get tired of listening to and they always fill my head with tons of ideas. Works like a charm!

Agnes: Tell us some more about your brand!

Cintia: Quirky Me is a project that I had in my mind since a very young age, only that I didn't know it yet! I always kept designing characters and outfits and dreaming about bringing them to life. Then I started growing up and being sure that some day I would have my own label which would gather all these ideas, concepts, materials and colours which I really like and that are part of the brand's personality.

I knew I wanted to do that, to gather a lot of ideas I never saw under one same brand. I used to find something I liked here and there but never the 100% "me" brand. And that's what Quirky Me is about, the brand which is 100% me.

(Signature Biker girl jackets)

Agnes: What are your biggest wishes and goals?

Cintia: My main goal is to turn into an established and trusted brand so I could really make a living of it and to become only and exclusively the thinking head, to create and design all these ideas I really want to share and have a great time that would compliment me and make "magic" together. I don't need to be rich or famous you know? I just want to live a happy life and to have everything I need to live in peace, which is not much, materially speaking.

Agnes: Who's your dream customer, who would you like to dress?

Cintia: My dream customer is a girl like you and me who is avid for visual candy, with a taste for art, music, whimsical stuff and her own way of thinking. A girl who is quirky, badass and creative and will stay true to herself.

(Famous bloggers in her jackets)

Agnes: What projects have you worked on?

Cintia: All the projects I worked on before I launched quirky Me were related to illustration, graphic design and concept design for comics and video games! I was starting to have my own fanbase as a digital artist and got featured for the first time in a couple magazines and books about digital artists until that turn of events which forced me to leave it all aside. At this moment there are two retailers selling my designs in Barcelona; Cougar Collection at Flamingos Gallery, and Last Tango Barcelona, I encourage anyone to go and visit them, they have super nice stuff!

Agnes: I'm very interested, tell us some fun facts about you!

Cintia: I'm a crazy cat lady with no cats of her own or that you can so easily buy me with chocolate and food besides of my constant need of changing my hair colour and that I have other unrelated hobbies such as architectural model making, abandoned places and all vintage stuff, biology and that I hold a grudge for playing an instrument or learning other languages (I hope I will do all of that some day!)

My favourite colour changes as my mood does haha.

I really enjoyed answering your questions Agnes.

Thanks so much!

Cintia

(Quick shots of the prototypes, soon for sale.)

What is your first impression? Which piece is you favourite?

Soon more about Quirky me on Agnes Krown blog!

Xx, Agnes

Interview with Joseph Harwood: L'androgyny Originale

When I asked Joseph for an interview I had no idea that my biggest makeup inspiration, favourite Youtuber, a teacher, motivator and a little bit of a role model would actually answer me and was gonna say yes. You can imagine me being hyper for a whole day telling all of my friends what has just happened. :D Still cannot believe it. Let me introduce him to you:

Joseph Harwood is a successful makeup artist, androgynous model and a Youtube guru who mesmerises the world with his male to female makeup tutorials. Having been chosen for a winner of You Generation (a search by Simon Cowell for the world’s best new makeup artist) his recognition sky-rocketed! His channel has now more than 75.000 subs and almost 5 mio views, he also worked with Jinkx Monsoon, Willam Belli, Alaska Thunderfunk and Detox. He is just about to launch his new cosmetic line Joseph Harwood Cosmetics. His grand success is also channel Perfect Androgyny. It's a LGBTQ collab channel, he'll tell you more about it. When we talked, it was obvious he was a very clever, confident, unique but extremely down to earth person, which I appreciate a lot.

If you're not so familiar with following expressions like 'androgyny' and 'LGBTQ', click here to read more.

Agnes: What's the mission of Perfect Androgyny and why did you start it?

Joseph: Around about 2008 I was invited to be a part of a collaboration channel called 5AT which was a day in the week style blogging channel. Every member was very visually gender ambiguous and it was at a point in my life where I was a young teenager, finding people who I could relate to in that way. I posted every Sunday with a collection of amazing bloggers, Strophanthus who was our Monday poster, created the channel alongside Bryce, who was our Wednesday. The OutbackGoddess Bruce, was Saturday, Michael James was Friday and we had a number of guests. I understand it was based on the hype surrounding the channel 5 Awesome Gays, there wasn't anyone doing a more gender related version and it was just alot of fun to start a conversation in this format, there were no videos like this on youtube at the time and it was a start of a community. I had a bit of an issue in regards to using tranny because I've never connected to the word, I've always associated it with negative connotations but I understood doing the channel was addressing those negatives and taking the power back. None the less, 5AT came to a close that year and I started helping Michael James out with his personal channel. We did a number of tongue in cheek reality shows where we blogged about our day to day lives, but we definitely got a bit of a backlash from other members of the LGBTQ community which is something that happens all too frequently.

I proposed we restart 5AT as a way of showcasing people who were gender ambiguous in a positive light, in spite of any backlash. We were originally playing with calling the concept 'The Glam Elite' but I found it a little pretentious and that was the opposite of what I wanted the channel to be about. I filmed the trailers and orchestrated the channel, started inviting people who I had connected with via myspace and began researching into better titles and definitions. I looked into the history behind words and other definitions that I could relate to which opposed the title of 'tranny'. None were things I could identify to, but the word hermaphordite, a combination of 'Hermes' and Aphrodite' got me thinking. I played with a new title called 'AndroForm' or Androgynous Beauty. I just wanted it to be something that had fresh connotations and could apply to everyone, because we all have characteristics that combine the masculine with the feminine. I liked how androgynous sounded in french and I played with l'androgyny belle, l'androgyny genetique, l'androgyny parfait. The latter became my msn address and my emails, and it just kind of stuck.

In 2011 and started creating tutorials for my own channel, I began loving the relationship you get with your audience. I had all the concepts and ideas I had been keeping for the channel still, I just didn't want the timing to overlap or come across as a competitive move so I sat back and waited. Then I saw an opportunity to start something new, paying homage to the original 5AT, with my vision behind it. I reached out to some of my friends, some people I admired and we started working on the channel. Everyone put some element in to what it is right now, whether with graphics, ideas, music or videos. I wanted to showcase cisgendered people who represented the opposite, I wanted to showcase drag, I wanted to showcase transgendered people, I wanted to showcase variation and I worked really hard coming up with a balance of topics and fun concepts. PA has been absolutely amazing, Mathu Andersen giving us a topic to discuss, the rapper L1ef reblogging our trailers, and the amount of people involved in the cast has been sensational. I love all the members, and the combination of the whole is really successful. Firstly, the mission is to just have fun because the greatest example to set to people, is just being who you are. But I want it to be inspirational to people. I'm excited to have started a whole new season!

Agnes: What is the accomplishment you're most proud of? Joseph: In my career I've had huge success in the last year, winning the YouGen competition overall and being titled as the best new makeup artist by Simon Cowell, chose by Pixiwoo and appearing on Buzzfeed, the Daily Mail. It just is absolutely surreal! In my personal life I think that I've overcome obstacles that prevented me to forgive people in my life, past and present. That is definitely something I'm proud of. I'm proud of who I'm becoming as a person.

Agnes: What would you advise a teenager wishing to do Youtube? Joseph: Youtube is currently full of people doing the same thing, so be original and be unique. Don't put your energy into doing something to compete with someone else, use what's magical about yourself and take your time. Do things properly. And don't read the comments! People are crazy.

Agnes: What's your favourite quote? Joseph: If you're gonna stand out for something, make it look expensive. That's what my mum has shared with me, and I share with everyone else. Put your effort into what you do.

Agnes: Who is your biggest makeup inspiration? Joseph: As a makeup artist I look up to Kabuki, Pat McGrath, Charlotte Tilbury. My biggest inspirations of the past however, have to be Way Bandy, Kevyn Aucoin and Serge Lutons. I recently was in Paris and the Serge Lutons store gave me a sample of one of each of all their perfumes, I was absolutely blown away. I'm going to be doing a look for halloween to say thankyou so keep posted! Visually I look up to people like Mathu Andersen and Zaldy, Leigh Bowery, the 90s Supermodels. I spent all my spare time growing up searching old forums and life journals and that weird yahoo geocities for photos of all these inspirational and beautiful looking creatures and I had a collage of them on my wall. I definitely take inspiration from everything but my interpretation is always my own and I think I'm inspired by myself more than anything.

Agnes: Your Top 5 makeup products? Joseph: Estee Lauder Doublewear, I've been wearing it since it launched. Dermacolor Concealers, I use them for everything. Their powders too. Max Factor 2000 Calories Mascara. I love Shu Uemura Face Architect Cream Foundation with their Loose Powder in Pink 200 too, but that's long discontinued sadly. And Joseph Harwood Cosmetics #comingsoon. My brushline is exceptional, Japanese quality products completely self funded, self designed and self promoted! I can't WAIT to show everyone off!!

Agnes: What's your opinion on social media and how much does it affect your life? Joseph: Social media is an amazing concept, it's a great way to not only share your life but it's fascinating to watch. The negatives definitely consist of the speed in which things are now digested. Everything is in, then out. Then in, then out. It creates a strange tolerance in people where there's constantly a need to shock with something even more. I'm thankful more than life that I was born in the early 90s because I didn't look like the norm, I grew up being mistaken for the gender I was not assigned at birth and being able to see other people in the world whilst I was growing up, was a reassurance to me. It's also a job, it has been extremely lucrative. #shewon

Agnes: If you had a chance to work with one person who would it be and why? What type of co-workers do you appreciate the most? Joseph: I would love to work with Lauryn Hill as I think she's such an inspiration to me. In whatever capacity even if I get to beat her mug. I also love Lil Kim I would kill to do her makeup. I work with so many people in different environments it's always good to be part of a team, and not bring your ego with you to work.

Agnes: Do drag queens just want to be women or do you think they just find it more interesting to transform into a lady because of its versatility of options? Joseph: Drag is dressed as girl. Normally for a performance, a club, a concept. However, drag is an art form that every single person plays with. I think the gender transformation is something we're fascinated by because it's against our nature as a culture, we love to box things into one or the other where as this is the ability to be both things at once. It's also beautiful and sparkly and catches attention. When it comes to a persons gender, it really has nothing to do with what they do, just who they are.

Agnes: How do you stay so down to earth and humble? Which quality in people do you appreciate the most? Joseph: I recently realized that through social media I come across without intonation so my humor is lost, when I'm drunk and marching around pretending to be Linda Evangelista, it's with a pinch of salt. I'm a 6' 2 man in 6 inch heels, it's funny. But when you see a well lit photo typing something the intonation comes across meaner than it should so I'm learning to be more balanced. I'm clumsy and I don't take things that seriously so for me it's just about being myself, and listening to a good read if you need to hear it. My mum also keeps me down to earth.

Thank you so much for your questions! <3

Please follow me across my social media below.

http://www.youtube.com/jhmemoires
http://www.youtube.com/perfectandrogyny
http://www.facebook.com/josephharwooduk
http://www.twitter.com/josephharwood

I'm very thankful and honored to had a chance to interview Joseph. You just gotta be ridiculous enough to try.

Here is my favourite makeup tutorial:

I hope you liked this interview. It would mean the world to me to hear your feedback about it. I read every single comment :)

Thank you for reading,

x Agnes