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<\/a>Courtesy of Roy Is A Mess<\/p>\nHi Roy \u2013 was your relationship with fashion like as a child?<\/p>\n
Roy Adriaens: I was obsessed with punkers. I always wanted liberty spikes and spike bracelets so my mom used to buy me coloured hair gel and give me little spikes. There\u2019s also a picture of a five-year-old me in a full princess outfit that I wanted from a theme park gift shop. My parents let me be very free \u2013 I had Barbies but also Action Men.<\/p>\n
Your brand feels very nostalgic for a different era, but then you push that to the total extreme. Why does this aesthetic interest you?<\/p>\n
Roy Adriaens: My work is a mix of all my fascinations from indie sleaze to glam rock to old ranchwear and many more. I couldn\u2019t tell you why it\u2019s specifically those things. I do know I\u2019m a very nostalgic person and I romanticise those things a lot. It all comes very organically. Also, ten to 15 years ago you could go to main street stores and find the coolest stuff! Everything is a lot more uniform and boring now, so unconsciously I think I resist that.<\/p>\n
How would you describe your style?<\/p>\n
Roy Adriaens: A mix of a scene, punk, glam, indie sleaze and a lot more, but always very nonchalant and rockstar. The moment I try too hard I mostly hate my outfits. I\u2019m always looking for a kind of balance \u2013 it needs to feel natural.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything is a lot more uniform and boring now, so unconsciously I think I resist that\u201d \u2013 Roy Adriaens<\/p>\n
When did you start making clothes like these?<\/p>\n
Roy Adriaens: I started almost 2 years ago just with caps. That got a bit out of hand and now we\u2019re here!<\/p>\n
How did you come up with the idea for making an iPod shuffle into a big bangle?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roy Adriaens: I was trying to figure out how to make a wrap-around version and then I realised it just needed to be really big and have a hole in the middle.<\/p>\n
What was the process of making the Bluetooth speaker wedges?<\/p>\n
Roy Adriaens: I first made the Pleasers with the speaker. Those were purely aesthetic but then I felt like the speaker actually needed to work. It was a lot of puzzling at first to fit everything inside. It became a wedge to have space for the battery and controls, but now I\u2019m trying to make them more wearable.<\/p>\n
How does it feel to have people like Ashnikko and Theodora wear your pieces?<\/p>\n
Roy Adriaens: Very surreal, especially the first time. I hope it\u2019s something that will never get normal.<\/p>\n
Now some quickfire questions\u2026 what\u2019s your ghost outfit?<\/p>\n
Roy Adriaens: Oversized black hoodie, a cap and some huge Gucci sunglasses.<\/p>\n
You encounter a hostile alien race and fashion is their only mechanism for communication. What would you make to inspire them to spare you and the rest of the human race?<\/p>\n
Roy Adriaens: I would present them the biggest stack of my neon-coloured bangles ever.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the most ran-through item in your wardrobe?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roy Adriaens: A white sleeveless Minnie Mouse shirt that I bought 10 years ago that\u2019s almost see-through now. Or a 90s Marsupilami bomber that I keep repairing.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s a fashion holy grail you\u2019re yet to get your hands on?<\/p>\n
Roy Adriaens: A Nudie Cohn suit. Or there are these silver lace-up boots with blue stars from Saint Laurent.<\/p>\n