After their stunning debut at the Leeds RAG Fashion Show, I caught up with Alex King, dissecting their style and their identity, delving deep into the five looks they chose for the shoot.

‘There are gothic elements to my style; I use black lipstick and eyeliner a lot, but it’s not fully ‘goth’. I like to have pops of colour here and there, with vaudeville and clown elements too. I want to look unnatural, like I’ve got a face on top of my face. I love cartoonish, exaggerated looks, almost like a caricature. Honestly, the bigger, the better; I love maximalism.’

‘I hate the aestheticization of fashion trends. There’s too much gatekeeping in the goth community. So much conversation is about whether someone is ‘New Goth’, or ‘Cyber Goth’; all these categories are so overly defined, but at the same time, they’re meaningless. I see aesthetics and subcultures as something to draw inspiration from, rather than fit into.’

‘I only started getting into makeup in 2022; I grew up in a very repressive, cis-heteronormative house, men couldn’t wear makeup. I struggled with a lot of body image issues related to acne and weight, and it’s been so liberating for my self-esteem using makeup as my creative outlet and incorporating fashion within that. It’s so fun using my face as a blank canvas for crazy, outlandish styles; why should I follow rules or trends? But I never actively seek to subvert patriarchy, or societal norms, I just do what I love. If it subverts, then that’s a bonus.’

‘I’ve been pushed around and called names in the street, but I feel so authentically me. I’d rather be shunned for being me than have to be somebody drab, boring, and sad. Before, I gravitated towards big name brands, and fell into the trap of fast fashion for the sake of sticking to an aesthetic – it’s like a rite of passage – but I’m really into thrifting lately. Being able to love wearing an outfit is such a beautiful thing.’

‘Currently, my style is really inspired by Jasmine Bean, they’re so iconic. Their main outlet is music, but I love how they contrast jagged, sharp aesthetics with softness; my love of chokers comes from them.’

‘I love Poppy too! I remember listening to I Disagree in lockdown, and I know it’s a cliché to say, ‘this album saved me,’ but it really did! It’s an album of contrasts, like how she parallels bubblegum pop with harsh metal, and that reflects in her fashion.’

‘I love Italian theatre, especially harlequins, so I lean into the more theatrical, camp sides of fashion. I gravitate towards the uncanny, and the idea of something being weird and beautiful at the same time.’

‘When I was younger, I’d do fake fashion shows when everyone was out of the house. It’s the cliché closeted child activity; using your sister’s makeup and clothes, and God knows what else, to make a makeshift runway. When the penny dropped that I could just wear whatever I want, whenever I wanted, it was so liberating. I love the creative freedom and the sense of agency that comes with being a model that styles themself.’