Girl on the Go

Wardrobe Stylist/Makeup Artist: Mikayla Gutierrez

1. What significant life experiences or events have influenced and shaped your artistic vision?

When I was younger, I went through various phases of different creative hobbies, such as writing, drawing, and even baking. I’ve had a creative spark lingering for a while, but it wasn’t until recently that I saw these hobbies as something substantial for my future. I would say a clear shift occurred during 2020. There was the COVID lockdown, the various protests across America, I was dealing with serious family issues, and mental health issues on top of that. I felt like I was losing myself. There were so many things that felt out of my control. I turned to creative hobbies as an outlet, to have some form of expression and freedom when it felt like all else was lost. I found myself writing again. I fell in love with alternative fashion and subcultures. I started learning how to sew. I developed a unique sense of style. I grew aspirations to have a creative career and share my artistic vision with others. From then on, I found myself developing a voice through these creative outlets. A voice that refuses to hold back for anyone, even if it may seem unusual or weird. A voice that is true to all of the intersecting aspects of my identity. A voice that lets people know who I am. My creative passions have become a core part of me. I feel invigorated now more than ever to keep pushing myself to reach new heights with my creativity. I believe that this journey is far from over. This collaborative project is a step in the right direction.

2. Collaboration often sparks fresh creativity. Can you share an example of a collaboration that led to an unexpected and exciting artistic outcome?

Funnily enough, the first example I can think of is this photoshoot! Girl on the Go was a collaborative project for a Fashion Styling course at London College of Fashion. It was my first time creating an original concept for an editorial style photoshoot, and I was admittedly nervous. We originally had a lot of ideas for the shoot that felt ambitious to me. As the day of the shoot got closer, I was worried about how these ideas were going to be executed. Even if it was for a class project, I wanted to feel proud of our work and put in significant effort. Having a cooperative and adaptable team helped make this experience feel significant. When all 5 of us worked to style the looks with pieces from our closets, the process felt very organic and fun as we were manipulating garments, communicating about what works and what doesn’t, and making sure that we weren’t overthinking or feeling overwhelmed. Through this process, I felt excited about our shoot and my apprehension quickly went away. Our team made me realize we had all that we needed to develop a good outcome. We all kept that positive energy when the day of the shoot came and everything fell into place. Our makeup and hair preparation went smoothly for both of our models, we were able to make creative decisions quickly at our locations, and we all audibly gasped upon looking at how the photos turned out on the camera. “We really did that!” I thought to myself. I truly would have never imagined that a college group project would give me the opportunity to produce this kind of work and gain valuable experience. I left that day with a full heart. Not only did this project leave us with great success, it fueled my creative passion and solidified my ambitions for the future. I am determined to keep creating and keep the joy I receive from it for the rest of my life.

3. Walk us through a specific project that challenged your creative boundaries. How did you approach it, and what did you learn from the experience?

During my semester at London College of Fashion, I was also taking a Creative Direction course. For this course, our project was to create an original fanzine. Making my own fanzine was something that had never crossed my mind before. I had only thought about working with existing fashion publications as a potential career. Creating a layout, thinking of content ideas, and finding a unique narrative seemed like a huge task to complete in a few months. I knew I wanted to do something that represented who I was, but it was hard for me to visualize how the final product would end up. Even when I did find my narrative, I was really struggling to find a way to put it all together that I felt happy with. For weeks, I was wrangling with digital layout tools, testing pencil drawing ideas, and fleshing out my long written pieces. I wanted everything to be perfect and I was stuck for a while. However, I realized that the zine didn’t have to necessarily be “perfect”, it just had to be an earnest representation of myself and my experiences.

After that realization, I was able to approach the project in a way where I just did what felt right in the moment. I digitally printed my front cover, back cover, and colored blank pages to arrange them into a booklet. From there, I just spent hours across a few days physically cutting and pasting my content into my zine. I had printed photos, lined and patterned paper, and bought some trims and thread too. I had a rough plan of what I wanted to do, but I made many layout decisions in the spur of the moment to make the project feel more authentic. I ended up cutting down some of my original ideas so the zine wouldn’t feel overly crowded. I also didn’t want to overwhelm myself. My room was so messy from all the paper and trim scattered around during this time, but it felt like a sign that I was doing something right. I was making art. I was able to see my fanzine with my eyes, and it was no longer an idea in my head. Not only that, I was incredibly proud of it and I saw my passion in this work. From this experience, I learned that it’s always best to just start when you have an idea or desire to make something. I find myself often overthinking or being afraid that something won’t be perfect when it comes to creating something new. Even if you do create something and you don’t like it and you can only see its flaws, you can use it to direct you towards improvement and making something that you will be happy with. You’ll only know what you’re capable of when you let go of that fear and start. Letting go of my fear and working against the initial boundaries I felt the project presented me with allowed me to create something that I ended up loving. I’ve been considering continuing this fanzine because of it.

4. In the ever-evolving art world, what do you believe sets your work apart and makes it unique or groundbreaking?

I believe my work is set apart because of the unique narratives it holds. When someone looks at art, they’re entitled to their own interpretation of it. Often, they may not initially think too much about the work in a critical context. However, when people look at the things I create and learn about who I am, I want them to think deeper about the meaning of the choices that I make and how they relate to my position in society. My art isn’t only a means of self-expression, but it is positioned as a continued response to what I see in the world as a black woman. I see people like me being silenced, having their rights and well being disregarded, and afraid of the years to come. My work is a way of showing that I am still here and that I have a unique voice that refuses to be silenced. For me, my creativity has become entwined with my radical values and what I believe to be salient aspects of my identity. In Girl on the Go, the original concept wasn’t only inspired by aesthetics alone, but it was led by ideas of empowerment and freedom amongst women. We thought of a world where women didn’t feel weighed down and pressured by constant judgment and scrutiny for the way they present themselves in their everyday lives. Having that message further empowered me while completing this project. That is only one example of the many values I hold that can inspire my art. As I grow older, I believe my art will only become more powerful. I’ll face challenges that I will have to persevere through and experiences that may change my perspective on life. I will embrace whatever life throws at me and use it in my art to proudly represent my proof of life. If at least one person is inspired by the thoughts and experiences that fuel my art, that would make me happy.

5. As you reflect on your journey, are there any specific goals or milestones you've set for your artistic career in the coming years?

I’m aiming to graduate university next year with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and Fashion Studies. Once I do that, I’m rather open minded towards my artistic career path and have been toying with a few different ideas. I would love to work for a fashion publication, whether through editorial work or assisting shoot direction. I enjoy fashion styling and would be interested in starting assistant styling work. I’ve also enjoyed the thought of being a multidisciplinary creative, doing a little bit of everything through freelance work. I’ve also thought of starting my own fashion publication or brand. I'm considering pursuing a Masters program within the next couple of years too. I believe the right opportunities will present themselves at the right time! My main goal is for my artistic career to continue to be fueled by my true joy and passion.

• story/Description

  Our editorial Girl on the Go composed of styling inspiration from over-the-top hyperfeminine aesthetics meant to juxtapose the urban environment of London that's typically filled with hustle and bustle.

• Team Credits

  Wardrobe Stylist/Makeup Artist: Mikayla Gutierrez

  Wardrobe Stylist/Makeup Artist/Hair Stylist: Ella Delucia

  Wardrobe Stylist/Hair Stylist: Catherine Bennett

  Model: Mabel Forrest

  Wardrobe Stylist/Photographer: Fabiana Orozco

  Wardrobe Stylist/Creative Director/Makeup Artist: Yao Huang

  Model: Alexa Perez

• Wardrobe Credits

  Belt: Vintage

  Blazer: ZARA

  Blouse: Kimchi Blue

  Blouse: Prada

  Blouse: Sugar Girl

  Bracelet : Vintage

  Corset : Beyond Retro

  Corset: Urban Outfitters

  Dress: Cider

  Hair accessories: Poundland

  Hair Accessories: Primark

  Hair clips：Taobao

  High heels: ZARA

  leg warmers: Brandy Melville

  Necklace: Taobao

  necklace: Vintage

  Necklace: Vivienne Westwood

  Pants: Miss Sixty

  Pearl Tie: STARTEXCEEDEND

  Shoes: DC

  Shoes: OFFICE London

  Shoes: ZARA

  Skirt: @mingmin72

  Skirt: Baby the Stars Shine Bright

  Skirt: Emesexcite

  Skirt: Emsexcite

  Skirt: Seven Princess

  Slip Dress: Vintage

  Tank Top: Secondhand

  Tights: Amazon

  Tights: Secondhand

  Top: Cecil McBee

  Waist Tie : Vineyard Vines

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