Willie Norris for Outlier FW23: Alien But Make It Fashion
“My dream fashion show is on a f*cking different planet,” said the gravity-defying designer.
Outlier’s design director Willie Norris would rather make fashion for the extraterrestrial — but gravity keeps her on Earth. Despite this, the ethereal visionary still managed to challenge the planet’s status quo for Fall 2023, with a wardrobe defined by an intergalactic agenda.
Where typical fashion shows would cast models from the likes of IMG, Ford or Wilhelmina, Norris hired AI-generated aliens from alternate universes to showcase her latest designs. “My dream fashion show is on a f*cking different planet,” Norris said, “and these are my characters.”
Marking the fifth installment in the label’s IDEAS series, the collection, titled “PROOF,” fused Norris’ otherworldly vision with Outlier’s utility-first silhouettes. In doing so, the line crafted a visible tension, which the brand calls “alien electricity,” with a fantastical take on functionality.
The collection notes cited inspiration from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope‘s Mos Eisley Cantina and its “lasting impression as a scene that felt both alien and familiar at the same time.” Imagined in a similar set, Norris’ creatures came to life with handmade masks, makeup and foam latex prosthetic components that required the expertise of three different SFX artists — it was far, far away while still human.
In designing the collection, Norris asked herself, “How do we use our clothing to escape the confines of capital, reality, gender, expectations and ultimately the human form?” Her answer, exhibited on the runway, was “proof” that fashion can be transformational — so much so, that it can even make an alien look stylish.
Take a look at Outlier’s Fall/Winter 2023 collection above.
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