Dyspnea and Pseudo team up to challenge expectations of styling

Enough fluff.

Dyspnea is known for its overtly feminine designs, which merge pastel pink fabrics with glitter, lace and pompoms. But the label’s founders, Rachel Motteram and Jameen Zalfen, want to challenge the way you see their pieces. 

The duo has teamed up with independent alt designer, Joshua Mullane, to challenge perceptions and expectations of ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ clothing.

Joshua made headlines recently, when he launched his label Pseudo via a guerrilla-style show outside the Sydney Opera House at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. His debut collection is about rebellion and fuses rock and roll design elements with androgyny.

We had a chat with Jameen to discuss the images. Here’s what she had to say.

Tell us about the concept for this shoot. 

We wanted to switch things up a bit. Josh had the men in suits for his guerrilla show and Dyspnea had the girls in dresses for the MBFWA show recently. We were our own stylists for the day and wanted to do it our way, messing with the formula.

How did you meet Joshua? 

Crazies attract crazies.

What do you hope people will get from of looking at these images? 

To not even double take or question role reversal. Just enjoy the images. Opinions are so easily ninja-d across social media. Be unbiased. 

Dyspnea is known for its overtly feminine designs. Is that how you see your pieces?

Overtly feminine with masculine powers.

Who is Dyspnea designing for? 

Attention seekers, whimsical fairies, loud voices and quiet mice.

What inspires your designs? 

Our surroundings: political, visionary or artificial. 

Do you think it’s important for fashion brands to take further action to break down stereotypes around what it is to be ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’? 

If it matters to the designer. It’s quite a hot topic at the moment. You’re doomed if you do, doomed if you don’t. Every artist has a tool and ours are clothes. This was a collaborative effort between two labels that share the same values and beliefs, making the whole process organic.

dyspnea.com.au
pseudocollection.com