Hey, I Like Your Style! Inside the beautifully chaotic wardrobe of artist, stylist and model, Georgia Harper
Image via @gharps/instagram
As told to Fashion Journal
“I’d rather be misunderstood in something that feels exciting or true to me than be praised in something that isn’t authentic.”
We know personal style is a journey (I’m looking at you, Tumblr years) and our series Hey, I Like Your Style! dives into the fashion psyche of our favourite creatives. We’re talking the good, the bad and the 2007.
While the internet has made our fashion icons feel closer than ever before, even the most effortless of outfits came from a closet with some (well-dressed) skeletons. Clickable product tags, photo archives and lives chronicled in 30-second clips just don’t tell the full story.
For more fashion news, shoots, articles and features, head to our Fashion section.
There’s a certain brilliance in the way we choose to express ourselves, and at FJ, we know every outfit has a story. This is particularly so in the case of Georgia Harper. The artist, costume designer, stylist, model and secondhand fashion buyer (phew!) has a well-honed eye for the exciting and unexpected when it comes to fashion. Decades of op shopping have sharpened her creative vision, as have years of experimenting with personal style.
Georgia’s a firm believer in clothing as a tool for communication and self-expression, noting it’s also highly political. “It’s there to be critiqued and reimagined,” she explains. “From a young age, I knew that authenticity was non-negotiable for me. I’m drawn to things that are a bit ‘wrong’.”
Her approach to style is both enviable and authentic, drawing inspiration from sources that nobody else would probably ever pinpoint. Take, for example, her references to Ciara’s ‘Like a Boy’ video clip or the Qantas-pyjama-clad stranger she saw walking down the street – both of which she‘s cited as influencing her style.
Fashion Journal: Hey, Georgia! Tell me about yourself and what you like to wear.
Georgia: I’m G. A textile artist, maker, costume designer, stylist, buyer and collector. I wear anything that sparks dialogue, evokes emotion or leaves a lingering impression.
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How has your style evolved over time? Do you feel you’ve gained confidence in the way you dress?
Absolutely. Dressing is an art form to me, it’s my chosen outlet of expression to myself and others.
My style evolution has been perfectly messy and exploratory. In my early years, dressing was both armour and theatre – a way of saying “I exist” even when I didn’t quite feel it inside. Clothing is a language, and I wore my “chaos”. I wanted to entertain or harness shock value, and this gave me confidence that will hopefully stay with me.
However, confidence is a layered, evolving story. Entering my thirties, as I’ve become more grounded, so has my style. I’ve stopped needing to prove I’m creative and instead let the work speak for itself. I’m less about spectacle and more about substance. I’ve become more drawn to fabric, structure, silhouette and craftsmanship.
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Being a maker myself, my textile and costume background deeply informs how I engage with fashion. I think good style is often a thoughtful collage process. Vintage to archive runway. It’s not about what’s trending, it’s about what makes sense together — visually, energetically, personally. My style comes from appreciating items of clothing as special individual pieces of art and then building a world around that.
Colour palettes and pattern matching scratch an itch in my brain that is inexplicable, which probably has something do with the amount of The Sims I played as a kid. I’ve also been op shopping since I can remember, which trains your brain to think about items in a wider context. I’m addicted to the hunt.
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Personal style is a journey. Have you ever felt like you needed to fit into a particular fashion box?
Yes, and I’ve always rebelled, gently or otherwise. Dressing is about curiosity and resistance. Even as a child, I had an instinctive aversion to being told how to look or behave. Growing up in a conservative environment, there were “right” or “appropriate” ways to present yourself; to not draw attention.
From a young age, I knew that authenticity was non-negotiable for me. I’m drawn to things that are a bit “wrong”. My queerness was also the foundation for challenging binary norms. Fashion is highly political; it’s there to be critiqued and reimagined.
That’s also the magic of clothing – you can shapeshift, and we all do. I’ve dabbled in a myriad of aesthetics depending on my surroundings. It’s natural, clothing is a tool of social signalling. However, I’d rather be misunderstood in something that feels exciting or true to me than be praised in something that isn’t authentic.
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Take us back to those awkward teenage years. Do you have any fashion regrets?
Only ever dressing to impress a man. Get in loser, we’re going shopping and decentering the male gaze.
I could write a thesis on my eras. Honestly though? No regrets. Each chaotic outfit era has provided endless entertainment, for both myself and friends. I used to come home from school, change into elaborate character looks and do photoshoots for my secret Tumblr. I wish I still had it. But truly, I look back at every era and see a version of myself that was simply just bravely trying.
What’s the most meaningful fashion piece you own?
There’s meaning in every piece. Caring about your clothes is rewarding, and there’s so much beauty in wear and tear. One of my favourite things to do is mend, condition my leather pieces or visit my cobbler or tailor.
I work at Swop as a senior buyer, and the amount of fast fashion I encounter is unsettling. I think people need to interrogate their purchasing power. The fashion industry thrives on creating perceived obsolescence, making consumers feel that their wardrobes are constantly out of date. I don’t agree with a disposability mindset towards clothing; sentimentality is crucial. It helps when you consider clothing as art, involving multiple people, rather than a trend or product to be consumed.
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Who or what influences your style?
My main style icons are my friends, firstly. In terms of fashion, I would say a mixture of the following: Helena Bonham Carter, Miguel Adrover, A.F. Vandevorst, Dsquared, Yohji, Vivienne Westwood, any ’90s or early 2000s runway, the Ciara ‘Like A Boy’ music video, with a dash of energy from this person I saw on King Street years ago rocking a barefoot, Qantas pyjama, coffee run ’fit.
What are the wardrobe items you wear on repeat?
My closet is a real-life dream from years of collecting, but I spend most of my hours looking mildly tragic (she’s got range). I have emotional loyalty to my raggedy one-button, hanging-by-a-thread pyjamas and grandpa Uggs. Variety is my default. I’m a triple Gemini, that’s pretty self-explanatory.
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Who are your favourite local designers?
Verity Mackey, Jules Bradley, Niamh Galea, Nicol and Ford, Maroske Peech, Diaspora and Ben Hamilton. These are the kinds of designers that have inspired me to keep creating and remain engaged when questioning my place in the fashion industry. I’m very thankful that my role at Swop has also allowed me to engage in the fashion industry in a way that aligns with my morals. I’ve gained a rich insight into the world of fashion through my role there.
Keep up with Georgia here.
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