If Mx Qwerrrk, in all of their gender non-conformist glory, is sitting next to you decked out in a styrofoam pig head with blonde, sculpted pig tails, a floral adidas jumpsuit and a studded denim vest covered in Beanie Babies, you might be in a Harajuku nightclub. You might also be at a Patricia Field runway show.
Mx Qwerrrk is the “spokespig/cover gurrrl” for Patricia Field’s Art/Fashion series, and she was indeed seated next to me last night as Field debuted the newest collections from her coterie of artists at the Howl! Happening gallery in the East Village. The OTT event was fitting for Field, who has made a career of catering to the tastes of glittering eccentrics of all stripes and, now, species. In the crowd was a full squad of Field-friendly fashion enthusiasts, full of Crayon-box hair shades, colorful Comme des Garçons looks, and a welcome contingent of over-70 guests.
The artists using clothing as their canvas included Jody Morlock, Tom Knight, Suzanne Mallouk, Kyle Brincefield, Suzan Pitt, Scooter LaForge, Iris Bonner, and Art/Fashion’s newest addition, Ben Copperwheat. A slew of models of all shapes, races, and styles took to the floor to snaps and shouts of “YAAAAAS!” Many of the items were handmade, from Tom Knight’s corsets covered with the black and white faces of iconic female celebrities, to Iris Bonner’s white coat covered with the phrase “She’s The Boss!” in the artist’s signature dripping capital letters. Like the works in it, the show — with its flashing, animated screens filled with shots of the designers’ work and sassy pop remixes — was truly one-of-a-kind. The presentation also, mercifully, celebrated diversity in all its forms, from the models to the artists to the attendees. May Patricia Field’s wildly idiosyncratic corner of Manhattan live on.
Related: A New, Online Chapter for Patricia Field
Credits
Text Elyssa Goodman
Photography Tina Paul