Meet Alyssa, the talented and super creative owner of Blacklickorish. She creates stunning fashion pieces made from latex mixed with other kinds of materials. Me and my team had a chance to work with her sometime last year for a photoshoot out in the cold streets of downtown LA.
Anyway, below is a short conversation with this very talented and beautiful woman.
GM: Hola Alyssa! (hope the rhyme works. LOL) Before I proceed, I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to collaborate with you on a shoot. Your designs are absolutely amazing and beautiful. Again, thanks a lot. I cannot wait to work with you again. Now to start this interview, let’s give your audience a little background about you and Blacklickorish. (Tell us a quick bio and how Blacklickorish emerged as a fashion line)
GM: Why Blacklickorish?
AN: Since I was a kid, I remember giving drawings as “presents” to my mom and grandma of girls in clothing. Ever since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to make clothing..
GM: What inspired you to use latex as your primary material?
AN: In my teenage years, I hang around the “goth” kids, and got into the alternative fashion, so when I finally went to design school, I saw what all the clothing other designers were making. I wanted to do something different. Latex clothing was a material that wasn’t mainstream, and I wanted to get away from the norm. I’d always seen it around in the fetish magazines, hugging girls’ curves and making their bodies look slick and shiny. I loved it!
GM: How long does it usually take you to make one dress?
AN: The first time around it takes forever- with the pattern and figuring out how long it takes to put a garment together. Depending on the amount of detail, one dress can take anywhere from 4-16 hours.
GM: How is Blacklickorish different form some other fashions lines that use latex as their base material?
AN: I always try to stay away from anyone else’s designs that might be compared to a “rip off”. I love high fashion, and I love latex, so I try to push latex and see what I can do with it. A lot of designers have tight, slick designs. I love to use draping, gathering, and adding different materials, such as feathers.
GM: Tell me something crazy about you.
AN: Erm…I dunno about crazy. Some people are weirded out that I’m from Alaska? lol
GM: Congratulations on all your publications, shows and features. Where can we see and expect you next? Any future projects coming soon?
AN: Thank you! One thing I can say, if it wasn’t for me doing this, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to travel as much as I do with shows and such. I love it! I have a few projects coming up that I’ve started to work on. It’s still a secret ;) But I’ll definitely be letting everyone know when the time comes!
GM: Where can your fans and future admirers find you and where can they buy your designs?
AN: At the moment, I have an Etsy store that I post a few odds and ends on, https://www.facebook.com/BlacklickorishLatex?sk=app_169505045786 or you can check out my website Blacklickorish.com! xoxo
Graphics Metropolis shoot with Blacklickorish from Graphics Metropolis on Vimeo.