Otherness: A Look
Have you ever wondered why artists and creatives dress so curiously? It has everything to do with the exploration and development of their creative self. An artist’s focus is to merge their soul, mind, and mediums- Fashion is no exception. Artists are constantly practicing expressing oneself, and with that grows a peaceful relationship with vulnerability. Culture everywhere is born from these daring creatives.
The nucleus of Milwaukee’s artistic scene can be found around the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. There’s a tangible energy that surges through the south end of the Third Ward, both leading and following the students and staff in this historic building. Influenced by the surrounding elegance of repurposed structures and the river’s organic flow, we find artists and designers mapping out the future of Milwaukee’s creative culture. Here you can witness the development of our city, nurtured by the exploration of visual expression, especially style. MIAD is a safe place where fashion boundaries don’t exist, and you’re encouraged to be authentically you. I interviewed Zachary Ochoa, Fine Art (NSP) Major and practicing musician, to get their insight on the correlation of creativity and fashion. Ochoa painted a clear picture of his take on style and expression.
How do you view your style as an artist?
Ochoa: I’ve always been intrigued by magic of artists and how we’re constantly building our aurora and persona through sincerity, follow through, and consistency. For me, this includes style. The way I dress is also the way I would paint something, my creativity is always spilling over. I like to use fashion as a tool to create more mystery, curiosity, and to challenge the waters. I view the things I put on my body as part of my performance as a creative being. My style, like my art, encompasses who I am as an artist. The way I dress is the same way I would make a painting, and the same way I would love someone. There is no difference.
What’s the difference between the visual expression of artists and fashion in general?
Even though I’m into fashion, I consider myself removed from the “fashion world”. There’s a clear difference between artists who dress as themselves, and people who are into fashion; I think the difference is the approach. I’m always dressing in a way that’s performative. Some days the accessories and outfits I wear are satirical and humorous, and other days my style is more serious and emotional. I don’t want to say a creative’s fashion is more complex, but the expression is more dimensional than just wearing something to be fashionable. We dress less for consumption and marketability and more for ourselves as individuals.”
Ochoa reminds us when it comes to culture and creativity there are no boundaries. Every day the creative wakes up and performs. Through these performances social norms are challenged and broken. At MIAD we aren’t put off by people who embody otherness; on the contrary, we value them. We believe creativity is transdisciplinary, like a shapeshifter that takes many forms. We understand artists are always in a state of becoming. With every day, performance, painting, song, or design the artist is challenging themselves and in turn expanding their potential. While culture is born from creatives, it grows from the bold.
The nucleus of Milwaukee’s artistic scene can be found around the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. There’s a tangible energy that surges through the south end of the Third Ward, both leading and following the students and staff in this historic building. Influenced by the surrounding elegance of repurposed structures and the river’s organic flow, we find artists and designers mapping out the future of Milwaukee’s creative culture. Here you can witness the development of our city, nurtured by the exploration of visual expression, especially style. MIAD is a safe place where fashion boundaries don’t exist, and you’re encouraged to be authentically you. I interviewed Zachary Ochoa, Fine Art (NSP) Major and practicing musician, to get their insight on the correlation of creativity and fashion. Ochoa painted a clear picture of his take on style and expression.
How do you view your style as an artist?
Ochoa: I’ve always been intrigued by magic of artists and how we’re constantly building our aurora and persona through sincerity, follow through, and consistency. For me, this includes style. The way I dress is also the way I would paint something, my creativity is always spilling over. I like to use fashion as a tool to create more mystery, curiosity, and to challenge the waters. I view the things I put on my body as part of my performance as a creative being. My style, like my art, encompasses who I am as an artist. The way I dress is the same way I would make a painting, and the same way I would love someone. There is no difference.
What’s the difference between the visual expression of artists and fashion in general?
Even though I’m into fashion, I consider myself removed from the “fashion world”. There’s a clear difference between artists who dress as themselves, and people who are into fashion; I think the difference is the approach. I’m always dressing in a way that’s performative. Some days the accessories and outfits I wear are satirical and humorous, and other days my style is more serious and emotional. I don’t want to say a creative’s fashion is more complex, but the expression is more dimensional than just wearing something to be fashionable. We dress less for consumption and marketability and more for ourselves as individuals.”
Ochoa reminds us when it comes to culture and creativity there are no boundaries. Every day the creative wakes up and performs. Through these performances social norms are challenged and broken. At MIAD we aren’t put off by people who embody otherness; on the contrary, we value them. We believe creativity is transdisciplinary, like a shapeshifter that takes many forms. We understand artists are always in a state of becoming. With every day, performance, painting, song, or design the artist is challenging themselves and in turn expanding their potential. While culture is born from creatives, it grows from the bold.