Paris Jade Burrows (Design for Performance, 2023) is no stranger to pushing creative boundaries and is preparing to make their grand debut this May with the genre-defying collection It’s Real if it Bleeds. Drawing on deeply personal themes, a gothic-avant-garde aesthetic, and a strong sense of community with fellow NIDA alumni, Paris’ work challenges audiences to reckon with the systems we live within and the emotional cost of existing inside them. Paris spoke with us about their aesthetic, process and inspiration for their upcoming Fashion Show.
Can you tell us about the concept behind your collection, It’s Real if it Bleeds, and what you hope audiences take away from it?
The concept that drove me to make this collection is about the human experience and our global socio-political climate. It centres around my fear of war and people who exert power over our society, and the fact that we continually put our bodies on the line for a system that doesn’t care about us. That is what I want to highlight in this show. The work of Bertold Brecht (poems and theatre) has really given me a basis for making this fashion show different from anything else happening in Australian fashion week; I’m using epic theatre conventions to help the audience comprehend the message of the show.
I have so many emotions, as a creative, that are pulling me to create this show. I want this show to evoke change as it hurt me to see my friends and collaborators in minority communities continue to have their rights stripped away from them and their voices silenced. We have so much hatred for each other but at the end of it all, we will all just be ashes blowing in the wind.
How would you describe your aesthetic as a Designer?
My style is deeply personal. I view it as an external reflection of my inner self. I express the disconnection of my gender identity in a lot of my work, blurring lines of what is considered feminine or masculine, but with a refined gothic sensibility and avant-garde flare. Some people might say my work can be provocative and horrific at times, but I think I just like to shock audiences.
Were there skills or experiences from NIDA that you found particularly useful while creating It’s Real if it Bleeds?
The amount of research and the filtering of information I have always found so important in my practice and was as skill that was drilled into me in my first year at NIDA. There’s so much “stuff” out there; finding something relevant and something that moves me in a deeper way is what I aim to do. In my final production, Sandaime Richard (NIDA, 2023), my experience working with the director Ong Keng Sen and my co-designer James Stibilj (Design for Performance, 2023), the amount of freedom and trust to create a production as beautiful as we did has really shaped my work since leaving. I have been so blessed with the opportunity to work with Ong Keng Sen on a production like that and it has really pushed me to create this show as I have felt this pull to create work like that ever since.
Creating concepts that stand out from previous productions is also something I did at NIDA, and something I still aim to do. I love to make audiences as moved as I am when presenting my work and that reception I receive keeps me wanting to create more and more.
You’re collaborating with several fellow NIDA alumni on this project, what has it been like working together again or for the first time?
Everyone is very busy. Since leaving, I feel like everyone has been in the same boat, going from job to job, so it’s been great for everyone to come together and work on something that we all believe in. Some people are first time collaborators, like hair and make-up artist Olivia Hopkins (Specialist Make-up Services, 2023) and Karamea Gosst (Costume, Second-year), but seeing their love and passion for the show as well has made this such a wonderful collaborative experience.
How important has that sense of community among NIDA graduates been to realising your creative vision for this collection?
I feel supported by my friends and fellow creatives both in NIDA and outside, but I do have to say it is quite tough sometimes. I am the director, designer, writer and producer of this show and it’s hard to rely on myself as the only critic of my work. I just hope everyone who’s working on this is happy with the final result. When putting this show together, I only wanted to work with people who were just as passionate about the message and the vision as I am and I feel I have been really lucky with the team who’ve decided to stick with my vision.
What were some of the biggest creative or technical challenges you faced putting together this debut showcase, and how did you overcome them?
The financial challenges are probably the biggest. We are doing the show with no external funding, so it’s hard to put together 30 looks in a 10 week period! Obviously time itself is another limitation.
What advice do you have for anyone considering NIDA’s BFA Design for Performance course?
I spent my whole 3 years trying to develop my style and I think it’s the best thing I ever did. I was told on my first day “experiment and try everything you want to create in the course because you will not get an opportunity for a long time to do it afterwards”, which is true! I did some whacky stuff in my time at NIDA, from a short film about a cannibalistic cult, to 5 set changes in the studio theatre. NIDA is the place to do it when you have to resources and the support of the teachers and your peers to help guide you along.
Tickets to It’s Real if it Bleeds are on sale now.
Saturday, 10 May, 2pm – 2:30pm at St Barnabas’ Church, Ultimo.
Learn about NIDA’s Bachelor of Fine Arts, Design at Open Day, 14 June.