Bridging performance art, fashion and digital art, Hermione Flynn’s work is underscored by a strong conceptual approach that provokes controversy and welcomes dialogue. Flynn takes fashion down new and unexpected paths, creating unisex garments and unconventional catwalks, and using technology to explore identity and physical body boundaries. Her eponymous fashion house is dedicated to producing garments with intellectual and artistic integrity.
Q > In what period/location have you learnt the most?
A > Berlin, running my own studio. Every single day, it’s diving into the deep-end and doing something I haven’t done before.
Q > The most pivotal moment you’ve had?
A > Definitely the creation of my 3D avatar.
Q > Which is more important to you: stillness or movement?
A > It’s always in relation to one another. If there’s been a lot of movement then a moment of stillness becomes really important. If there’s been a lot of stillness, then a moment of movement becomes really important. They can both be powerful, but predominantly in the context of one another.
Q > What’s your favourite ritual?
A > Walking to the studio with my dog.
Q > Tell us about your most unconventional project (even if it didn’t materialise).
A > A past collection of mine was called C+B, which was an acronym for Cock(tail) dresses and Ball(gowns), for men. I was inspired and conflicted by the fact that it is generally unsafe for men to wear dresses in public. To me, this is an absurd reality. I wanted to emphasise this absurdity by staging a performance art event in a wrestling ring, where men, wearing ballgowns, wrestled each other. If society wants to fight over such an insignificant detail, then let’s let them fight! Unfortunately, this was a concept that wasn’t brought into fruition.
Q > Fast-paced demands — how do these affect your work?
A > I personally really thrive off fast-paced demands. Having to make gut decisions. I like the process of having to make a lot of fast decisions, producing a ton of work, and then having the opportunity to reflect back and see what I was telling myself.
Q > Which areas of study do you think are breaking new ground?
A > I think the process of us coming to terms with this idea of 3D humans is really interesting. Socially there’s a huge movement about inclusivity, and I love the idea that socially we could become inclusive of digital humans or digital entities as well. Accepting their digital “flaws” or digital qualities.
Q > Surprising contradictions — tell us about things that conflict you and inspire you at the same time.
A > Conflict is at the heart of my inspiration. The work that I’ve always done, especially with the fashion brand, was always ingrained in social realities which I simply didn’t understand. The concept of the C+B collection is a perfect example of this… In regards to my work in 3D, it’s about the struggle of the Uncanny Valley and why we’re judging it as so. Why are we placing judgement on my digital avatar whose head twitches or whose hand intercepts with her face? It’s about dealing with the conflict of people constantly telling me, “that doesn’t look right”, “that’s not realistic”… Who actually says that the human entity in its exact physical form is the ideal anyway?
