In our Fashion Nation series, we talk to women about their sense of style.
Audrey Mabry, Makeup and Special Effects Artist, Brooklyn, New York
Tell us about this look.
The leather jacket I got from Buffalo Exchange, it’s motorcycle brand FMC. The studded sleeve cuff and the Comes (a hardcore Japanese punk band from the ’80s) T-shirt are from Addicted to Chaos on Etsy. The bondage choker is from another Etsy shop I love, Mourn the Living. The rosary is from the Brooklyn store Schafmayer & Company, where I also work and do hand embroidery. The gloves are Death/Traitors, the jeans are Target, and the boots are Frye. I’m a huge fan of leather on leather. The belt and silver chain jewelry are made by me, so Home Depot? [laughs] I’m a jack-of-all-trades.
How has your style evolved?
I started young with my mom’s old hippie clothes. By middle school, I wanted to be Cyndi Lauper. She had that “I’m going to wear what I want” style. I was sent home from school for wearing a tutu; I got dress-coded all the time growing up in conservative Texas. In high school, I started going to thrift stores. I’d get old ’80s clothes and tear ’em to shreds. Then punk and metal music drew me in because it was loud and fast, and the people were so accepting. You feel like you’re alone? Now you have a whole family, and you can really express yourself.
How would you describe your style now?
I’d say ’80s video vixen but with a modern twist.
Growing up in a conservative environment, people must’ve given you shit, right? How does a wild girl deal?
People gave me shit all the time. There’s something very condescending about the way they did it: “Do you know what you look like?” And I’m like, “Yeah, fabulous and fucking great.” I had boyfriends tell me I couldn’t wear things, and I’m not dating them anymore. Once you step away, you see how bad it is. My advice: Even if you feel like you can’t wear something or pull it off, do it anyway. Don’t be afraid.
Want to work your own vixen vibes? Add some edge with Audrey’s punk picks
LEATHER JACKET TEE, $20, THEBREEZELIVES.COM
MOTÖRHEAD SNAGGLETOOTH DANGLY, $10, DISDANGLE.ETSY.COM
CAVALRY 12L BOOT, $298, THEFRYECOMPANY.COM
3 ROW TALL BRITISH CONE CUFF, $30, LEATHERWEAPON.STORENVY.COM
VERTE RING, $68, SHOPCOZEN.COM
By Hannah Rose Cochran
Photographed by Seher Sikander
This article originally appeared in the October/November 2017 print edition of BUST Magazine. Subscribe today!
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