Wilson Jedd Adams is the epitome of the new breed of designer-makers that are making an impact in the Australian fashion industry. Originally an artist, Wilson has transitioned, like his work, into the world of wearable art-like fashion.
When asked to define himself as either a maker or a designer, Wilson prevaricates: “I’m a bit of both. Aspects [of creation] can be very hands-on, and some can be pattern making orientated. Some work is on composition and form, while other parts focus on how the garment exists with the body.”
This transitional stage is true for the brand’s identity as well explains Wilson, saying that as a “label” is moving from being eponymous, to more separate as W.J.A. Studio.
WHERE IT BEGAN …
“I guess it started when I was in art school, before I knew how to sew. It was more upcycled and repurposed stuff,” Wilson explains.
“It was very queer focussed. It was only years later, during lockdown, after I had started at Whitehouse, that my work evolved into fashion design. Now I am at RMIT doing my Honours, and it is going in a whole new direction.”
Wilson says that working in the retail industry and volunteering were his first experiences in the fashion industry, but that his background in art is central to his design ethos.
“[Art] has always found its way to my work. It was mostly about trying to say something. My work has been heavily influenced by the queer nightlife; it is so embedded in my work. Before all that art stuff began, I wanted to go into acting. So that’s maybe where the theatrics come from in my work,” says Wilson.
His move into launching a fashion-art brand “happened organically, gradually, over time”.
“A lot of hard work, late nights and running around my house as a high fashion alien hybrid. It has been a lot of trial and error, seeing what works and what doesn’t. It has been a lot of saying yes to things and stepping stones. It has also required a lot of adapting to the times and what is going on now.”
FROM ALIEN COUTURE TO WEARABLE OUTFITS
As can be seen from his work, Wilson has been greatly inspired by Australian performer and artist Leigh Bowery – who was actually born in Sunshine, Victoria – and the 1980s club kid culture.
This link to Bowery can be seen in Wilson’s use of various head-coverings: “It is a reference to Leigh Bowery’s looks within the club scene, [but] it was more about anonymity and adding to the whole maximalism aspect; [the garment] doesn’t just cover the body, it expands up to the face.”
However, as the artist that he is, Wilson is also inspired by other visual arts, including film: “I have found, now, that drawing from non-fashion related inspirations has worked way better in my process. My previous collection, May Queen: Alien Couture, drew from Ridley Scott’s Xenomorph alien fused with maximalism.”
M IS FOR MAY QUEEN: ALIEN COUTURE “The May Queen: Alien Couture collection draws to a close. A year’s worth of work! This collection served as a form of escapism, freedom and a vessel to experiment. It was a way to cope with and distract myself from everyday troubles, concerns and grievances. It was primarily rooted in themes of maximalism, notions of camp and exploring the macabre. It initially drew from Ridley Scott’s Alien Xenomorph fused with elements of nightlife icon Leigh Bowery. – Wilson Jedd Adams
“The focal point of the brand has always been growth. I am someone that doesn’t like to do the same thing twice. I like to show something new, but also still have a certain authenticity. It is also about having fun, too,” he explains.
As with the majority of emerging designers, Wilson has a sensible approach to production and sustainability.
“The focus is on quality, slow fashion and one-of-a-kind pieces; as well as using unconventional materials. In my past Alien Couture collection, I have used charity shop sheets, denim and VCR tapes to form some of my pieces.”
While there is a distinctly surreal appearance to the details of Wilson’s work, underlying the head-coverings and added volume, are creatively cut, well made, wearable garments.
There is a semblance to the work of Rei Kawakubo, the founder and designer of globally successful brand Comme des Garçons. Like Kawakubo, Wilson works in soft, sculptural shapes that send messages about being embodied in a modern era laid over a rigorously structured base of fine tailoring.
Wilson describes his current aesthetic as “deteriorating maximalism”, but points out that his aesthetic is currently undergoing a period of transition.
“I am in a transition period as I am working on a new collection. It’s kind of like saying goodbye to one world and entering another.
“For me, fashion serves to reflect the times we are in. Right now, people are struggling and cannot afford anything. Hence, why maximalism is slowly deteriorating.
“As much as I love and live for the editorial world – which I have been trying to get my foot in the door – I would love to explore toning it down, getting the right ingredients and cooking a commercial range.”
For more information about Wilson Jedd Adams, go to www.wilsonjeddadams.com and follow him at @wilsonjeddadams
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