Amelia Arsenic – Very Worthy Girl Crush

Buckle your seat belts people, because I am about to introduce you to one of my most favorite Australian Artists.  Musician, Designer and all round wicked chick, Amelia Arsenic is a force to be reckoned with. Her music is brutal, cool and killer; her style is even more so. Ms. Arsenic kindly shares her insights into style, creativity and living the dream.

You are not only an artistic individual, but you’ve made yourself a work of art. What is your earliest memory of being aware of the power of fashion to transform?

When I was a child I did the whole ballet, tap and jazz thing. Actually I was pretty obsessed with dancing and thought I was going to become a ballerina when I grew up. I liked performing because it showed me how I could become someone else through costume, body language and makeup. That was probably my first connection with fashion and its power to transform.

From an early age I was always fascinated with clothes and how they can change people’s perception of the wearer. During my schooling years, I was pretty damned aware that I was quite a plain jane as I wasn’t one of those natural blonde beach babes that everyone idolised. I remember vowing that I may as well be different if I wasn’t born pretty. So I figured that artifice was going to be the key!

I believe strongly in the transformative power of fashion and I think it can make a positive effect on someones sense of self and identity at any age.

As a child, who or what was your strongest artistic influence?

My mum has a very classic and unique fashion sense and she has always dressed well and stylishly on a low budget. We never really had that much money for clothes, so we used to sew a lot of our own clothes. She also took me to a lot of art galleries, museums, ballet, musicals and theatre which provided the most amazing visual stimulation and influenced me aesthetically in a very positive way. That’s probably why I’ve got such an eccentric and theatrical fashion sense today. The other biggest influence to me would be films- my two favourite ones being Singing in the Rain and My Fair Lady.

Is your style something that you are constantly evolving or have you now found a core look you want to keep forever?

I would say my style is constantly evolving. I wouldn’t want to keep to a particular style for the rest of my life. That’s the fun part of personal style as it reflects your current personality and ongoing fashion trends. It’s a catalyst for what’s happening in your life. If I stayed the same aesthetically, I think that would mean that I am not progressing as a person and I think that would be a bad sign!

Currently I pretty much only wear red, black, grey and white clothes, but I’m challenging myself to experiment with other colours too. A year ago I would have been mortified at the thought of wearing gold, but I am attempting to challenge myself, so I’ve got some gold in the wardrobe now. It sounds a little scary, but that’s the fun of styling- to actually try to make something I’m scared of look awesome! The next challenge for me will be to tackle brown… I have never been able to do it because I think it looks too boho/hippie, but soon I hope I can make it look regal!

I am definitely looking forward to aging and being able pull off looks that I can’t now as a 23 year old. I want to grow to be an eccentric woman like Anna Piaggi who has the balls to dress amazingly and with pride at her age.

Is there any part of your daily life life you’d like to see more creative flare in but just haven’t managed it yet?

I think one can always inject a little more creativity into their every day lives. At the moment, I’d like to get more into interior decorating, but because I travel a lot and move around all of the time I can’t really do as much as I would like. Instead I put that energy into set building and wallpaper design for installation and photoshoots. I’m not ready to do the nesting thing yet as I have too much of the world to see!

What is your cure all for a “blue day”?

Wear something red… preferably sparkly. If that fails, listen to extremely loud music, pick out your favourite outfit to wear and do your makeup to perfection.

Is there a talent you wish you had?

Weirdly enough not really. I know there are talents I’d like to get to be better at, like improving my foreign language skills, millinery and music programming but I believe that skills just need time to be cultivated. I never wish that I had any talent because if I want to learn how to do something, I always just go and learn how to do it.

Currently my obsessions are designing screenprinted wallpaper, making leather handbags (I’m an apprentice) and getting better at makeup artistry.

Your talent for styling is exceptional. Is this something you honed academically or has it been an organic process?

At university I tried to get into one of the fashion styling subjects but was knocked back because I didn’t do the prerequisites! (I major in graphic not fashion design). So.. it’s definitely been an organic process. I am constantly thinking about how outfits can be pulled together and how clothes can be worn in alternate outfits. I’m pretty obsessed with tiny details, so I am always looking out for unique shoes, hats and accessories because I think that they can pull a mediocre outfit into greatness!

With the demands of your music, studies and creative projects, do you ever find yourself getting “creative burn out” and how do you deal with this?

I don’t think I ever get creatively burnt out as I always have a backlog of ideas that I need to act upon. I always keep a notebook with me and make sure I jot down my ideas when I get them. If I am stuck for an idea, I just flip through my notebooks.

Often, I work myself to the bone getting things done for deadline and collapse in an exhausted heap. Usually, the next day I’ll be watching DVDs to try to relax and I’ll usually get ideas straight away from that… I honestly can’t turn my mind off!

The most difficult thing and the thing that gives me the most stress is money, because I need to finance all of the projects I do while still paying the rent on time. I need to probably spend less time creating and more time on the business side of things.

If you could give three pieces of advice to your future 40 year old self, what would you say to her?

1) Embrace life. Don’t be afraid to change or take a creative leap.

2) Don’t worry about what other people think. It’s never too late to be yourself.

3) Regret can eat away at the best parts of you, so don’t waste your energy on thinking about your past follies.

4) Fashion gets better after 40! Look at how Grace Jones, Daphne Guinness and Anna Piaggi rock their style.

Check out Amelia’s blog here and even better

Her NEW MAKEUP LINE!!