We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Solaris. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Solaris below.

Alright, Solaris thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I gave done so far is the concept I worked on with a photographer friend of mine named Tinashe Brighton.
We entered an art competition held by the National Gallery of Zimbabwe that was centred around the topics of menstruation and womanhood.

It tackled the accessibility of menstrual products for everyone who needs them, the pink tax and the experiences of being someone who menstruates and how that can be a traumatic factor of womanhood.

Although we didn’t win, that experience showed me that I could style for concept photoshoots and be the creative director and model for one all at the same time.
Seeing it all through the talented photography of Tinashe really brought it into perspective for me. I’m very grateful for that collaboration.

Solaris , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Solaris, also known as Sol the Artist. I’m a sustainability lead fashion consultant , stylist and aesthetic architect. I’m also a model and a traditional portrait artist.

I basically build fashion aesthetics from artistic references and create wearable looks from them.
Looking and feeling good is all about being confident and comfortable. I aspire to teach and encourage people to be their best every day by finding the styles and aesthetics that suit them most.
I like to help people build their dream closet with sustainably sourced items or clothes they already own.

I style for fashion shows and concept photo shoots, as well as do modelling and creative direction.Which is aiding in producing the desired aesthetics in a creative project.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to make fashion accessibility to everyone. It often seems like a far away concept that only the elites and celebrities get to enjoy or even just wealthy people but the truth is anyone can participate in fashion.

There’s also often a barrier of entry to plus size people, trans, non heterosexual and gender nonconforming people and people of colour.

It’s often hard to find a sense of style when you’re breaking out of the mold of what’s expected of you. So sometimes you need someone who knows how to help you get there and I’m that person.

Fashion is ,at it’s most bare form, an art, an expression of self and the fact that some people believe that it is beyond reach is what motivates me to pursue my creative journey.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Definitely seeing the end product. While styling a look or creating a garment and building an aesthetic, I truly feel like an architect constructing something new and unique that people can have forever.

Although the process of styling or creating can take hours or days or months, it all proves worth it in the end when the client loves it and sees exactly what they had hoped it would be. They put on the clothes and feel a sense of body/gender euphoria, or they see the photographs and it’s exactly how they had envisioned it in the mood board.

That’s the most rewarding part for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://xoxosolaris.wixsite.com/solarisxoxo-1
• Instagram: solaris.xoxo
• Twitter: Sol_theartist
• Other: Pinterest
  https://pin.it/mQynLGkd1

Image Credits

Tinashe Brighton