Ashley Charles Burr’s work combines nightlife, businesswear and eroticism from the late yestercentury. Misogynistic advertising and lingerie worn by adult entertainers is a central reference. Power-play is unseated and becomes fluid, creating an aesthetic that offers a more fantastical idea of everyday clothing. Ashley aims to repurpose garment design concepts usually savoured for discreet and intimate moments or occasions of ecstasy for nights out.

The commentary provided through Ashley’s designs are relayed through silhouette, but also through fabric choice. The most simple characteristics with the most definite impact become the feature. One of the main intentions through their work is to adopt both masculine and feminine energies. Instead of providing a distinct bracket where the product falls, it becomes a melting pot for both qualities. The design process references to men’s tailoring, reversing the roles seen in 80’s business culture and adult nightlife workers, still relative to the zeitgeist of today.

Ashley uses their critique of how clothing can sometimes provide us with a limited concept of fluidity. They draw on features that were often missing from mainstream publications, which sparked interest in designing for an audience who use fashion as an act of resistance. Manipulating the elasticity of clothing that regularly gets used as a specifier, demonstrates how fragile our sense of dress can be while presenting the audience with an alternative that enables freedom to play.