It was 10 PM when I received a text revealing the address for Lickndip‘s much-anticipated fashion show, which would be followed by a rave. I looked at my friend and said, “The night has finally begun.” The dress code for the evening was “cunt and high fashion.” Naturally, we serve cunt on the daily—my vibe for the night was Milano goth, while my friend went for a bubblegum kawaii look.
We arrived at a packed street lined only with warehouses and people in slutty rave wear. I thought, “We’re definitely at the right place.” You could feel the energy in the air as we rushed in, getting our hands stamped with the word “cunt” (love it!). Someone was yelling that the fashion show was upstairs and starting in five minutes. We hurried to find our seats in a very crowded area where piñatas hung from the ceiling. The vibe was alive and hot (fans are a must).
The designs featured elements of punk, goth and rave, while being stamped with the words: cunt, trashy and fuck Lickndip. Models walked down the runway displaying different theatrics: one model kissed a guy sitting right next to me, another put a lit cigarette out on his tongue and ate it. Each model dominated the runway and left no crumbs.
“We wanted to create a collection that is true to our personal style which incorporates punk/emo/goth/rave aesthetics and is provocative.”- LICKNDIP
“Be yourself. Create clothing with a movement/message behind it that matters to you and the rest will fall into place.”
Who are you?
Lickndip.
What do you do?
We throw events, make clothing and create chaos.
Why do you do it?
We believe in freedom of music and fashion and disagree with social norms. Our crowd/team/family friend group are all freaks and weirdos and we love it.
What was the inspiration behind this collection?
We wanted to create a collection that is true to our personal style which incorporates punk/Emo/goth/raveaesthetics and is provocative.
Has rave culture helped you gain inspiration when making collections?
Rave culture is a huge inspiration, specifically the alternative underground counterculture.
What does rave culture mean to you?
We believe in inclusivity, creating spaces for people to be themselves without judgment and complete freedom.
Who or what has motivated you to design clothing?
We have noticed a lack of inclusivity within the fashion industry and wanted to create space for the freaks, weirdos and lgbtq+ community. They truly inspired the movement.
What is the origin story behind Lickndip.
We started Lickndip as a movement towards freedom. Freedom of expression, music, speech and a huge fuck you to the system.
What advice would you give to a designer who’s starting out?
Be yourself. Create clothing with a movement/message behind it that matters to you and the rest will fall into place.
Name one thing that made you feel insecure but now you don’t give a shit about it?
I’ve never given a shit ever in my entire life and it leaves my haters crazy!
If you were in a parallel universe what would you be doing right now?
I couldn’t imagine a life where I wasn’t doing this.
Written by Kimberly Mortensen