Meet the Boomettes - Alex

House of Boom would be nothing without my amazing friends & friends of friends who model for me. I'd like you to get to know my Boomettes a little better. 

Hi Alex! When you're not busy being a Boomette, who are you, and what do you do?

Hey, I am a queer, mentally ill 27 year old with an art history degree, so I will probably be working in hospo forever.

How did you feel when you were asked to model for me?

Confused, excited, frightened, excited. My brain was pretty determined to think about all the things I don’t like about the way I look but the project seemed great, so I spent a bit of time telling my brain to shut up. I did ask twitter for some opinions because I have old scars from self-harm and I know seeing those kinds of reminders can be hard for some people. I am so glad at the response I had. Yes, it can be upsetting but it can also be awesome to see babes with scars living their lives and continuing to be fierce after experiencing the kind of shit that puts you there. People wanted, and I wanted, to see folks healing and moving on from this struggle. House of Boom comes from wanting something that no one is making, so we do it ourselves. Jo set a great example for me to follow.

This was your second season as a Boomette - how did you find doing season two as an old pro compared to season one when everything was new?

Oh damn the confidence! If you had told me before season 1 that I was going to feel so positive and optimistic by season 2 I would have never believed you. Going through the process taught me so much and now I want everyone to get a chance to hang out with such a excellent group of people, my fellow Boomettes and the behind the scenes folk are fucking delightful.

What was your favourite piece of clothing from the collection?

I just had to have a whale shirt from season 2 and I am so glad I get to look super cute in it whenever I like.

With your art history background, do you see fashion echoing art, or art echoing fashion?

Hell yes, fashion and art are the same thing. Whenever there are high art/low art distinctions, like a difference between art/craft or art/fashion, you need to look at axes of marginalization. It's super interesting to consider the devaluation of women's labour that tends to group women's work under "craft" or “fashion.” One of the many reasons I love Boom is all the seamstresses are paid a living wage. These folk are artists and deserve the respect that term commands.

House of Boom is all about trying to be gooder in a not great world. You work in the service industry, and have to deal with all kinds of people and all kinds of demands. What are your top tips for how people can be better towards hospitality staff?

You are all terrible at stacking plates, I cannot carry that stack all the way to the kitchen if there is cutlery between every plate. Mostly though it is just that the hardest part of any given day is always going to be dealing with customers. You have the power to make or break you server’s day. Please use your power responsibly. Also, always tell our bosses if you love us.