A Queer Fashion Autoethnography

APRIA: Practicing Solidarity Editorial, 2024

Two years ago, I completed my master’s thesis on queer communities of fashion practice. One of the most fun parts of writing this thesis was dabbling in a form of research called ‘autoethnography,’ in which the researcher studies their own life through an ethnographic lens. I reflected on my journey through queer identities and creative communities, tracing my own lessons backward through chapters spent in TUF Collective, Lion’s Main Art Collective, KUPS 90.1 FM Tacoma, and others. It was a therapeutic examination of my relationship with fashion and gender, and how co-creation can catalyze such a relationship. 

In 2022, I had the HUGE honor and joy of presenting my research at @stateoffashion 2022, Practicing Solidarity. Following this event, the autoethnography I wrote for my thesis was accepted by the affiliated online publication, APRIA. Nearly two years later, it’s finally published online!

While I’ve continued deeper into my journey of fashion, gender, and community in the time since I wrote this, it’s a milestone that I’m proud of.