Amy Onyx

What is your favourite place to shop?
I prefer to make most of my own clothing and if not, then I like to op shop for the rest. I find the cut and the silhouettes of the clothing way more flattering – plus it’s generally cheaper, you’re recycling and sometimes supporting non profit organisations who provide great community services so it’s a win, win, win!

What/who inspires your fashion choices?
I’m a designer so I’m constantly looking at lines and fashion shows, and interpreting what I see for my own clothes or designs. My favourite designer is Alexander McQueen, and I try and live by his quote “I want to empower women. I want people to be afraid of the women I dress,” which sounds a little scary but I take it as a challenge both with my own personal style and when I work with customers or friends.

Why did you want to be involved in this project?
As I get older, I find I have less time for what other people think should and shouldn’t be worn by this body type or that body type. So I just do what makes me happy and encourage others to do the same. This project seemed to me, to be about busting down some of those horrendous old fashion rules and promoting a much healthier way of expressing ourselves through clothing. I think its also a good way of getting both men and women to recognise that it is everybody’s right to wear what we want, and to stop judging each others fashion choices. No one is so perfect that they have the right to judge anyone else.

Do you have any previous experience with body shaming? Tell us about it.
I think we all have – ranging from open taunting which I actually find preferable to the underhanded ‘you’re so brave’ or ‘I wish I could wear something like that’. I recently started using my Instagram regularly and got added by a troll page which was a bit of a surprise, but I think that any time you are challenging what people are comfortable with – which is the perception that all people who are fat must be unhappy with themselves and constantly striving to change our appearances (sarcasm) – then people strike. It’s not right, but neither is homophobia or sexism… so I just try and put positivity out there and help people to push their boundaries.

If you have a day when you’re not feeling great about yourself, how do you deal with that?
I try and control the things I can control. So I make sure that I’m happy with minor things like makeup, hair and clothing and then I make sure I’m talking, to my friends and family. I may communicate too much sometimes, but I bounce off others and I surround myself with positive inspiring people so it makes it easy to top the cup up so to speak.

How do you show your body love?
I’m not so great at this – I try (try) to make it to aqua Zumba twice a week (try it, its awesome) and I’m trying to get better at monitoring what I put into my body. Not as in dieting but just listening to it a bit more  – sleeping more when I need to, walking when it wants to, getting the odd pedicure and maintaining a good skincare regime is pretty much all I have time for at the moment.

Amy wears:
Thrifted shirt
Heels from Number One Shoes
Skirt by Amy Onyx

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