MEAT is the London-born label set up by designer duo Bo Claridge and Alis Pelleschi, who pride themselves on the label’s 100% British handmade pieces. The twist? MEAT designs are made out of rubber – specifically, in latex, championing the idea that the material can escape its fetish roots to be reworked as unique, forward-thinking apparel. Trendstop caught up with the pair for an exclusive interview.
TS: What’s the MEAT ethos all about?
M: MEAT is about empowering and representing our love for latex – our goal is for latex to be seen as the luxurious and unusual material that it is, without being put in the ‘fetish’ box.
TS: What first motivated you to focus on latex pieces? It’s not a texture that’s widely used in fashion.
M: We would make unique pieces to go to fashion and fetish events in, as none of the other latex brands were making anything that suited our styles. Seeing a gap in the market, we wanted to show the creative possibilities of using latex.
TS: What was the inspiration behind your S/S13 collection?
M: We wanted to do a take on we felt was sexy, and reclaim the idea of a ‘slut’ from its negative connotations. We mixed this up with inspirations taken from our British chav/garage scene upbringings.
TS: What’s your favourite piece of clothing in your wardrobe?
M: Our styles are quite different, but we both love brands like Kokontozai, Cassetteplaya and Louis Vuitton.
TS: What’s your idea of a fashion nightmare?
M: Crocs! And Primark.
TS: What can we expect for A/W13?
M: We don’t want to give too much away, but I think it’ll shock people just how different it will be from our last collection – it’ll also propel latex to being seen as completely different. We want to make MEAT into a household name – and create some unique amazing pieces for hot babes.