plates-of-meat

[plates-of-meat]

LUCA WARD

[plates-of-meat]

[plates-of-meat]

NEXT - MMEAT ???

[plates-of-meat]

MEAT DRAWINFS BY HARRY

[plates-of-meat]

ENZO !

[plates-of-meat]

ADS FOR MEAT

[plates-of-meat]

VIJI FOR MEAT

[plates-of-meat]

MIRIAM - BY SIAM

[plates-of-meat]

[plates-of-meat]

[plates-of-meat]

[plates-of-meat]

In the cacophonous heart of London, nestled amidst the raw energy of creativity, stands Central Saint Martins. This institution, famed for moulding avant-garde minds, today is host to the kinetic whirlwind of fresh graduate India Hunnikin. It's in the university's iconic smoking area that we meet, amidst the chaos of winding down from the fashion degree show.

Hunnikin is a study in contained chaos. She greets me with a flurry of movement, her energy seeping into the very air around her. Her collection, a kaleidoscope of colourful lingerie and military-inspired ephemera, is being boxed up for transport to a high-profile photographer. There's a discernible edge of anxiety to her actions as she hurriedly works to protect her pieces - from being crumpled, snagged, or otherwise mistreated in transit.

Our conversation stutters, starts, and stops as she rips up cardboard boxes, a protective barrier for the delicate creativity held within. This is a woman on the precipice of revelation - the world has yet to pass judgment on her creation. The tension is palpable, the environment fraught with a mix of apprehension and excitement.

Once we get into the car, bound for the stylist who's eagerly awaiting her collection, the chaos of the day slowly begins to recede. Within the enclosed, moving space, her words begin to flow more freely, her demeanor shifts. Her anxiety, while apparent, is not a hindrance; rather, it feels like an essential part of her creative process.

She begins to unravel the tapestry of her narrative, her lesbian nun-themed collection, which draws heavily from the  nunsploitation films of the 70s. Her work, she explains, explores the old fashioned narrative of lesbianism as a symptom of female hysteria - an idea that Hunnikin finds both hilarious and fascinating. There's a twinkle in her eyes, a fire fueled by the juxtaposition of playful designs and the powerful exploration of sexuality and power dynamics.

Her personal history interlaces with her creative journey as she recounts her grandfather's experience with the Church of England and his conversion to Catholicism. Her exploration of lesbian desire, moulded through and past the male gaze, speaks volumes of her desire to challenge norms and offer fresher perspectives.

With India, you quickly realise that her collection isn't just about clothes - it's a dialogue, a question, a challenge. And throughout our journey, her endearing chaotic temperament remains a constant, a testament to her raw, unfiltered passion. It is this very quality that - to me - makes her a force to reckon with, ‘a name to remember’ in the evolving world of fashion. Her voice, echoing through the chaos and the calm, heralds a revolution that dares to question, explore, and redefine the status quo.

I’ve known India since 2019, our paths crossing when I was a wide-eyed 16-year-old and she was starting her foundation year at Kingston. Her coolness was palpable, intoxicating to my adolescent mind. Since then, we’ve been part of each other’s journeys. Her work - uniquely - has graced every issue of Plates of Meat, each piece echoing the evolution of her creative voice. Throughout this time, one theme has remained a cornerstone of her exploration – lesbianism. It's been a constant thread, woven intricately into the tapestry of her artistic vision, a testament to her relentless pursuit of understanding desire and identity through the lens of fashion.

As the cityscape blurs past us, India delves deeper into her inspirations, transforming the car into a mobile atelier of ideas. “Perverse lesbian convent" and an "Army man" invading it - a world extracted straight out of the 1978 film 'Behind the Convent Walls'. The visual tapestry she weaves feels both surreal and strikingly real, a mix of religious imagery, army uniforms, and societal commentary.

Amid the bursts of laughter and the stark sound of the SatNav cutting through our conversation, India’s passion becomes even more evident. The vehemence with which she discusses her work, the mix of anxiety and excitement in her eyes, the sporadic hand gestures that accompany her narration, everything about her is honest and open. 

"Each piece attempts to play on archetypes that usually fall under male fantasies," she says, her voice filling the vehicle. Her talk of sexy teachers, sexy Popes, almost feels provocative. Yet, there's a clarity to her vision. Hunnikin isn’t aiming to provide answers. She's out to question, to challenge, to provoke thought.

She muses over the intersection of fetish and taboo, wondering aloud about the nature of lesbian desire as seen through the lens of clothing. It's in these moments of contemplation that her endearing chaotic charm truly shines through.

“I mean… What does it mean to be a woman attracted to another woman? - like - visually…“ she asks, her voice barely above a whisper. Her question seems to hang in the air, inviting not just answers, but also more questions. It's a complex exploration of her own identity and experiences, an odyssey through familial history, religion, attraction, and perception.

Our conversation continues to ebb and flow, mirroring the rhythm of the city outside. By the time we reach the stylist's location, India Hunnikin is - as she’s always been to me, since I met her in her neon technicolour handmade floor le goth skirt all that time ago -  a force of nature – a colourful whirlwind of ideas, questions, and a charming chaos that makes you want to jump into the eye of the storm and see where you land.

Hunnikin’s work - to me - has always stood out, not just for its unique narrative, but also for the raw, endearing, chaotic energy of its creator. As we part ways, one thing becomes crystal clear: India Hunnikin is not just designing clothes, she's inviting us on a journey – a daring exploration of desire, identity, and power dynamics. Her voice, her vision, her chaos – all promise a revolution that is just waiting to unfold.

[plates-of-meat]

India hunnikoin 

“Lesbian nuns have been ransacked by a squadron of army men” india tells me 

 Concept of the collection:

 So the collection, very simply is lesbian nun-themed… I took inspiration from these amazing 1970s nunsploitation films - playing with the idea that lesbianism as a symptom of female hysteria. In all the films that I watch of that genre that was the overarching message…  the idea that the only reason that these nuns would be lesbians was that they were trapped in a space without men… I saw it as the ultimate male fear and fetish. Partially because they can only imagine lesbianism existing in a space that they don't control. 

My whole collection is based in this perverse lesbian convent, a sort of personal utopia - that's pillaged by Army man similar to the 1978 film behind the Convent Walls. The collection takes inspiration from a bunch of different religious ephemera… as well as army uniform - overall it is a commentary on power and sexuality - as well as male fetishes. 

I'm playing around a lot with archetypes that come under that male fetish… For instance the sexy teacher or the sexy Pope… 

I'm not 100% sure with what I'm trying to say… I don't really want to give anyone an answer. 

I find the intersection between fetish and taboo to be very interesting. 

My grandfather grew up in the Church of England and converted to Catholicism… his parents disowned him, he also used to spend a lot of time in monasteries. 

Hunnikin describes her work as "slagamuffin centralle“ - my sister actually came up with the term - it was just a stupid blend of words but it felt so appropriate and has remained appropriate throughout my practice. 

The main thing I would like to figure out in my work is: what does lesbian desire look like true clothing? I feel as though I've been trained to be attracted to women via the male gaze - and so now I would like to figure out what does it mean to be a woman attracted to another woman - how does that really look? 

[plates-of-meat]

PLATES OF MEAT ! FEET !

[plates-of-meat]

INDIA HUNNIKIN - CLOTHES - :-)

[plates-of-meat]

WHAT DID I BUY RECENTLY?

[plates-of-meat]

WANT?