Misster Monster’s Movie Emporium is a series of photographs that explores the masculine and feminine archetypes seen throughout Hollywood history. Hypermasculine films shaped my sense of adventure, and the female archetypes of horror films taught me the power of feminine rage. Some portraits portray key components of these archetypes like the journey of The Mobman anti-hero or the masculine and romantic history of The Cowboy. For others I wanted to subvert the archetype's expectation, making The Vampire a butch punk rather than the usual seductress of the dark.
As a Costume/Makeup designer and Character/Concept illustrator, I realized I wanted not just to design these characters, but bring them to life. To understand Hollywood costuming, I researched how cinema fashion was influenced by the cultural and historical factors of the time. We all wear costumes and have a relationship with clothing whether we think about it or not. Clothing is a tool for storytelling. How can I use these characters and the power of their stories to empower myself?
