During my teens I skateboarded, it may have been a brief affair with a board, blood and bruises, none-the-less I skated.
I remember saving really hard, washing dishes in a restaurant on my precious Friday and Saturday nights to buy my first set-up, which I bought second-hand from cheapskates.
My leather chucks were destroyed from trying to pull-off tricks, and my baggy-jeans were worn at the thigh from where I carried my deck grip-tape side down (whoops) I didn’t care I was scruffy, it was all testament to the fact I skated, that I was cool, which when you’re 14-15 years-old is pretty damn important.
To be honest I was terrible at skateboarding, I could barely pull-off an ollie and only ever landed a kick-flip once. As for rail grinding, that involved more concrete and speed than I was ever comfortable with.
My point is, for a brief period of time during the mid-90s I skated, which in some people's opinion allows me to wear Thrasher clothing without being condemmed a wana-be. Perhaps?
I'm not sure if the rules are apply to whether you 'did' skate or I 'do' but some people in the skate industry see non-skaters wearing skate clothing an appropriation of the culture. I'm of two minds. I mean seeing Riri, Gigi and Justin Bieber rocking Thrasher clothing when I doubt they'd jeopardise their precious money-making limbs by attempting a nose-grind is a bit cringy.
One person who is really opposed to celebs wearing Thrasher is the skate mags editor-in-cheif, Jake Phelps, who in a recent hyperbeast article said "We don't send boxes to Justin Bieber or Rihanna or those f*&^%$@ clowns. The pavement is where the real s*&# is. Blood and scabs, does it get realer than that?"
Ultimately I don’t really care who wears what, fashion has always been inspired by sub-cultures and if anyone ever contests to me wearing Thrasher, I can say that once upon a long time ago, I skated.
Credits
Thrasher available at Quest
Photographer//Evie Forno
Make-up//Lauren Wells
Connect with me:
Instagram//@femme_hysterique
Facebook//femme hysterique
Email//femmehysterique@gmail.com