DAZED 100

My name is Elise, a creative working across art direction, photography, and styling, and I am nominating myself for a spot on the Dazed 100 list. Over the past few years, I’ve been crafting a body of work that explores the complexities of identity. My approach to fashion is deeply rooted in existential themes, reflecting the ways in which our identities are shaped by both personal and external forces. I want my work to provoke thought and introspection, providing a space for conversation around how we define ourselves in a world that constantly seeks to box us in. Dazed has always been a platform that champions those pushing against boundaries, and it would be an honour for my work to be recognised as part of this radical, evolving conversation. Below is an example of my work that I believe best captures this. In this "impasse," you find yourself in a paradox: the harder you try to shed an old version of yourself, the more it pulls you back, leaving you stuck in a cycle you can't seem to escape. At its heart, Impasse explores the feeling of being disconnected from who you’ve become, as if the past self is a stranger you can’t outrun. It raises the question of whether it’s possible to truly escape the person you were, or if you’re always tied to the identity you've outgrown. The project reflects on the struggle to move beyond the past, asking whether freedom lies in transcending who you were or accepting that version as a part of who you are still becoming.