Xtrah by Coby

Born and raised in North Western Minnesota as the oldest of two boys I always found myself drawn to the more “feminine” aspects of the world. I suppressed my true self to conform to the “masculine” culture that surrounded me to feel accepted, but I always wanted to create characters and fashion that were not marketed to me by mass media. I was not exposed to fashion heavily until my Junior year of high school and had never sewn until I arrived at SAIC.

My fashion practice is focused on creating dramatic, other-worldly garments and accessories that bring my most extreme concepts to life. I like to say that I push myself to, “always go the Xtrah mile.” I am inspired by drag art, the extremes of masculinity and femininity, sci-fi, and sports culture: but I try to draw inspiration from everything around me.

Alien Elite Sun Mask, 2023, Woven and dyed straw, embroidery thread, feather trim, pheasant feathers, and millinery wire, 11 x 23 x 21 In., photo by James Prinz

This straw mask combines the elegance of a sun-hat with extraterrestrial-like shapes and colors. I created this mask with the concept of a high-class extra terrestrial who needs a flamboyant shield from the sun's harsh ultraviolet rays on her tropical vacation to Palm Springs. The straw is hand dyed and the embellishments are hand sewn and embroidered.

Alien Elite Sun Mask, 2023, Woven and dyed straw, embroidery thread, feather trim, pheasant feathers, and millinery wire, size, photo by James Prinz

Alien Elite Sun Mask, 2023, Woven and dyed straw, embroidery thread, feather trim, pheasant feathers, and millinery wire, SIZE, photo by James Prinz

Hold Your Head High, 2023, Wool felt and millinery wire, 9 x 9.5 x 7 In., photo by James Prinz

This blocked felt hat plays on the aesthetic of a bowler hat. I created it with the idea of accessorizing and embellishing the hand as the wearer wishes. I wanted simplicity in the color, which brings focus to the shapes themselves: Bringing a dramatic clash between the masculine and the feminine aesthetic. The hand metaphorically holds the wearers head up as they walk through the public sphere, reminding them of their self worth which can often get lost in the masses. The block for this hat was handmade.

Hold Your Head High, 2023, Wool felt and millinery wire, 9 x 9.5 x 7 In., photo by James Prinz

Moto-Gladiator Helm, 2023, Faux leather, steel studs, and wool felt, 6.5 x 8.5 x 12 In., photo by James Prinz

Motocross-esque helmet with an aerodynamic shape. The center of the headpiece features a daredevil's tail with black and white scales that forms a stylized mohawk. Inspired by post-apocalyptic film. The block for this hat was hand sculpted by the artist.

Moto-Gladiator Helm, 2023, Faux leather, steel studs, and wool felt, 6.5 x 8.5 x 12 In., photo by James Prinz

My fashion practice started my senior year of High School, so I do not have a lot of prior technical ability. This being said, I can use what I do know about sculpture and color and my excitement for design to create projects that push me in the right direction. I think that starting from the beginning is a huge positive for me because I am learning things as I go and I can approach designing and constructing garments and accessories from an outsider’s perspective. All of the projects from this class have forced me to learn new techniques and push the limits of those techniques, such as the limits of how felt can be molded over a head block as complex as a hand. I draw inspiration from various areas of my life, history, and pop culture and though it is a bit all over the place today, I am going to use the lack of confined inspiration to explore all corners of design and construction so that I have the skill set to fall back on when I need to focus my energy into cohesive collections in the future.

I push to make things “Xtrah”, as I like to say. This means that there are no limits and no pressure to conform to the “norms” of society and life. Growing up I had to restrain myself to dressing the way that all the other little boys did and by the time I reached high school I had had more than enough. This was when people started to tell me that. was being too extra and that I was just looking for attention, my response to that was to push even harder to be different, and thus Xtrah by Coby was born. My practice in fashion is focused on unlocking the extra within those who wear my garments and accessories. My goals in fashion are to create garments for celebrity red carpets and galas, film and theater, and drag performers. But for now, I am going to continue to develop individually and figure out just who the Xtrah within myself is and reflect that in my practice at SAIC without ever sacrificing my authenticity to conform to the expectations of others.

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