This outfit was assembled from a bunch of my dressing up clothes - this was the sleeve for '50 Foot Queenie' PJHarveys first single for Island Records. 1993.
'Mansize' Single Cover 1993 PJHarvey Rose in teeth with Dress from my dressing up box sent to me by old school friend Gabrielle Sabran (she used to send me parcels of clothes from time to time that she thought I might like)
'Mansize' 1993 PJharvey Tee & Pants Around this time I used to gather a bunch of clothes & plop them on the floor for Polly to go through
Wrapped in plastic Used for PJHarvey '4-track Demos' 1994 I suggested Polly may want to be wrapped in plastic as a comment on the 'packaging' of female artists.
Orange Dress Worn by PJharvey 1993 Made with real orange slices inside see through pockets - I wanted something that would become physically undesirable to wear - taking the piss slightly out of the seasons of fashion - when it became discoloured rotten and dribbling I had to throw it out into the shed I asked friend & Fashion graduate Clare Mctaggart to make the dress for me.
Brown/Grey decomposing Orange dress 1993
Close up Brown/Grey decomposing Orange dress 1993
Ana De Silva of The Raincoats London 1996 Wearing Inside Outside dress made for the shoot by Spencer & Craig from an idea I had to cover a dress with small mementos chosen by Ana
'Down By The Water' Pol-a-roid PJHarvey London 1995 I searched in shops for "something red & strappy" ahead of the video shoot & found this nightie in TkMax.
RocknRoll Tee Dress Outside the Electric Place During band rehearsals. Bridport 2004 This old Tour tee was dyed yellow & turned into one of the stage outfits for PJHarvey 'Uh Huh Her' Tour. Pink shoes I got from a market in Bristol. Clare McTaggart transformed the tee. We used this photo for 'Uh Huh Her Demos' album 2021
Toy Car Belt PJHarvey 2004 Annie Mochnacz (my twin sister) started making jewellery & clothes for Polly's 'Uh Huh Her' Tour - we would brainstorm ideas - this car belt is made from 21 second-hand battered toy cars.
PJHarvey White Chalk Dress This dress & others for that shoot & tour were made by Annie Mochnacz 2007 This was the cover of the 'White Chalk' Album & is the toile for what became the Word Dress (aka Lyric dress)
Word Dress Made by Annie Mochnacz. (Click image for V&A link.) Back stage Australia 2008 Tour This is the finished version of the 'White Chalk' album cover dress. The words of Polly's songs now stitched onto it.
Prin La La plastics outfit Bristol October 2013 Photo By Andy Mac Me & Kitty Clay attaching plastic to Jenny Bell
Victoria + Jean In Emergency Blankets Shoot for 'Underdog' album Victoria Park Bristol 2018
Dressing Up Box
Often for a photo shoot I will turn my living room at home into a temporary photo studio with a roll of backdrop paper gaffer taped to the wall. I love getting the chance to explore and play with customising/or making clothing especially out of things/materials not designed to be worn. For the Prin La La plastics outfit (2013) I spent many months drilling small holes into my plastic crap collection & then stringing sections together with fishing wire - the intention being to make an outfit that could be assembled then disassembled on the body for a music video. I intend to redress this idea - but next time not as a music video just as something wearable. I have been amassing a whole heap more of brightly coloured plastic crap…some street finds, some donations, some family heirlooms!…old cracker tat & birthday cake decorations, scrabble letters, toothbrushes, spent party poppers, computer keys, flotsam & jetsam etc etc…divided into their single colours, for when I’m ready to start having a go at making them into a series of body adornments.
