Photographed by Dean Davies, interviewed by Anna Cafolla for Dazed and Confused Autumn Winter 2018

“ Fashion’s most radical movements have often been born from raging conflict, phoenixed from the ashes and scavenged from scant resources to make something beautiful and new. MELT is a collective of designers, stylists and performance artists – “outsiders who felt we didn’t have a place, so we crafted our own,” says stylist Lucinda Graham. The idea is to lash back against the city’s political stagnation, the lack of arts funding and the brain-drain of creative minds out of Belfast.

“As a collective, we recognise strength in collaboration – partnering with other people in Belfast to better this city!” she says, adding, “I love my city so much. We are hungry to see Belfast rise out of the shadows of the past to become a space of hope. We want her to grow and blossom, to nourish the space for fellow creatives.”

Graham is currently working on an upcoming knitwear collection, as well as creating a new performance piece which explores the treatment of men’s mental health, a vital global issue. “Young people can feel devalued and (that) their opinions don’t matter,” she explains. “Facilitating safe, creatively stimulating spaces for youth culture is important.” — A. Cafolla “