The urge to constantly reinvent: How Compulsive Leia shapeshifts through 2000s subcultures

There are not many people who can pull off the encyclopaedia of 2000s alt fashion effectively, from Emo and Scene to Decora and McBling, yet Compulsive Leia does so with ease. It’s all in the name Compulsive Leia — a moniker she first gave herself when experimenting with drag during lockdown, that represents throwing fashion rules to the wind and following the urge to wear any style she likes. Today, Compulsive Leia is a stylist and creative director who represents a generation of young people reviving old subcultures and keeping them alive through TikTok, connecting in the real world, and sharing their creativity with each other.  Compulsive Leia joins Digi to discuss her style and the power of the online alt community:

What subcultures are you inspired by the most when it comes to fashion and creative direction and why?

I love to take inspiration from different subcultures but my favourites will always be Emo, Scene, Decora and McBling! Music plays a huge part in my fashion inspiration — I choose an outfit based on what playlist I’m listening to! Some days it’s a Black Veil Brides and MCR Emo kind of day, and other times I just want to listen to some Soulja Boy and live my best Y2K life. 

Your style has evolved over time but it seems as if your personal style shifted the most during the lockdowns, which happened to a lot of people around that time. What was it about that era that made you experiment more, and did being online have anything to do with it?

During lockdown I had the chance to experiment with drag which allowed me to let loose of any fashion fears I had. I created the character of Compulsive Leia who could wear any style and didn’t follow any fashion rules. During the end of lockdown Compulsive Leia had merged with my out-of-drag self, and the ability to experience and shape-shift fashion stuck with me.

How do you connect and make friends with other alternative people?

After leaving school, I found it hard to meet other alternative people and I hated feeling like the odd one out in non-alternative groups. So I started monthly London meetups for people who are into alternative fashion. This September will mark two years since the first meetup and I’ve connected and made close friends with so many alternative people from it! 

A lot of nostalgic fashion and aesthetics have been revived in the online alt community such as Scene, Gyaru and Decora, etc. Why do you think that is?

TikTok has changed the game when it comes to fashion. It has made every subculture extremely accessible. While Instagram is amazing for showcasing looks, TikTok shows people how to enter various subcultures with ‘get ready with me’ tutorials. Music also plays a huge part on TikTok and as it’s a video platform, people are finding subcultures through music they enjoy via trending sounds — the same way I did making Emo music playlists on YouTube growing up. 

What is your favourite look that you have worn/styled?

My favourite outfit has got to be what I call my ‘ultimate Decora’ look, for my ASBO magazine cover shoot. I hand-pinned a crazy amount of teddies onto a skirt and did the most extreme Decora look possible. In the final look you can’t even see my hair with how many hair clips are in it!! It was a lot of trial and error to create the perfect silhouette and I had to be very selective with the four colours I picked to wear, but it all paid off in the end. 

For more content like this, explore the rest of the Digiverse, or connect with us on TikTok or Instagram. If you’re a brand or business and want to inspire your audience in innovative ways, reach out to our strategic & creative lab eve@thedigitalfairy.co.uk.