One Girl’s Trash...Behind the Scenes of Anja Cecilia’s Dollar Store Couture Show
Written by Leah (Bunny) Overstreet with review by Jess Huang
Image courtesy of Gracie Gianoukos
In a dollar store so deep into Brooklyn that it becomes Queens, I’ve stuffed my bag behind a stack of Hubba-Bubba-pink potty trainers and perched myself on a pile of plastic-wrapped duvets. A gaggle of fashion girlies chat excitedly as they wait for the runway show to begin, each sporting their own maximalist ensembles in an effort to match the vibes of the soon-to-be-revealed collection.
Dollar Store Couture, initially a playful social media presence documenting“ oddball finds” from local discount stores, now exists as a full blown digital archive with 20K+ followers across platforms. I was excited to attend as a familiar viewer of their online short video series! The linoleum runway would soon host a collection in collaboration with Anja Cecilia (the brand created by the very same mastermind behind the DSC). Anja Cecilia describes Dollar Store Couture as“ part aesthetic deep-dive, part DIY movement to shop small and push back against the fashion industry’s endless churn.” Now the often overlooked objects of the discount shop were being presented as wearable art.
Image courtesy of Ky Shay
“ Soundtracked by the gentle lull of ceiling fans, a killer electronic mix straight out of an iPod Shuffle, and lit by overhead fluorescent bulbs, the atmosphere felt nostalgic and familiar. Nineteen models strut down the aisle, showcasing looks that each felt like a story,” muses Jess Huang.
Before my wide eyes, model after model strutted down the aisle, practically dripping in dollar store accoutrement. Each look was like something straight out of an unconventional materials challenge (shoutout Project Runway). Giant shudder shades fashioned into bras, bedazzled wire headphones worn around the neck as a choker, pants held up with clip-hangers, inflatables sewn into skirts a la Moschino, and passed notes stuck to ballet flats marched down the aisles turned runway. Digital cameras and cellphones alike scrambled to capture the jaw dropping designs made out of whatchamacallits and thingamajigs.
All jokes aside, this show didn’t merely flaunt objects superglued to some fabric; it was a truly playful exploration of how everyday objects might innovate and elevate fashion. This collection finds inspiration in objects rather than clothes and presents to us a craftiness that isn’t ashamed of itself and, instead, draws attention to its DIY nature. Many of these looks are not trying to conceal their bargain bin bloodline but rather celebrate it, even rubbing our noses in it. The collection is a scavenger hunt for the eyes and a true delight. You could see even just in the audience’s inspired outfits the way that the collection challenged us to reimagine the seemingly unsophisticated as worthwhile fashion statements.
“This show didn’t merely flaunt objects superglued to some fabric; it was a truly playful exploration of how everyday objects might innovate and elevate fashion. ”
The runway show was a game of what’s what, where the whole audience squinted their eyes to figure out if that’s actually a roll of duct tape moonlighting as a bangle, if that maxi skirt is really just several T-shirts (and a few bras) sewn together, and if that truly is a a whale tale made entirely out of discount stickers. Spoiler: it was!
Image courtesy of Gracie Gianoukos
Some looks we heard jingle-jangling around the corner before seeing them: one featured bedazzled bone-shaped dog tags that made a fabulous racket over the experimental soundtrack blaring from store intercom. Then another clacked into view, this one showcasing Anja Cecilia’s signature blinky compacts—usually fashioned into delightfully gaudy necklaces—reimagined as a barely there halter top. The Blythe Doll emblazoned compacts were chained together, licking up the side of the model’s torso.
Dollar Store Couture left me with a desire to rewind and experience the show all over again. I found myself zooming in on the images released online after and replaying videos I took on my phone, relishing in each new detail I discovered.
I was able to interview designer Anja Cecilia after the show and she explained that she“ always felt drawn to the idea that femininity doesn’t have to be delicate or perfectly polished. Sometimes it’s gritty, cheap, playful, or even a little bit tacky.” It’s a femininity that points at a more conservative, minimalist style and full belly laughs. Cecilia goes on to say that she is“ celebrating that so-called‘ trashiness’ that’s often looked down on, especially when it’s tied to hyperfeminine aesthetics (fake nails, plastic jewelry, dollar store lace) and reframing it as something powerful and fun instead of shameful.”
“It’s a femininity that points at a more conservative, minimalist style and full belly laughs.”
This is a femininity that is within reach for those without access to name brand products and labels. This is a femininity that has been historically associated with queer, POC, and low income gals who express themselves outside of the confines of respectability. For me, dollar stores and beauty supplies have always been places full of possibility with prices giving you some wiggle room to experiment and invent a femininity that belongs to you.
Image courtesy of Kelli Mcguire
Anja“ grew up feeling like femininity was something you had to do right’ to be respectable (clean lines, tasteful choices, subtlety). But [she finds] so much more freedom and honesty in taking those same symbols of‘ bad taste’ and elevating them or just letting them be what they are… [she wants] to make work that feels resourceful, a little unruly, and real, like femininity can be.”
I would say that the show captured this energy with flair and, at times, humor with one model sporting a chip-stuffed décolletage and another carrying around a literal Subway cup. These choices embraced the tackiness associated with bargain shopping and played into the potentially distasteful associations, using them to the design’s advantage and the audience’s amusement.
I’ve found that some of the most exciting, innovative, and playful designers are coming out of the Brooklyn popup flea market scene and Anja Cecilia is certainly no exception.“ Anja Cecilia designs for the girls who layer fake pearls over real ones, who treat the sidewalk like a runway, and their outfit like a threat.”
Without further ado, here are Jess’ four favorite details from the collection.
Photo courtesy of Reveka Pasternak
1/
Look two saw the model wear flats textured like a corkboard, with memorabilia like an adorable apple-shaped sticky note and photobooth snapshots of Cecilia herself, held in place by rainbow pins and paper clips. The shoe is styled with sheer socks with an iMessage text bubble“ hey” printed throughout and fuzzy yellow/neon green leg warmers. This combo tickled my brain, using the visual language of online communication alongside the nostalgic nature of bulletin boards. I adore how the socks feel so current and ubiquitous, while the memento and the shoes feel personal and sentimental.
Photo courtesy of Reveka Pasternak
2/
Look six included a pair of baby pink and white polka dot gloves, accompanied by chunky mismatched bangles. A similar pair of cleaning gloves - with a matching frilly apron set - was a staple accessory in my childhood home’s kitchen. The domestic, private, and gendered labor associated with homekeeping is brought front and center with this look. This stunning detail blurs and challenges what is function, and what is fashion.
Photo courtesy of Reveka Pasternak
3/
Look five featured my favorite detail of the collection - a lilac wig piled high towards heaven, Marie Antoinette style, and accessorized with plastic tiaras, gemstone stickers, and metallic hair clips. This detail felt near and dear to my heart, reminding me of playing dress-up as a child. Blending fantasy with thrift creativity, it’s dollar store royalty.
Photo courtesy of Reveka Pasternak
4/
Look eighteen featured a lime green double-shirt printed with the words“ Going out of Business Forever!!” on the front (and“ We Tried and We Failed” on the back). While the phrases feel like a cheeky nod to the mom-and-pop dollar store as a dying breed against Evil Big Box Stores, Cecilia goes the extra mile to reference the surplus stock carried by these businesses through the double-shirt design. Why wear one shirt when you can wear two? The more the merrier, I say!
