Karen Arthur

I love creating not just clothing but, in a sense, wearable art, which says: ‘I’m here, I’m not going anywhere and I’m not going to be silent.’

This dress is all about taking up space. It’s like the older you get as a Black woman, the quieter you’re supposed to become. But the older we get, the more experience we have and the more knowledge we have.

So surely this is a time we need to open our mouths.

I spent a lot of time in my previous life trying to be someone that I wasn’t, trying to fit in. I was never Black enough or white enough or young enough. I now dress the way I want and show up in the world as my authentic self. And I want to take other women with me.