INTERVIEW: JOSEPH HARWOOD

Credo che fondamentalmente siamo tutti un po? androgini e tutti un po? travestiti, e che il concetto di divisione in una cultura cos? stigmatizzata sia un po? ridicolo. Comunque sia, a livello culturale credo che androgino descriva una persona che mantiene caratteristiche di entrambi i sessi, mentre un travestito ? una persona che si veste intenzionalmente secondo gli stereotipi del sesso opposto. A mio avviso, l?androginia ? una caratteristica che non riguarda (solo) il look.

Come ha avuto inizio il tuo look androgino? E? stato difficile accettarsi e farsi accettare?

What is androgyny to you?

As I was growing up I was frequently described as androgynous in my work and everyday life because I didn’t quite fit the stereotype of what we see a male or a female to look like. I had a combination of what we associate with each gender, because of that I think it became quite obvious to me that we all have a very fluid view point on gender that is dictated by culture, our family dynamic and our media. I think androgyny is a very tenuous word to describe a combination of both gender stereotypes, whether that’s in aesthetic or in behavior and – because of that – we are all androgynous: who isn’t a combination of various, differing characteristics? 

I got the idea of creating a youtube collaboration channel which I named Perfect Androgyny because I wanted to showcase a variety of people living everyday lives across the world, who didn’t fit the binary stereotypes. To give something everyone can relate to or even up to. I think it’s important to showcase that whether we look or act differently to what you may be used to, we’re all human and we’re all going through the exact same issues.

What’s the difference between an androgynous and a crossdresser?

I think that we are all cross dressers and all androgynous and the concept of division in an already stigamtised culture is really quite silly. We’re all cross dressing androgynous aliens! However, I think that as a culture we use androgynous loosely to describe a person who maintains aspects of both genders and a cross dresser as someone who dresses with intent as the opposite gender stereotype. I think androgynous is considered less specific to look.

How did you get into the androgynous look? Was it hard to accept and make others accept you? 

I was scouted for a McQueen lookbook when I was 15 and began working as a model for several years where I was described as androgynous. I never really took it that seriously. I can look very different depending on how you paint me and I think because of that and my personal love for creating I really became interested in playing with makeup and aesthetic in my day to day life. I have experimented with many incarnations and without any adornments I do look very gender ambiguous, so it was less of an active step and more of a natural progression.

How did you start doing Youtube? 

I started blogging on the collaboration channel 5AT as their Sunday spot in 2007, and was frequently managing and directing other youtubers. I didn’t really want to be a youtuber neccessarily, I wanted to produce or be behind the scenes but I think there was definitely a demand for someone who looked like me who actually worked in the industry that I’m blogging about. 

I slowly developed the idea of Perfect Androgyny and then later was asked to do a few makeup tutorials, and it blew up from there! It was a rocky start but I think I have a very intellectual view point on how I paint, I’m really an obsessive artist and I don’t see many people painting in the same way as I do so it was fun to showcase that. I’m really so overwhelmed by the incredible support I’ve received, it definitely scared me when I realized 100,000 people have subscribed to my networks in just two years, I’ve been featured everywhere from GQ Brazil to BuzzFeed. The cherry on the cake was definitely when Simon Cowellwas scouting for the worlds next best makeup artist… to win the YouGencompetition for not just makeup but overall is still unbelievable to me and I’m very grateful!

Who’s your style inspiration?

I recently was working in Paris and visited the Louvre: I have always been obsessed with Italian portraiture and my makeup inspiration sources very much from the 16th century paintings, it was amazing to see some up close! Style wise I don’t have anyone that I think I look up to; I have always been infatuated with the 90s supermodels and that whole era, but I think my style changes all the time. I’m inspired by myself more than anyone.

Androgyny is a bend between masculinity and femininity. What’s the best and worst from each sex in your opinion?

If we look at different cultures we can see that in the west it would be out of the ordinary to see a man in a skirt yet if you were to go to many Asian cultures we see men adopt garments that we could perceive as a skirt. Everything is dictated differently depending on when, where and who so I think more or less the concept of gender stereotypes are more the intention behind them. I think the negative is that we have these rules and associations. We live in a very patriarchal society and it’s forever changing, but I hope we break down the visual stigmas we have when it comes to gender. 

You’re about to launch your own brush line: what’s the concept behind it and how did you develop this project?

I started working on a brush line several years ago and I have spent so much energy and time refining the products so they are the most luxurious, perfected tools I can create. I really struggled to perfect makeup looks with what was on the market and I’ve patiently watched how makeup lines have come together and have changed. I am so proud and confident of the work I’ve done and I am excited to announce that I am currently working with the same people behind Hakuhodo, Chikuhodo and Wayne Goss – which I recently heard Charlotte Tilbury described as the best brush creators in the world! I have refined and perfected a range of 14 brushes I will be launching at the end of the year that will not only be able to cater to your every needs independently, but they’ll be a perfect accompaniment to any brush collector or makeup artist out there. I really have spent time working on things that I haven’t seen before and creating the most logical variations. I love them, I know everyone will too!

Speaking of makeup, what are the best trips and tricks to make a male face more feminine?

If you study faces and how they change from childhood to adulthood, we can see that hormones effect the way the face grows very distinctly. The lower portion of the male face lengthens changing the proportion between the nose and lips, lips and chin. The brow bone proceeds forwards and down, and the soft bone of the face and cartilage grow more. The hairline starts to recede in a different shape in men, and men tend to be larger in height and width. I think a lot of people work on creating smaller features but leave the negative spaces large, so the trick I think is to decrease the negative space and the features in balance. One thing a lot of drag queens do is create bigger hair to make their faces look smaller, it’s an obvious technique but if you apply the principle to other features it works the same. Always look at yourself in an objective view point as well as a reflection, the proportion changes a lot. One tip I use is using a webcam and a mirror side by side, you can see how you look to other people and how you look to yourself and it’s easy to see what you need to work on!

When it comes to dressing, do you tend more towards feminine or masculine clothing? What kind of criteria do you have when dressing up, and how do you enhance your physical features?

In my true self I don’t take any consideration whether the item is feminine or not, but because of my work recently I’ve had to make a decision on creating a bit of contrast between the masculine and the feminine in me just to make it more translatable. I have never really had the ability to look like a man before, it’s always been extremely easy for me to look very female but as I’ve grown older I now have a beard and I can play with all the colours in the crayon box. I am finding it more exciting than repressive. I really just go with the flow, as long as I feel confident I am happy.

What kind of prejudice you have faced (and maybe still face) in the straight world? And which ones into the LGBT community, if any? 

I’ve only had one significant experience where I’ve been completely bare faced and some very rude imbecile followed me down the street throwing transphobic slurs, other than that I’ve had the exact same prejudices everyone else goes through: perverts, dumb dumbs and bitter bitches.

Supermodel Andrej Pejic has recently announced that he will take the great step and change his gender, becoming Andreja. Have you ever thought about making this step too? If yes, what stopped you from doing it?

To be frank, no. 

Thanks so much Joseph for joining me! It was lovely to have you here! 

Thank you Enrie for having me here, and goodbye to all our readers! 

Don’t forget to check out my newly relaunched website that’s coming just around the corner at www.josephharwood.com and as per usual stay tuned with me across Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

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