Ellie Cat's fashion doesn't conform
Photos and story by Giles Clasen
Originally published in the Denver Voice
Breaking three sewing machines wasn’t going to stop Ellie Cat from finishing their clothing line in time for their first showcase: Fluid, A Pride Fashion Show.
“I guess the fabric I chose was too thick,” Cat said dryly. But Cat doesn’t dwell on what’s broken. Instead, they want to use fashion to build community
“The goal is to bring everybody together in all shapes, all sizes, all genders and celebrate it all,” Cat said.
Recently, Cat organized and funded the Fluid show at the Marijuana Mansion in Capitol Hill and brought in Melissa Lux, Chi Marie, and Via Moscato — three other designers — to participate.
The sold-out show was more than just models and a runway. It was a multidimensional event that included a DJ, comedy, and dancing performances. But the focus was on the clothes and the people wearing them.
“I want to embrace everybody and show the best parts of every person,” Cat said. “Being in the fashion industry, everybody gets catered to, based on the way that they present [their gender identity], and I don’t think that’s fair. I don’t think fashion should have a gender.”
Cat said they believe fashion helps build community and identity.
“The fashion line I created is called Fluid,” Cat said. “It is for everyone. Girls can wear it; boys can wear it. It doesn’t matter. You can be tall; you can be short. It is for every body type. It is for every person.”
According to Cat, too often, traditional fashion isdesigned around gender stereotypes. Men wear men’s clothes. Women wear women’s clothes. Historically, therehave been stigmas attached to crossing those boundaries.
“I am nonbinary. My pronouns are they/them,” Cat said. “I present very feminine with a masculine twist. That is what I mean by gender stereotypes. I could walk around in six-inch stilettos, but I can change a tire faster than you would guess I could.”
Cat feels the gender norms thrust on children like girls should wear pink, and boys should wear blue, or girls play with dolls, and boys with footballs, pushes people into stereotypes. These stereotypes are unfair and restrictive. This is why Cat is trying to build their own fashion line. They want to create something that doesn’t restrict, but rather, welcomes all identities and opens new avenues ofpersonal expression.
Over their 18-year career, Cat has been a model for between 15 and 20 shows and has often been pigeonholed into wearing feminine clothing.
“I design clothes that aren’t super feminine. They blur the lines between masculine and feminine. Fashion doesn’t have a gender. It is nonconforming,” Cat said. “Men can wear skirts if they want to. [Clothes are] just articles of fabric.”
Cat plans to begin selling their designs this fall. They injured their knee and will use the six weeks of downtime to build up their product line.
You will be able to find Cat’s clothing on their Instagram account @elliecatstyles, and they hope to open an e-commerce site not long after. Their long-term goal is to save enough money to open a boutique in Denver where they can showcase their Fluid designs.
Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the August 2022 issue.