This Halloween, we'd like you to meet @arranshurvinton, our Senior Visual Merchandiser at Beyond Retro, an incredibly skilled Drag Artist and master of creating lovable monsters. Arran, known as 'Noss' in their spooky alter ego, featured in our Haunted Motel shoot. They've shared exclusive insights on the inspiration behind the character, and how 'Noss' fuels self-expression. Read on to discover more. 🖤
01: What inspired 'Noss' and how is the look created?
I’ve loved German expressionist film for a long time and I’ve always been obsessed with the idea of transformation. The makeup is mostly achieved with classic stage makeup and techniques such as drag makeup, but turned on its head to make something distorted rather than beautiful. I make the teeth myself from thermoplastic.
To me, Noss is the result of someone who never dies, being locked up for an eternity in isolation. The look uses historical recreation pieces or antique and vintage clothes, distressed as if they have been worn for centuries. Grubbier, flayed, ripped or holed, the better.
02: How does 'Noss' aid in self-expression?
In my personal life I’m quite introverted and naturally inclined to be a bit of a hermit. I like my own company and find being in crowds quite exhausting. Noss spoke to me as the result of what I feel like I would easily become if I lived forever. I find the best performance characters speak to some sort of personal attribute we have within ourselves and amplify it to a level that becomes universally communicable and sometimes extends into parody. Noss is the consummate outsider, lonely but embracing solitude. I turn my own insecurities into tragic comedy.