I don’t think there’s been many people in the past 10 years that haven’t heard of or at least seen Hatsune Miku. I mean, she performed at Coachella this year. Have I been thinking about writing an article about Hatsune Miku since I started PERSPEX? Absolutely. Am I just getting to it now? Yes, but better late than never.

Angelyne is obscure, shrouded in mystery and eccentric. We still don’t really know who she is or why she's famous, but she is. And I think that’s the whole point. Angelyne is purely Angelyne. She’s famous because she’s famous.

When Bratz launched with a racially inclusive quartet of dolls, this revolutionised the fashion doll market, with each doll featuring different skin tones, hair colours and facial features. It was also important to note that no character was the leader, unlike Barbie and her friends, each doll was equal.

After Make Happy in 2016, Burnham returns to comedy specials in 2021 with Inside. It’s release date in 2021 provides context before you even watch it, this is a special about COVID and lockdown. It’s created by Burnham all on his own, filmed in the months of lockdown in 2020 and 2021.

I don’t think there’s one person since 1959 that hasn’t heard of Barbie. Now the epitome of the Mattel brand, Barbie has a long, influential and somewhat controversial history. So, why don’t we have a look the long life of Barbie?

Time to have some shivers down your spine.

Take the Cantina Band from Star Wars, combine it with KISS, and you’ll find Halyx.

Sorayama’s work explores the ‘limitations of desire’, which he explores through erotic and hyperreal fembot sculptures and paintings. He combines pop culture references with 1950 playboy covers, sci-fi and visions or AI and robotics. It’s sort of like the exploration of sex in the digital age.

When discussing the concept of an animated figure, Morton came up with “the most boring thing that [he] could think of to do, which would go against the grain for the MTV generation… was a talking a head: a middle-class white male in a suit, talking to them in a really boring way about music videos.” And the seed for Max Headroom was truly planted.

A coming-of-age story mixed with musical comedy and drama, Sing Street is a 2016 film directed by John Carney. The story revolves around Conor Lawlor, a young boy living in Dublin in 1985. His parent’s are getting divorced and his father lost his job and in order to save money, Conor is moved from an expensive private school to a Christian Brothers public school, Synge Street CBS.

Set on Verona Beach, Baz Luhramnn’s Romeo and Juliet presents a timeless story, combining traditional Shakespearian language with modern aesthetics. Now whilst I could spend this whole article writing about young Leonardo DiCaprio, the costuming in Romeo and Juliet has become one the memorable aesthetics of all films. 

Described by Pablo Picasso as “dressed in a pearl-embroidered gown with a stiff elizabethan ruff and a neckline that plunged to her navel”, Marchesa Luisa Castai was an Italian heiress that is too incredible to be forgotten.

Rising to fame by winning season 7 of Rupaul's Drag Race in 2015, Violet Chachki has slowly become an icon within the fashion industry. From the first episode of RPDR, Chachki turned look after look, presenting outfits inspired by Thierry Mugler and Alexander McQueen down the runway. Inspired by history, especially the old Hollywood of the 1920s to 1950s and the runways of the 80s and 90s, Chachki's looks captivated because of their incredibly unique aesthetic.

Say hello to a new monthly addition to Perspex-tives. Interested in finding new music every month? Welcome to Perspex Beats.

Released in 1991, Paris is Burning is a documentary that presents the lives of those in the Harlem drag ball scene in the late 80s. Documenting the meeting point between urban poverty, queer identity and the marginalised black and latino community, Paris is Burning is a perfect example of how marginalised communities find success, love, family and confidence not in typical society, but in each other.

Created by the Wachowski siblings in 1999, The Matrix is a cult sci-fi blockbuster. Inspired by Hong Kong action films and known for its plot twists and intensely choreographed fight sequences, The Matrix still holds up in todays world. Fusing together gothic and cyberpunk silhouettes with the streamlined aesthetic of futuristic technology, The Matrix singlehandedly created an aesthetic that is both incredibly unique and timeless.

With an instantly recognisable aesthetic style, the works of filmmaker Wes Anderson are more than just films. Using striking and harmonious colour palettes, Anderson uses colour to convey social structures, character development and the role of relationships. 

Harris Glenn Milstead; perhaps better known by his drag/stage name; Divine, was an American drag queen, singer and actor. Becoming a cult LGBT+ icon in the past 20 years, Divine; and her roles in iconic John Waters films; has become widely renowned for her gorgeously grotesque, over-the-top and rule-breaking performances.

From a fashion influence point of view, Blade Runner has become a major inspiration for neo-noir/cyberpunk looks and garments. Two of my favourite collections; McQueen's Givenchy Fall 1998 Couture Collection and Gareth Pugh's Fall 2016 Ready-to-Wear Collection; references neo-noir fashion and the character Rachael. The 1940s silhouette, use of latex and leather-look fabric, opulent fur and structured 1980s shoulders create vibes of a powerful and futuristic femme fatale.

At its core, Billy Elliot tells the tale of two different stories. A story of a boy fighting for his right to dance and the story of a town fighting for its right to work. It's only when these two stories collide that a raw and endearing tale of identity and acceptance between a father and son is revealed.