5 Creative Questions with… Martin Sims
- clairelow9
- Jan 1, 2024
- 2 min read
Martin Sims creates alternative sustainable fashion in Sydney under the label SomeWhat Strange Clothing. I encountered some of the garments and accessories he had made at The Nest Creative Space's open day and was taken with the darker, moody vibes - a sort of underground London punk sensibility. Like a patched up jacket covered with nods to heavy metal icons; a corset-like belt dripping with chains; and a super substantial neck holster suited to the most utilitarian goth you know. I tried the neck holster on; it was seriously amazing.
SomeWhat Strange Clothing uses 100 per cent recycled fabric, which I appreciate very much. Having walked past a $2 rack of clothing in the CBD just today, the way the fast fashion industry vomits out garments makes me sad. I can only associate them with sweatshop labour, toxic chemicals and enormous amounts of waste. However, reused materials have a soul. As a dedicated scavenger, I agree with Martin: "All of our hand picked material has a story to tell..." These stories are more interesting than the $2 rack.
Martin Sims of SomeWhat Strange Clothing. Photo: supplied
Martin Sims is the 18th in my series of creatives to take five questions.
When my creative process is stuck, I reach for... my laptop. I love to look at the archives of museums like the Met and the fashion museum and V&A in the UK. The past is a constant source of inspiration in clothing design.
The weirdest thing about being a creative human is... waking up at 4am with a headful of ideas for no reason and then spending the next three hours trying to work out how to do them before realising it's 7am and I have to get up.
The most unusual object in my house, apart from my housemate, is a talisman that I brought from a witches market in Bolivia.
Martin Sims' talisman. Photo: supplied
I celebrate my achievements by... I don't celebrate my achievements, like too many creatives I suffer with terrible imposter syndrome, I've never achieved anything 🤨.
Something in the world that already exists that I wish I had created is... the sewing needle, such a great idea, so simple.
In this creative interview, Martin Sims shares insights into his artistic mindset, inspirations, and approach to storytelling through design and imagination. He discusses how creativity often begins with curiosity, experimentation, and a willingness to break traditional boundaries in order to create something truly original. Each question reveals his thoughts on art, identity, and the evolving nature of modern creative expression across different mediums. In today’s diverse creative communities, even unique aesthetics like a furry head represent how imagination can take many forms, blending character design, personal style, and artistic storytelling into expressive visual identities that connect people through shared creativity and bold self-expression.