I remember the brief, fleeting moment in time just before puberty hit, when I was too old to be cute anymore and too socially awkward to look back on and not grimace in genuine pain and embarrassment – the latter of which, spanned for most of high school and beyond.

During the course of this troubling and confusing time circa 2007, the all-encompassing trend of the Goth swept through the nation in a dark, angst filled cloud. Suddenly my vast collection of Paul Frank badges and Ripcurl watches were not adequate, which looking back on, is just bloody ludicrous. Combat boots, ripped jeans and badges of bands and political movements I didn’t have the intellectual capacity to understand, and still don’t, flooded the streets.

Looking down at this ol’ blazer of mine, I can’t help thinking that Dion Lee designed this to show every poorly dressed punk out there that, this is how you do it. This is how you nail edgy and cool and didn’t-try-too-hard. This is it.

Although I probably shouldn’t associate this honestly raw and troubling time period for me with one of Dion Lee’s greatest hits, I can’t help but think that I could’ve been the edgiest damn year seven ever seen, if I had only known the way. I guess you can’t win them all. I’m just grateful that smartphones weren’t around and there is close to no photographic evidence of my brief ‘fashion experimentation’ into the world of front fringes and military bags.

Wearing: Dion Lee 3D Filter blazer, Zara leather skirt
Photos: Anastasia Borrelli