We recently had the chance to connect with Roxy Vail and have shared our conversation below.
Roxy , a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day for me would be waking up at the crack of noon and checking my schedule to see if I have any upcoming photo shoots, events to work, or if I have anything to do for my shop, Camp Buzzkill. I spend a lot of time planning photoshoot concepts, promoting the shop, finding inspiration for work as well as spending time in the local Alternative scene, vending different events and selling clothing and jewelery. If I’m lucky, I can go out as a reward, but most times, I’m working, hustling, or sleeping.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m currently an Alternative model and co-owner of the DIY clothing shop, Camp Buzzkill with my twin sibling, London Spinelli.
What makes our brand so unique is that there aren’t that many maximalistic Alternative brands that are size inclusive or DIY. Camp Buzzkill takes a lot of inspiration from the 90s and 2000s when it comes to the aesthetic of the clothing and branding. A lot of brands have simple clothing with small graphics and have a “less is more” approach to their designs, whereas Camp Buzzkill is all about crass boldness, and statement pieces. We use a lot of spikes, safety pins, original artwork with no AI, and we do everything in-house.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me that I was defective and weird, I was an expressive kid who loved to wear expressive clothing. I’d wanna wear every pattern and color. I grew up more and then as a teenager, I got so heavily into Alternative fashion back when everyone was saying that Black girls shouldn’t do that and I never listened. If anything, all the criticism made me and London double down on our weirdness and it made us stand firm in not giving in to societal pressure and expectations.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell my younger self not to pay mind to all of the people who made me feel like I was lesser than for being creative and different. I’d tell my younger self to keep drawing those outfit ideas in my notebook and to keep on experimenting with my style and the special interests that made me feel different from my peers, because one day, those same people who treated me like I was subhuman for marching to my own beat are gonna be the same people who are asking me to help put them on or asking for style advice.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
It is for the most part. I think it’s more of an organized version of the real me. The public version of me is SO intense, in-your-face, and somehow it’s “chaotically cohesive” if that makes sense. I’m very intentional about what I put out there when it comes to my art, my brand and my platform and I’m VERY intentional when it comes to disturbing the conservative status quo with my existence.
The version of me that’s offline is a lot less intimidating. I’ll admit that I gatekeep a lot of the best parts of myself and my personality from my public platform, because I don’t want those parts of me to get lost or bullied out of me for being “too cringe” or not “hot and cool enough” or because I’m not very palatable to the masses. The real me has flaws like everyone else on the planet, despite the fact that the public demands complete and total perfection and purity. I don’t have any interest in being pure or obtaining perfection, so that’s why my art, brand and public image is the way that it is and why it will always disturb the general public and I love that.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope when I’m gone, people are telling younger people that I was an inspiration and that I had a big enough impact within the Alternative community to be worthy of being remembered. I hope future Black Alternative/Goth people cite me as a staple within the culture that helped pave the way for more Black representation, because by the time I die, I want to leave behind a large body of work, I want to have created opportunities for other artists like me who have been snubbed within the industry, and by the time I die, I hope I die a legend who stood for something meaningful while also wearing a sick outfit.
Honestly, I hope when I’m no longer on this mortal coil anymore, my work and I will FINALLY get appreciated in the way that it’ll probably never be appreciated while I’m still alive.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Campbuzzkill.bigcartel.com
- Instagram: @itsroxyvail
