Matteo aka Lion Ascendant Connasse is a fashion designer creating looks for our Belgian and Brussels queer icons. Recently, we have been able to see their work on the runway of Drag Race Belgique.
But not only! I grew up in the south of France in a very artistic family, my father being a comedian, my mom being a fashion designer and my grandparents being painters and sculptors. I would describe myself and my work as evolving somewhere between a witch and a clown. I was lucky enough to grow up in a very loving and open-minded surrounding, my parents always encouraged my choices and supported my every move.
I feel like I was raised the Scandinavian way but still going to school and living in the south of France, two completely different lifestyles. The paradox was being taught acceptance and freedom at home, but once I was at school or outside this safe bubble that my family created, I was treated as a freak, made fun of, harassed, and bullied.
I left my hometown as soon as I turned 18 for Toulouse during a year and then definitely left France for Belgium. There, I stopped feeling ashamed and embarrassed of myself. After three years in Tournai, I moved to Brussels and started connecting with the drag scene there. I started designing for them and my work became more and more visible. During the pandemic, I was left alone in my apartment and started designing for myself with what was left around me, old denim, curtains, and pieces of fabric laying around.
We joined forces to create Parapegma, a calendar inspired by personal stories or social issues we wanted to highlight. We ended up with a series of pictures that reminded us of some tales about the cycle of nature and fables on the seasons.
