FASHION
Mardi Bra and my Nan
Andrea Knights explains how her long deceased grandmother encouraged her to use lockdown to promote the new comedic fashion accessory she had designed – the brahat.
Successful communication for me comes with music and laughter; so for the last 10 years I have been writing and performing comedy songs. Unfortunately, the lockdowns put a stop to all that, and I, along with many others, fell into mental decline. And that is when my Nan stepped in.
Although my Nan didn’t tell me to make hats from bras, she did tell me to start wearing them to Morrisons. Previously brahats had been worn to gigs, marches, festivals, parties and for weddings and one funeral. However, one lonely, boring day during the first lockdown my Nan told me to put on a brahat and go out into the everyday world. Unfortunately the only place to go was the supermarket – fortunately Morrisons often has an excellent playlist. My nan’s intention was to make me and others laugh, and it was a great success.
My Nan died 20 years ago whilst I was studying Fine Art. At college my main ambition was to create an image which could only represent happiness and from which the viewer could only experience joy; anyway, I failed. However, I discovered that the comedic aspect of my art made people laugh and therefore, momentarily, experience happiness. Brahats are a continuation of this idea, and with them I feel I have triumphed!
There are brahats for every occasion, and Hastings with its many festivals brings the opportunity to wear a bra on your head almost every month. With Fat Tuesday coming up there is a whole new collection of Mardi Bra hats available to buy, but I would like to encourage everyone to get a bra, stick it on their heads and see how happy a brahat can make you.
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