Grete Henriette does ‘heavenly bodies’ better than the Met Gala – and the Vatican
Equally informed by a religious upbringing and nights immersed in East London’s queer scene, the designer channels the “cunty yet heavenly soft” qualities of Renaissance Catholicism into wearable pieces art WORDS BY JAMIE WINDUST CREDITS FOR OUTDOOR SHOOT: PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH HUGO-HAMMAN MODEL PONAHALO MOJAPELO ASSISTED BY JADE DE NOBRIGA CREDITS FOR STUDIO SHOOT: PHOTOGRAPHY BY CÉSAR BUITRAGO MAKEUP BY ALEX LEVY MODEL ISABELLA CARR Welcome to Queer by Design, a new monthly column by GAY TIMES Contributing Editor Jamie Windust.
Here, Jamie profiles emerging designers about the intersections of style, identity and expression and how these factors inform their creative practice. Inspired by the heavenly imagery and iconography of the 15th and 16th centuries, designer Grete Henriette transforms bodies into ethereal, goddess-like beings.
From Kim Petras and Sam Smith to Lil Nas X, her designs have drawn the eye of queer divas and pop icons alike. After graduating from Ravensbourne in 2020 – debuting a graduate collection which drew on corsetry and Regencycore – she created her namesake brand, and developed a signature aesthetic.
Transforming chains, rosaries, precious stones and crosses into intricate garments, her work lies somewhere between decadent jewellery and body armour.