I have been thinking lately that there is a slim difference between performance art and people walking out of their homes everyday in something that they feel deeply expresses their individuality. The end result is the same - the juxtaposition of unique ideas creates a conversation, hopefully opens minds, and challenges the very mind-numbing status quo. Alex may feel like a "cartoon" when he goes back to is hometown in Utah, but I interviewed someone for this site yesterday who said it well: "dressing is no different than eating in its spiritual and healing powers." There's a lot of bringing history into the now in Alex's fertile repertoire, like the gorgeous rendition of Prada's Viking-mace oxford (with artistic spikes galore), the nineteenth-century Turkish fez he designed in half leather and fur, the vinyl leggings with 1970s denim cut-offs, and the mesh plastic collar that gives him both an ancient and futuristic priestly vibe. Why go to the Home Shopping Network for cubic zirconia when you can wear a statement piece like your dog's collar?

If you like Alex, you might also enjoy Nikki Moose or Emmanuel Limon.