BEHIND THE SEAMS: CAROLINE “LADY C” FRASER

It is Friday night at “The Fix”, Calgary’s weekly urban dance party, and the loyal clans of sweaty dancers are pounding away on the floor.

Leading the way is Caroline “Lady C” Fraser, gliding seamlessly through the crowd, her body contorting and popping, and letting the music move her effortlessly. But behind this glistening dance machine, a songstress, a teacher, and a fashion leader  make Ms. Fraser a valuable commodity in the city’s arts scene.

A queen in her own right, Lady C represents all that is funk, flavour, and female. She even makes sweatpants look fierce! As Lady C’s dance training started at an early age with the fundamentals of ballet and jazz, it was not until 2003 that she was exposed to the realm of urban dance.

Since then she has had the many opportunities to train with well known urban dancers and perform in several shows and battles which have also granted her the chances to grow as a choreographer and teacher.

Already an avid music lover from the help of her multi-talented family members, Lady C found a place to cultivate as a singer and songwriter in the audio company of Hip Hop music and most especially, the late J Dilla.

Utilizing every asset she has, Lady C single handedly created an image of herself as a force of a woman, with a fire in her eyes, a seductive siren-esque sound, and a big OOMF in her step. As we live in an age of infinite amounts of artists and performers, style and image have become an important factor in standing out from the rest and Lady C does not fall short.

From stage to street, this urban mama mixes feminine with masculine, classic with cool, and comfort with function. There is an air of confidence in the way she dresses, a definitive “I am a REAL woman!” attitude, commonly infused in her dancing and music as well.

For our first “Behind the Seams”, who better to introduce than Caroline “Lady C” Fraser?

An art collective of sorts, Lady C spreads her energy with us through multiple outlets, embodying the fusion between creation and fashion.

Sharing with us her words on style, we indulge in a sweet treat of eclectic tastes.

Words by Samantha Casuga

CF: What is your idea of fashion?

LADY C: My idea of fashion is using clothes and accessories to convey a personality, whether that be your own true personality or an embellished character or another version of yourself.

CF: How do you define your personal style?

LADY C: My own personal style is all over the map which directly reflects my life! I go anywhere from Adidas kicks to a comfy pair of Toms to my Jeffrey Campbell Unicorn heels and anywhere from XXL sweatpants to denim to a dress.  Whatever it is I decide to put on, no matter how good it may look I won’t walk out the door if it doesn’t feel right.  I’m all about feeling comfortable in an outfit… it’s gotta fit the mood i’m in.

CF: Do you think that your roots, whether through your heritage or from places you have lived or have been to, have helped to evolve your style?

LADY C: My style is always affected by my surroundings and evolves the more I see what’s going on around the world fashion wise.  As for my heritage, my Mom is Canadian and my Dad is Scottish and now that I think about it I do have a lot of plaid!

CF: How do you think your current creative environment influences your style?

LADY C: Being heavily involved in the Hip Hop dance community has a huge influence on my style.  I love to look at old photos from the 70′s and 80′s back in NYC during the beginnings of Hip Hop culture.  People had such individuality back then in the way they dressed and took great pride as a Bboy, Bgirl, M.C in the way they presented themselves. They had very little money but they worked with what they had and always looked fresh.

CF: As an artist, do you feel that your style reflects your art and is more or less an extension of yourself?

LADY C: Absolutely!  A lot of what people remember upon meeting you is what they see, so wether I’m battling, teaching, singing or just going out I always want to represent who I am through my style.  I really learned this from going to NYC and being apart of some battles… the dancers there would put together an entire outfit just to battle and it transformed their dancing and they became like a character that took over the floor.

CF: Do you think ‘image’ is an important factor for musicians and artists alike? Why?

LADY C: It depends how you look at it.  Sometimes the artists themselves don’t really care about their image, but the audience is always looking and creating their own interpretation of your ‘look’. Even an artist who doesn’t care about their style still conveys through the way they are dressed that they are not interested in aesthetics and want their audience to pay attention to their work… it still says something about them.

CF: Fashion is considered to be a form of art to many, why do you think that is?

LADY C: Your body is like a canvas and you decorate it with colors and textures and layers just like a painting or a piece of music.

CF: What do you enjoy most about the fashion world?

LADY C: I love to see how designers create such amazing pieces, but then it’s a whole other excitement to see how regular people take those pieces and rearrange them to create something totally different.

CF: If any, who is your inspiration when it comes to style?

LADY C: I have many inspirations when it comes to style. A lot of them being dancers and musicians.  But one person who has recently had a huge influence on my style is my Mom. She was a power lady back in the day! She was Calgary’s first news anchor woman, Miss Calgary, a singer, dancer, model… you name it!

But recently she showed us some old footage of her in the 70′s doing the news and she didn’t dress like they do now… she had bleach blonde hair, red lips and always had a great outfit on. She had a lot of her clothes made for her and it was always so feminine and she understood how to layer and contour her body. I promptly raided her closet and found all of those retro clothes…. I wear them all the time

My Auntie Paddy is also someone I look up to fashion wise.  She was featured in Avenue Magazine for her fashion sense.  I rarely ever see her in anything but black & white.

CF: If you have one, which designer is your current favorite?

LADY C: I don’t know if I have a favorite designer.  I’ve never been one of those people that payed attention to labels so much as just individual pieces.  I buy a lot of vintage too so those designers are usually long gone haha.

CF: What color or pattern tickles your fancy?

LADY C: I love tribal prints and denim.

CF: Where is your favorite place to shop?

LADY C: Any vintage store! It’s like a challenge to hunt for gems.

CF: What is your favorite trend right now?

LADY C: I like the natural look that a lot of women are rocking.  I think it’s cool that it’s really in to let your hair be long and natural and wear minimal make-up and feminine loose fitting clothes.

CF: What trend would you particularly like to see flourish?

LADY C: I would like to see Men’s fashion keep in the direction it’s going actually.  I love that men are just as interested in fashion these days as women.  Sometimes I like looking at Men’s fashion blogs more than Women’s…. There’s so many amazing designers that design cool Men’s clothes that are urban and somewhat influenced by Hip Hop but it’s made with quality and is more high end and tailored.  Even kicks are going in a direction that combines quality leathers and canvas with urban style.  The Men are lookin good these days!

CF: Do you have a personal trend that you would love to ‘set’?

LADY C: I actually feel ok with my style being my own.  I think if I started a trend and people started to copy my style I wouldn’t feel it was mine anymore.

CF: We have all fallen victim to a fashion faux pas once or twice or many… What is a trend or fad you had that you regret now?

LADY C: For as long as I can remember I actually tried my hardest to wear the opposite of what everyone else was wearing. I didn’t really participate in any fashion faux pas… but i’m sure I committed my own fashion crimes along the way which is worse cause I only have myself to blame.

CF: What is your signature piece or look?

LADY C: Big jewelry! I love jewelry and the bigger and more dramatic the better!

CF: What is a fashion staple in your wardrobe?

LADY C: Track pants…. I’m not sure if that’s a ‘fashion’ item but I think it is.  And ask anyone, I have the most extensive collection of Adidas track pants in every color!

CF: What is the best fashion advice that you have been given and from whom?

LADY C: My mom always had some good advice from her years as a model and entertainer…. if something wasn’t working on you she’d find a subtle way to let you know.

CF: Where do you see fashion going in terms of being used as a tool for those in the creative industry?

LADY C: Well I think it has always played a huge part in the success and direction of an artist’s career path. I truly believe that your style directly reflects who you are or who you want to portray yourself as.  when you are always in the public eye as an artist, your look is something that people pay attention to so it’s important to be aware of how you are representing yourself.

For more on Lady C please visit http://www.ladyc.ca

Image courtesy of Colin Way