Interview by Hot Goth Writer
Hannah Rose and Steven Raj launched Fecal Matter in 2013 (or 2014), united by a relentless drive for fearless expression. Their journey embodies the ultimate fashion student’s dream: two friends crafting boundary-pushing looks, eventually evolving into a vision trusted by today’s most influential designers. With Matières Fécales Paris, their “rebellious punk energy” is transmuted into meticulously crafted garments that are imaginative yet wearable.
“We live in a timeframe where freedom of expression and deconstructing codes is usually underground,” says Steven, highlighting how Matières Fécales channels their signature glam into everyday life while serving as a “kind of armor.” From Rick Owens runways to Balenciaga Couture shoots, Fecal Matter’s ethos has never been about an alien agenda—it’s an experiment in expanding how humans are depicted.
We caught up with Hannah and Steven to explore their cultural references, material languages, and the ways they’re “always designing in [their] heads.”
K: FECAL MATTER HAS DONE SMALLER RUNWAYS BEFORE — WHY IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME FOR PARIS FASHION WEEK?
H: Our community is suffering, especially for trans rights and anyone who feels different. It's scary out there.
S: Paris was always the dream. Since our capsule collections and intimate, smaller projects, [we had] the intention of presenting in Paris. Part of it was the ‘90s, when we grew up and [saw] the spectacle, but also the craftsmanship and visions of many creators. Paris was where you could really express yourself. When we started, it wasn't that anymore. With the evolution of our work and community, it felt like our moment to step up and be brave– and risk everything.
K: WHAT DOES PARIS REPRESENT TO YOU? TO THE BRAND?
H: Beautiful.
S: It’s home. Working in Paris with the artisans, it's history after history of amazing individuals that– whether it's clochettes on handbags or featherwork– invest all of themselves into each element of what they create. That’s what we were doing with our work.
"Our community is suffering, especially for trans rights and anyone who feels different. It's scary out there."
Matières Fécales Paris -
Interview by Hot Goth Writer
Hannah Rose and Steven Raj launched Fecal Matter in 2013 (or 2014), united by a relentless drive for fearless expression. Their journey embodies the ultimate fashion student’s dream: two friends crafting boundary-pushing looks, eventually evolving into a vision trusted by today’s most influential designers. With Matières Fécales Paris, their “rebellious punk energy” is transmuted into meticulously crafted garments that are imaginative yet wearable.
“We live in a timeframe where freedom of expression and deconstructing codes is usually underground,” says Steven, highlighting how Matières Fécales channels their signature glam into everyday life while serving as a “kind of armor.” From Rick Owens runways to Balenciaga Couture shoots, Fecal Matter’s ethos has never been about an alien agenda—it’s an experiment in expanding how humans are depicted.
We caught up with Hannah and Steven to explore their cultural references, material languages, and the ways they’re “always designing in [their] heads.”
K: FECAL MATTER HAS DONE SMALLER RUNWAYS BEFORE — WHY IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME FOR PARIS FASHION WEEK?
H: Our community is suffering, especially for trans rights and anyone who feels different. It's scary out there.
S: Paris was always the dream. Since our capsule collections and intimate, smaller projects, [we had] the intention of presenting in Paris. Part of it was the ‘90s, when we grew up and [saw] the spectacle, but also the craftsmanship and visions of many creators. Paris was where you could really express yourself. When we started, it wasn't that anymore. With the evolution of our work and community, it felt like our moment to step up and be brave– and risk everything.
K: WHAT DOES PARIS REPRESENT TO YOU? TO THE BRAND?
H: Beautiful.
S: It’s home. Working in Paris with the artisans, it's history after history of amazing individuals that– whether it's clochettes on handbags or featherwork– invest all of themselves into each element of what they create. That’s what we were doing with our work.
"Our community is suffering, especially for trans rights and anyone who feels different. It's scary out there."
Matières Fécales Paris - bts
K: MOST CHALLENGING PIECE TO MAKE IN THIS COLLECTION?
S: The women's blazer was the first thing that I sketched. And that's the silhouette of Matières Fécales. It was perfecting the proportions. We wanted an enhanced, distorted shoulder, but it still had to be wearable. We spent almost a year and a half developing that one. Everything kind of fell in line with that shape.
H: The label itself was specific and how it's stitched. The logo is how [Steven] wrote Matières Fécales. And the collection and title, so you want to keep and [the garments] because it's part of a certain time.
S: This first collection at H. Lorenzo is the foundation of our home that we're trying to build. It's in every inch of every piece. It's the beginning of the story, which is very precious. It's something that we would connect with, even in 15 years or 20 years.
"The women's blazer was the first thing that I sketched. And that's the silhouette of Matières Fécales. It was perfecting the proportions. We wanted an enhanced, distorted shoulder, but it still had to be wearable. We spent almost a year and a half developing that one. "
Matières Fécales - Madame H Blazer
K: WHY IS IT NAMED THE “MADAME H. BLAZER”?
H: I’m Madame H.! I like it when things are named. We've named every single item from the collection. I want a personal thing. It's like the Hannah Blazer.
S: We wanted [Madame H.] because it was also a reference to the Parisian bourgeoisie stereotypes that were around. But the flip is that it's Hannah, who is representing the opposite and bringing a new way of how you see these archetypes. [The blazer is] a symbol of the beauty and elegance that comes from garment making and dressmaking, but it has the freedom of expression that we were always trying to channel.
K: DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST FECAL MATTER LOOK?
H: The first thing that we made together was at school, and it was all deconstructed. I don't want to say what it is because we might remake it one time.
S: We would take a bunch of towels and shred them, pull all of the yarns out.
H: Almost like fur.
S: You went out and DJ'ed in it. At that time, we had no money. We were in New York, living in a drag queen's closet on top of an afterhours club called Spectrum. We were making stuff that we found on the streets. We made dresses out of…
H: handbags. Out of wigs.
S: We made umbrella dresses that were beautiful. We broke the wires, put it around the neck and [created] a drapey halter dress. All mini, clubby looks. But then we added our makeup and shoes and…
H & S: made it work.
"We made umbrella dresses that were beautiful. We broke the wires, put it around the neck and [created] a drapey halter dress. All mini, clubby looks."
K: WHAT GROSSES YOU OUT?
H: I don't really like feet. I have a sensitive nose. I'm that person that can taste what I smell. Scent is sometimes gross.
S: When people mistreat service people, that grosses me out. It's a major turnoff. But in terms of insects or bees or anything, I love it all.
H: You're very chill.
K: BEST PART OF BEING A HUMAN BEING?
H: Love.
S: Yeah, love. We're all wired to find connection. No matter how individual, how alone you might want to feel or be, you'll always crave to be with someone else.
K: DREAM DATE?
S: Tokyo, always.
H: I want a private jet to Tokyo, stay at the Aman and have a full day of relaxation. The massages are amazing.
S: Then, see the maikos and a performance. Just us two in the nature of Tokyo…
H: and the parks.
S: And Kyoto.
K: MOST PUNK THING ABOUT YOU?
S: We don't drink or do drugs.
H: Or smoke cigarettes.
S: We're completely sober, and we go harder in the club than anyone else. I think people expect the opposite.
K: MOST CHALLENGING PIECE TO MAKE IN THIS COLLECTION?
S: The women's blazer was the first thing that I sketched. And that's the silhouette of Matières Fécales. It was perfecting the proportions. We wanted an enhanced, distorted shoulder, but it still had to be wearable. We spent almost a year and a half developing that one. Everything kind of fell in line with that shape.
H: The label itself was specific and how it's stitched. The logo is how [Steven] wrote Matières Fécales. And the collection and title, so you want to keep and [the garments] because it's part of a certain time.
S: This first collection at H. Lorenzo is the foundation of our home that we're trying to build. It's in every inch of every piece. It's the beginning of the story, which is very precious. It's something that we would connect with, even in 15 years or 20 years.
"The women's blazer was the first thing that I sketched. And that's the silhouette of Matières Fécales. It was perfecting the proportions. We wanted an enhanced, distorted shoulder, but it still had to be wearable. We spent almost a year and a half developing that one. "
Matières Fécales Paris - Process BTS The Madame H Blazer
K: WHY IS IT NAMED THE “MADAME H. BLAZER”?
H: I’m Madame H.! I like it when things are named. We've named every single item from the collection. I want a personal thing. It's like the Hannah Blazer.
S: We wanted [Madame H.] because it was also a reference to the Parisian bourgeoisie stereotypes that were around. But the flip is that it's Hannah, who is representing the opposite and bringing a new way of how you see these archetypes. [The blazer is] a symbol of the beauty and elegance that comes from garment making and dressmaking, but it has the freedom of expression that we were always trying to channel.
K: DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST FECAL MATTER LOOK?
H: The first thing that we made together was at school, and it was all deconstructed. I don't want to say what it is because we might remake it one time.
S: We would take a bunch of towels and shred them, pull all of the yarns out.
H: Almost like fur.
S: You went out and DJ'ed in it. At that time, we had no money. We were in New York, living in a drag queen's closet on top of an afterhours club called Spectrum. We were making stuff that we found on the streets. We made dresses out of…
H: handbags. Out of wigs.
S: We made umbrella dresses that were beautiful. We broke the wires, put it around the neck and [created] a drapey halter dress. All mini, clubby looks. But then we added our makeup and shoes and…
H & S: made it work.
"We made umbrella dresses that were beautiful. We broke the wires, put it around the neck and [created] a drapey halter dress. All mini, clubby looks."
Matières Fécales Paris - Process bts
"We're completely sober, and we go harder in the club than anyone else. I think people expect the opposite."
K: DOES FECAL GLAM STAY ON IN THE BEDROOM?
H: No, I take it off every night. I have a huge skin routine and the whole thing.
S: Yeah, it would get too messy.
K: SEXIEST INANIMATE OBJECT?
H: I love shoes.
S: It's the scissors that I use to cut.
H: Yeah, you’re obsessed with scissors. Steven is very specific. If that type is not in the atelier, it's not a good energy.
S: But, there’s so much poetry in that. You could do so much with it.
H: You can make something with them, but you can also destroy something with them…
S: which is power. And power is probably the most sexy feeling ever.
H: The cut-up dress, the t-shirt dress. On the label, there's a note saying why and how it's hand cut by Steven. Each dress is individually done.
S: Basically, it started with my mom. She thought [sewing] was an emasculating thing for her son in Guyanese culture, Sri Lankan culture. She prohibited me from learning. One day, I took a pair of scissors and cut all of the clothes in her closet. I didn't know how to stitch it together, so I just changed the silhouettes. She was super angry, but she couldn't deny what was able to do with the scissors. That's where the cutting technique came from. It came from a rage against a conforming environment. And today, we're able to use that and transform it into something beautiful.
K: WHAT KEEPS YOU RETURNING TO BLACK AND WHITE?
H: It's classic. It's almost neutral.
S: You can create a silhouette that is empty. You can create just a silhouette. And if you notice, that's what we're doing, we create these blank canvases, but then we add texture to it. And black, there's so many meanings and feelings. It's comforting, it's dangerous.
Matières Fécales Paris - bts
K: THOUGHTS ON 2010’S EXTREME BODY MODIFICATION CULTURE?
S: Revolutionary. We were part of it, and we definitely found ourselves in that movement. That movement resonates with us forever, because the root of it is feeling othered and feeling alien in a way where it's not trying to necessarily look like an alien– it's not feeling very comfortable in your own body. There's this desire to transform it and evolve what it means to be human. I think it's super fascinating.
And obviously it started before the 2010s, there's so many other pioneers that have played around with it: Leigh Bowery in terms of how [they] distorted their body and played with the piercings. And through us in the digital age, being able to digitally enhance ourselves was a portal into a limitless way of transforming…
H: and modifying…
S: and inventing a new shape, which has definitely been a big part of what we do. And the collection.
K: FIT PIC?
H: Without your shirt on?
S: No. It’s a photo of your outfit of the day.
H: I'm bad at all that. You would probably have to take a picture of me.
S: Yeah, Hannah never takes the photos herself. When Hannah puts on an outfit, it's not her instinct to be like, ‘I need to share it.’ For me, it's maybe that. But, I don't have the instinct to do it for my looks, but I love doing it for her looks.
To be honest, the concept of the fit pic is what led us into developing our photography language. Look at all of our Instagram posts…
H: the campaign coming out…
S: from 2015 to now, it's mostly fit pics, but with a whole story behind it. I think it's important.
K: BALANCE?
S: Impossible. It's like perfection– you can't actually achieve it, it's something we strive for. But, we love extremes.
H: That excites us more.
K: WHAT GROSSES YOU OUT?
H: I don't really like feet. I have a sensitive nose. I'm that person that can taste what I smell. Scent is sometimes gross.
S: When people mistreat service people, that grosses me out. It's a major turnoff. But in terms of insects or bees or anything, I love it all.
H: You're very chill.
K: BEST PART OF BEING A HUMAN BEING?
H: Love.
S: Yeah, love. We're all wired to find connection. No matter how individual, how alone you might want to feel or be, you'll always crave to be with someone else.
K: DREAM DATE?
S: Tokyo, always.
H: I want a private jet to Tokyo, stay at the Aman and have a full day of relaxation. The massages are amazing.
S: Then, see the maikos and a performance. Just us two in the nature of Tokyo…
H: and the parks.
S: And Kyoto.
K: MOST PUNK THING ABOUT YOU?
S: We don't drink or do drugs.
H: Or smoke cigarettes.
S: We're completely sober, and we go harder in the club than anyone else. I think people expect the opposite.
"We're completely sober, and we go harder in the club than anyone else. I think people expect the opposite."
K: DOES FECAL GLAM STAY ON IN THE BEDROOM?
H: No, I take it off every night. I have a huge skin routine and the whole thing.
S: Yeah, it would get too messy.
K: SEXIEST INANIMATE OBJECT?
H: I love shoes.
S: It's the scissors that I use to cut.
H: Yeah, you’re obsessed with scissors. Steven is very specific. If that type is not in the atelier, it's not a good energy.
S: But, there’s so much poetry in that. You could do so much with it.
H: You can make something with them, but you can also destroy something with them…
S: which is power. And power is probably the most sexy feeling ever.
H: The cut-up dress, the t-shirt dress. On the label, there's a note saying why and how it's hand cut by Steven. Each dress is individually done.
S: Basically, it started with my mom. She thought [sewing] was an emasculating thing for her son in Guyanese culture, Sri Lankan culture. She prohibited me from learning. One day, I took a pair of scissors and cut all of the clothes in her closet. I didn't know how to stitch it together, so I just changed the silhouettes. She was super angry, but she couldn't deny what was able to do with the scissors. That's where the cutting technique came from. It came from a rage against a conforming environment. And today, we're able to use that and transform it into something beautiful.
K: WHAT KEEPS YOU RETURNING TO BLACK AND WHITE?
H: It's classic. It's almost neutral.
S: You can create a silhouette that is empty. You can create just a silhouette. And if you notice, that's what we're doing, we create these blank canvases, but then we add texture to it. And black, there's so many meanings and feelings. It's comforting, it's dangerous.
K: THOUGHTS ON 2010’S EXTREME BODY MODIFICATION CULTURE?
S: Revolutionary. We were part of it, and we definitely found ourselves in that movement. That movement resonates with us forever, because the root of it is feeling othered and feeling alien in a way where it's not trying to necessarily look like an alien– it's not feeling very comfortable in your own body. There's this desire to transform it and evolve what it means to be human. I think it's super fascinating.
And obviously it started before the 2010s, there's so many other pioneers that have played around with it: Leigh Bowery in terms of how [they] distorted their body and played with the piercings. And through us in the digital age, being able to digitally enhance ourselves was a portal into a limitless way of transforming…
H: and modifying…
S: and inventing a new shape, which has definitely been a big part of what we do. And the collection.
K: FIT PIC?
H: Without your shirt on?
S: No. It’s a photo of your outfit of the day.
H: I'm bad at all that. You would probably have to take a picture of me.
S: Yeah, Hannah never takes the photos herself. When Hannah puts on an outfit, it's not her instinct to be like, ‘I need to share it.’ For me, it's maybe that. But, I don't have the instinct to do it for my looks, but I love doing it for her looks.
To be honest, the concept of the fit pic is what led us into developing our photography language. Look at all of our Instagram posts…
H: the campaign coming out…
S: from 2015 to now, it's mostly fit pics, but with a whole story behind it. I think it's important.
K: BALANCE?
S: Impossible. It's like perfection– you can't actually achieve it, it's something we strive for. But, we love extremes.
H: That excites us more.
Interview: Hot Goth Writer
Producer/Special Projects: Aria Daniella
Content Director: Katy Shayne
Video Editor: Taylor Sprinkle
Social Graphic Design: Kevin Chen
Interview: Hot Goth Writer
Producer/Special Projects: Aria Daniella
Content Director: Katy Shayne
Video Editor: Taylor Sprinkle
Social Graphic Design: Kevin Chen