TEA FOR 1

TEA FOR 1
7th February 2025

Tea for 1, featuring Eva Oh’s ‘s port barrel aged oolong tea (which slaps, btw).

99% of the time when I leave the house, I wear Lol!ta fashion (seen here on the right). It’s always been like armour to me, and I don’t know where I’d be without it. Life can be pretty dark at times, but this fashion is a beautiful thing that I can focus on.

I feel a similar way with kink. Rubber, leather (or whatever your preference is), can make one’s skin thicker and provide some kind of purpose and/or security. Like Lol!ta, it’s also occasionally misunderstood. Personally, I feel like a badass in both skins. They fulfil different needs for me, but they’re both valid (and a pain on my wallet – whoops).

Self portraits by yours truly.

Rubber: Top Libidex | Gloves Breathless Latex
Shine: Vivishine
Lace: BTSSB | Rabbit ring Kate Spade |SEX earrings (just seen) Vivienne Westwood

Diary entry – Sunday 18th October 2026

Looking back at these photos, I’m still so proud of this set. It sets the tone for who I am as a person, and what a stranger can expect. I love niche things, etiquette, kawaii culture and kink. I’m also always inspired by others in my community. That little pot of tea by Eva Oh means so much to my tea-enthusiast heart. Yes, champagne is always appreciated, but I’m a sucker for a boujee pot of tea. It’s just so wholesome. Tea is a celebration, but it can also hold a person together in a crisis.

Photo: clothing for shoot and camera set up.

In terms of styling, I’m wearing an iconic piece of frilly history, which is known to a lot of people as one of the dresses from the film, Kamikaze Girls (2004). I never though I’d own such a special piece due to its rarity and difficulty in obtaining (this colourway is the trickiest to get). I’m also wearing a rabbit ring, which was a gift from a friend. I’ve worn her so much that she’s lost the two rubies from her ears. As for the latex, I’m only wearing the top half! You can actually see a bit of my hips peeking out.

The set design includes a Royal Albert set that I purchased from a charity shop just before Brexit (except the teapot, which was a gift from my in-laws). The vintage 22k gold plated cutlery set was purchased off Ebay around the same time. I love any excuse to get it out. The afternoon tea itself consists of meat for DXXXRK, and vegetarian options for Good Grief. I still remember scurrying around for desserts with red in them. I actually changed the macarons from pink to red in post. Both the macarons and tarts on the plates were from Ladurée – everything else was M&S. By the time I finished shooting, that bread was so stale from having the camera lights blared at them for hours, but I did actually enjoy tea the second I poured it, and I called my partner in to join me, I think around 10pm.

Photo: Test shots using Imaging Edge as a camera trigger, and editing on Photoshop

Backdrops are always a pain to me, but this was practical. David Lynch passed away the month before, and because of that, curtains that fall heavy were on my mind. This was shot right at my dining table in my living room. I actually served an ex-lover afternoon tea right there for my birthday last year in November, so I’m a little sour when I see that spot now, but I like that I intentionally didn’t pull the table out so his long legs could get comfortable. I preferred seeing him sit awkwardly. Maybe I’m not sour about it – ha!

– Good Grief / DXXXRK