(Part of our ongoing series profiling 100 Houston-area artists. No rankings; no order. Check back every Tuesday and Thursday for another edition.)
What does she do: Tracy Robertson, better known by the goth moniker Batty, is Houston's long-running queen of goth and Victorian fashion through her company Azreal's Accomplice . She has run a successful design house in Houston since 1998, is successful enough to have no day job, and has had fashion shows across the nation. Her work has been featured on the cover of Gothic Beauty magazine, and her gowns have placed every year in Houston's Miss Spooky Pageant, winning twice.
Why does she like it: Though she branches out into many aspects of fashion, Batty remains most inspired by the dark elegance of gothic clothing. "It can transform the wearer into a fantasy world away from the mundane everyday," she says.
What inspires her: Batty is an acknowledge pop culture nerd, and draws a lot of her work from fantasy elements such as the films Labyrinth and Legend, as well as the Final Fantasy series of video games. Her biggest influence though? Castlevania, the long-running series of vampire hunting games from Konami. "Honestly though I really think if it wasn't for Castlevania I would have never been goth," said Batty. "It is the perfect mix of elegant mansions, flickering candles, deep reds, silvers, golds, and dark romance/mystery."
If not this, then what? If fashion weren't an option, Batty would aspire to write. She often makes up stories in her head about her designs and the people she pictures wearing them.
If not here, then where? "I would love to work more in Austin as far as Texas goes, it's such a artistically inspiring free spirited town. It has a bit of that rock n roll hippie vibe I crave sometimes. I also love the crumbling elegance of New Orleans, the weirdo friendly vibe of San Diego and Los Angels, and the dark mystery of New York City."
Her proudest moment: Despite the lush fantasy aspect of her designs, Batty's proudest accomplishment is simple. She is most proud of the fact that she gets to make a living designing the clothes she loves the most.
More Creatives
(In order of most recently published; click here for the full page.)
Tierney Malone - Creative Type Dolan Smith - Painter Jenny Schlief - Mixed-Media Artist David Eagleman - Writer Anna Sprage - Painter Philip Lehl - Actor Andy Noble - Choreographer David McGee - Painter