Willie Norris

Willie Norris (born 1990, in New Hampshire https://www.papermag.com/willie-norris-runway-queer-2638893447.html?rebelltitem=20#rebelltitem20) is an American fashion designer, artist, performer and model. She is the founder of WILLIE NORRIS WORKSHOP an independent publisher of the creative pursuits of Willie Norris and her collaborators. 
== Early Life ==
Willie studied at Parsons School of Design where she met and worked with Susan Cianciolo.
== Personal Life ==
Norris is openly Trans https://www.them.us/story/willie-norris-ideas-for-spring-outlier-menswear She is also outspoken about mental health https://www.allure.com/story/medication-creativity-mental-health
== Career ==
Willie presented her first solo runway collection in June 2019 at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in the East Village https://wwd.com/menswear-news/mens-fashion/willie-norris-makes-runway-debut-at-la-mama-galleria-1203200780/. The cast was all queer and included Brooklyn based performers West Dakota and Charlene Incarnate hosted the show https://www.thecut.com/2019/06/willie-norris-radically-queer-runway-show.html. Aaron Philip made her runway debut at this show https://www.teenvogue.com/story/aaron-philip-runway-debut-willienorris-workshophttps://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/44862/1/aaron-philip-model-runway-debut-willie-norris-workshop-new-york. Aaron also chose to highlight Norris in a Highsnobiety article about her favorite creators https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/aaron-philip-selects-honors-week/.The runway show was funded by a #PROMOTEHOMOSEXUALITY kickstarter campaign that Norris started https://www.out.com/fashion/2019/6/17/willie-norris-launches-his-brand-radically-inclusive-runway. She has worked with designers Maria Cornejo and Isaac Mizrahi https://bedfordandbowery.com/2019/06/debut-designer-willie-norris-believes-in-queer-capital-not-rainbow-capitalism/. In June 2020 Vice (magazine) profiled Norris who was interviewed by Charlene for a story called "Willie Norris wants you to know that with practice you can learn to say anything" https://garage.vice.com/en_us/article/7kpxka/willie-norris-wants-you-to-know-with-practice-you-can-learn-to-say-anything. VMan also interviewed Norris about her runway show https://vman.com/article/an-exclusive-look-at-promotehomosexuality/ 
Hunter Abrams wore WILLIE NORRIS WORKSHOP to the 2019 Met Gala https://www.thecut.com/2019/05/photos-met-gayla-queer-celebration-brooklyn.html 
Norris and a small team of local volunteers collected donated tees from around Brooklyn, and then printed and distributed shirts with the messages "BLACK TRANS LIVES MATTER" and "PROTECT TRANS YOUTH" at the 2020 and 2021 Brooklyn Liberation Marches https://www.thecut.com/2020/08/they-seem-cool-willie-norris.html
Norris has collaborated with many artists and in 2019 raised money for Planned Parenthood by reimagining her "WHAT EXACTLY IS HETEROSEXUALITY AND WHAT CAUSES IT?" into "WHAT EXACTLY IS PLANNED PARENTHOOD AND WHAT CAUSES IT?". 
"HELMUT LANGUAGE" by Willie Norris, a collaboration between the artist and Helmut Lang (artist). https://www.vogue.com/article/willie-norris-helmut-lang-west-dakota-juku-lia-clay-collaboration. She worked with West Dakota and another Brooklyn performer Chiquitita https://www.thecut.com/2021/03/drag-artist-chiquitita-made-her-own-valentino-couture-gown.html as well as photographer Lia Clay. Streetwear website HypeBeast profiled this collection June 2020 https://hypebeast.com/2020/6/helmut-language-by-willie-norris-pre-fall-2020-collection-release-info
WILLIE NORRIS WORKSHOP currently produces made to order tee shirts that are produced in New Jersey https://www.willienorriswork.shop/
Norris is currently the Design Director of the Brooklyn Based brand Outlier. https://runway360.cfda.com/designers/willie-norris-x-outlier
 
Category:1990 births
Category:American fashion designers
Category:American performance artists
Category:American models