When people ask what you do, what do you say?

I say fashion, for sure. Although performance is an aspect of my work, in my head it’s always connected to fashion. Through fashion, I can ask so many questions. I mean, right now my official title is “content creator”, but that’s kind of cringe. Very 2022. But that's what I've been doing for years. That's what I do best. Everything I’ve achieved has been through social media. 

What would you say to people that love fashion but are intimidated by the culture around it?

First of all, don't take fashion too seriously! And don't take fashion people too seriously. That's very important. 10 years ago, the mood in the fashion industry was extremely mean. Like The Devil Wears Prada. But thankfully, over the last few years the fashion industry has changed a lot. Now, Anna Wintour smiles. That in itself is a sign the industry has changed. 

Of course, I met fashion people who were snooty and rude and uptight when I was younger. I still meet them sometimes, but now they’re like oh Javier. They think I’m cool, after they were so rude to me. So just be yourself. And be humble. The majority of people I know in the industry are amazing, creative, humble people who care about more than nice clothes. 

Why did you choose to live in Berlin? Do you feel more free to be yourself than in Madrid?

I was 24 when I left Madrid. The fashion and art scene there is pretty small and I felt like I had hit a ceiling. Berlin seemed like the cheapest and most creative alternative. 

The conversation around freedom and queerness in Berlin is complicated. I’ve been subjected to some very violent experiences here, but then I’ve had them in Madrid, too. The fact that there are so many queer people here does make it feel more free, in a way. As does being surrounded by people from so many different cultures and ways of thinking. 

As a creative person, Berlin just feels like the place to be right now. I plan to stay here a while. Even though it's very cold.

What's your version of self care?

Now, that’s complicated. But I would have to say exercise. I started working out during the pandemic for my mental health and it changed my life. Exercise has become a form of meditation for me (I can’t meditate). My mind just goes blank. 

Then, my friends. My community is extremely important to me. Not party friends. The friends who are there for me every goddamn day; who take care of me, as I do for them. For queer people, friends can be even more important than family. I don't know if I’ll be able to have a family in the traditional sense, so my friends are the people I see myself growing up with. I hold them in my head all the time. 

 For this collaboration with Miista, you recreated some iconic Olympic sporting events using our boots. What inspired it?

About a year ago, I made a video where I was throwing a handbag as if it was a basketball. In an ironic way. And the title was: I'm not good at this sport. You guys asked if I could incorporate the new collection into that concept, which made a lot of sense to me. Miista’s content and aesthetic is very very aligned with my sensibilities—making fun of fashion, not taking it too seriously. It felt perfect.

 Were you good at sports at school?

No! I hated sports. During my teenage years, my parents made me try literally every sport. Swimming, judo, I did it all. But I was terrible at all of them. Then, 26 years later, COVID came along and I became a sports fan! My poor parents.

The funny thing is that now, I’m fit. I'm hot! That’s something I'm still getting used to, having a more stereotypically male body. For a long time, I was an outsider among the gay community because I was too femme and too skinny. But now, I’m considered “fuckable”, so that’s been an interesting development. I’ve been experimenting with wearing red lipstick with a six pack. 

What’s your relationship with masculinity? If that's a category that even feels relevant to you?

I don’t really think it is relevant anymore. To explain why, let me take you back to my original identity crisis. I was 19, studying fashion design in Madrid and pretty broke. I've always been skinny, so I found it easier to shop in the women’s section of Humana because the clothes fitted my body better and were more fun to wear. 

I started making videos and posting them on social media. I wasn’t trying to make a statement but I got a lot of hate. Like a lot. First on the internet, then also on the streets. I realised simply occupying public spaces as myself was political. Thankfully, my friends and family have only ever pushed me to be more myself, to have more fun. 

When people ask what is Javier? What are his pronouns? My friends laugh. They don’t have an answer. I’m just…Javier. I feel lucky to have reached a point in my life where I no longer feel the need to explain myself to anyone. You just have to meet me, you just have to get into my world.

Would you say your relationship with social media is generally healthy or a bit toxic?

I mean, of course it's extremely toxic. But in the end, social media is just a tool. It depends on how you use it. I have my ups and downs but most of the people and things in my life right now have actually come through social media: my job at Voo Store, my flat. A large portion of my friends, too. I’m not into texting and all that, so I just use it to reach out to people, then build relationships in person. 

It helps that my social media persona isn’t very personal. There’s a huge difference between Javier de la Blanca on social media and me in person. I'm not really a superficial fashion creature. I'm actually the opposite (thing). 

Most importantly, I’m never serious. That way, no one can be mean to me. Because I'm always the first person to laugh at myself. 

What are you excited about for the future? 

I have no fucking clue. I never plan ahead. Right now, I'm having a moment where people are liking what I do and I’m enjoying it, but I also know that in two weeks, the moment may be over. 

The most inspiring people I've met have done a whole range of jobs. I don't believe people should do or be one thing their whole lives. Maybe in three years, I'll be done with fashion, move to the countryside, become a plumber. Who knows? 

So, I’m enjoying this moment while it lasts. It's something I’ve worked hard for and I know I’m worthy of the attention. But when it passes, then it will be the next person’s moment. There will always be younger, more talented people coming up. Our job is to embrace them. 

Credits:

Photographer: Maria Larrea @larrea.larrea