Artist Interview: Brendan Fernandes Discusses Pride, Dance, and Safari Dandy

This Pride Month, The Tie Bar is proudly collaborating with Brendan Fernandes, an internationally acclaimed artist whose work transcends dance, visual art, and activism. Born in Nairobi, Kenya and now based in Chicago, Brendan’s practice is rooted in the politics of movement — exploring identity, race, queerness, and collective action through performance. 

For this special collection, Brendan draws inspiration from his childhood memories of birds in Nairobi — symbols of beauty, freedom, and resilience. Featuring bold, joyful designs, the collection comes to life through a celebratory photoshoot with Brendan and three dancers, capturing not just the accessories, but the spirit of movement, joy, and solidarity that defines Pride.

Brendan sat down with us to discuss the art scene in Chicago and how the intersection of fashion and dance is so vital to his performance.

SAFARI DANDY COLLECTION

The Tie Bar: Could you start by introducing yourself, who you are, and what you do?

Brendan Fernandes: I'm a visual artist that works between the intersections of dance and architecture. My work deals with the labor of dancers, queer community. I think about spaces of dance being a political space where we think about community and social solidarity through gatherings. 

TTB: Obviously your work covers the intersection of visual art and dance, so how do movement and performance inform the way you approach design and fashion?

BF: As a maker, I always feel my work is collaborative. As a person that makes dance, clothing is always a very important part. It creates character, it creates a way of understanding the ways our bodies will move. It is an accessory, but it's also something that is a collaboration with the body. Clothing challenges the characters that we take on. 

And so for me, when I wear clothing, it gives me a sense of understanding my sense of identity as well. When I'm making my dances, I love the design element of clothing to affect the way that my dancers move.

TTB: Have you ever participated in fashion design before? Have your designs been on clothing before? 

BF: I have never designed something specifically with my own work on clothing itself, so this is a really exciting opportunity, because I work with designers to make things for me or my dancers, but to actually have my drawings, my ideas on a textile, on a fabric, is really exciting. So it's the first time and one that I'm really excited about and hope to do more. 

TTB: The capsule features some pretty intricate designs with a focus on different birds. Each of the birds are inspired by birds from Nairobi, right? 

BF: So, the collaboration is based on different birds that migrate. My family is fifth generation Kenyan. We grew up in Nairobi, but we migrated to Canada, and now I live in the United States here in Chicago. And so the idea of freedom through movement is something that I do in my work all the time. But birds fly and have this certain sense of freedom.

There's a number of birds in this collection, in this capsule, that are based on Kenyan birds. The word “ndege” is the word for bird in Swahili, but it's also the word for a plane. And so I got this idea of flight. So there's a number of birds in there — I've named them all with a Swahili name and then a sound that they might make. So “kasuku” translates to parrot, so there's a parrot in the collection. “Kuku” is a chicken, so there's a chicken in the collection. 

I've kind of given them these playful names with the sound that they would make — being a bit more playful, joyful within the titling of the collection. 

TTB: Chicago is a big art city with a vibrant art scene. Since moving here, how has living in Chicago influenced your creative work? 

BF: Chicago is a city that I find as a kind, generous, giving city. Our arts community, our dance community is very much one of exchange and community.

You know, when I moved here from New York City, I was immediately welcomed and given an opportunity. And as I continue to live here almost ten years now, I just find that I've been given more exchange within the community, more leadership roles, and so I'm excited to take those on and build and to support the next generation of artists as well.

TTB: What do you hope people feel or take away when they see or wear this collection?

BF: When people see the collection, I'm excited for them to understand a sense of community and joy, playfulness that again, clothing can be fun. This is part of the Pride Month launch, and as a queer, POC-identifying person, artist, I want people to understand that they can have fun with their clothing in a time when we're looking for social solidarity within our communities.

The idea that the capsule gives a sense of a sense of feeling, a sense of understanding your body, and it has this dandy effect — this kind of idea that when I dress up, I take on a character. 

The collection's called Safari Dandy, the full collection, and so playing that idea that, you know, you can be, a character, a role when you wear these items. 

PRIDE COLLECTION