Youth At Heart - Lydia Kwa

Lydia Kwa is a Canadian writer and psychologist. Originally from Singapore, she moved to Canada to study psychology at the University of Toronto, where she published her first short story and poetry. Over the years, she has authored five novels and three collections of poetry, while maintaining her practice as a psychologist in Vancouver.
As a long-time customer of ours, we’re eager to explore Lydia’s perspectives on the mutual influence between clothing and the wearer — how this interplay shapes her state of mind as a writer, a psychologist, and an individual continually evolving in her personal journey.

What does clothing mean to you? Does what you wear during a day play any role in your creative process as a writer?

Clothing becomes an expression of what moods, colours and textures I want to embody in the day or on a particular occasion. That’s an interesting question—I have never thought of clothing as playing a role in my creative process, but I would imagine that feeling comfortable in clothing that resonates with my state of mind will support my creative process. I have never thought of dressing in the role of a character I wish to write, so as to better channel material, but that is an interesting notion!

To what extent do you think what you choose to wear is related to who you are as a person?

Absolutely. What I choose to wear is an expression of how I feel at a particular moment. That could change depending on the moment. I don’t subscribe to an essentialist notion of myself as a single, unitary personality; but I think of myself—and others—as multifaceted and complex. I do think, though, that some people prefer to project a consistent vibe through their choice of clothing. But I have many aspects to who I am. Being non-normative and gender queer, I can be more femme presenting at times, and more male presenting at times. I choose to see myself as crossing gender binaries and expressing that boundary crossing in my choice of clothing.

I see you put on some jewelry pieces during the shoot too, do you wear accessory/jewelry often, and what does wearing jewelry mean to you?

In my daily life, I love accessories that are natural stones or crystals, wearing them in the form of bracelets or necklaces. I also wear rings made of jade and carnelian. I connect to these pieces as an expression of my relationship with nature and the nonhuman. It’s a humble, daily ritual so as to feel more connected to the wider universe.

I own some other pieces of jewelry that are more dramatic or sculptural. Those are for when I wish to show myself as being more “alien” or outsider in relation to many humans.

Did the way you dress change throughout the years as you grow as a person, and how?

Great question. Yes, of course. As a young adult, I was still relatively unaware of who I was and I dressed to be like everyone else; sometimes I dressed to “disappear” into the rest of society. As I grew in self-knowledge over time, I increasingly embody forms of fluidity, difference or whimsy through how I dress. Sometimes those expressions are subtle—through the choice of earrings, shoes, scarves, jackets…even socks!

How do you see/interpret the theme of this project we did with you - Youth at Heart?

It’s about the spirit of a person, whether we still retain a certain openness and curiosity toward ourselves and others; toward those beyond our familiar circles. Do we remain willing to try new things, to feel a certain vitality, to also cultivate that vitality despite aging and being older? I am reminded of the line attributed to the American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson who said, “All life is an experiment.” To be youthful in one’s heart is to be willing to try new things, to be playful and spontaneous.