Interview
Danny Hughes
Naarm’s milkyplugkid, also known as Danny Hughes, is an obscure costume designer focused on the power of anonymity and egoless expression to create authentic freedom for the wearer. Their intent for Milky was as an outlet for queer alternative performance art, which quickly evolved into a notable presence in the costume design world. Milky's designs have captured significant attention, leading to several interstate commissions. They started studying Technical Services in Costume for Theatre and Millinery. Milky has a trajectory but not necessarily a direction lets see what happens. Milky is also the creative director of queer safe space barbershop in VIC, Louis the Hare.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I have spend my whole post-education life hairdressing and barbering here in Australia, and overseas, but to be honest, hairdressing was driving me a little crazy. Living a life of transactional interactions became too overwhelming and I started noticing that my free time was pretty much a loop of bars, drinks, and the same old conversations. It was like I was stuck on repeat and couldn’t hit pause. Then, I realized the only times I’d break the cycle were when I was feeling anxious. So, naturally, I decided to lean into that anxiety - because who doesn’t love anxiety. Like really force it on myself just to get some time alone and figure out what was going on in my head and who I was beneath the mask. Out of nowhere or so I thought, I ironically started making masks. It wasn’t exactly a plan; it just kind of tumbled out of me. The first couple were easy, almost too easy, and then, like anything shiny and new, I started losing interest. So, I made this deal with myself: I’d keep churning out costumes and creations, even if they were half-done, just to stick them on the wall and remind myself to finish them. The goal was to surround myself with as much inspiration as possible, and somewhere along the line, I just kept going. The masks kept coming, the anxiety gave me space, and now here I am - still creating, still pushing, still figuring it all out.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“The journey of discovering who I am is ongoing - I haven’t found the full answer yet, and it may take a long time before I do. My work is a reflection of this journey, particularly the process of unmasking my late-diagnosed learning difficulties, which marked a significant turning point in my life. The patterns I adopted to fit in, both subconsciously and due to societal pressures, left me feeling disconnected from my true self. Locking myself away to create wasn’t just about art; it was a therapeutic process, a way for my inner child to help guide me toward authenticity. My work isn’t necessarily aiming to say anything for anyone else; it’s speaking to me. But if speaking to me is aiming to say something, what I’m trying to tell myself is that standing out isn’t the hard part - fitting in is much harder. Through my work, I challenge the societal norms that push us to conform and question what lies beneath the masks we wear to navigate the world. This is more than just a commentary on late-diagnosed learning difficulties; it’s about the broader struggle for authenticity in a world that often values conformity. For me, it’s not about being special or different; it’s about embracing who we are, beyond the expectations imposed on us.”
“The journey of discovering who I am is ongoing - I haven’t found the full answer yet, and it may take a long time before I do.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“My creative process is still developing itself, or probably more factually I’m still in the process of seeing it through fleeting moments of self doubt - which come from the fact that I have aphantasia, which is the inability to visualize inside my head. For a long time I did not know I had this different experience inside my head but for a long time this made me feel like I wasn’t creative - I saw everything as a procedure, a structure to be learned. I had to master patterns, whether it was learning how to cut hair, how to style different types, or how to perfect one technique at a time. But my current work is completely different. It’s a forever-growing, interpreted expression that I can’t approach with a methodical mindset because it comes from my heart, not my head. I find that the work I enjoy most comes from spontaneity, those days when I start crafting without even planning to are some of the most exciting days I’ve had making. It’s like the work evolves on its own and guides me through the process.”
Are there any art world trends you are following?
“I don’t believe so - at least not intentionally. I think I’ve just intuitively developed great pattern recognition, and I always seem to have ideas that come into fashion not long after I have them. So, while I might be following trends, I’m not consciously aware of it. The trends I tend to use most are layering, obscurity, stupidity, shock factor, clashing patterns and textiles, and creating things that are super cute but too ugly to buy. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe I am following a trend. I believe the next big trend will be fashionably impractical - you heard it hear first Milky calls irreverence(y).”
What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?
“My creative process is a blend of spontaneity and resourcefulness. I love finding materials in unexpected places—whether it’s something left on the street, items from social networking community pages where people discard unwanted stuff, or donations I receive at my barbershop. I often take what I don’t use to the charity shop next door, keeping the cycle of reuse going. I typically start with a character concept, each look is another version of Milky I get to meet and knowing their intent helps my understanding of the direction. I often blending aspects of several different characters or combining a character’s look with another’s personality. I then envision how this character’s personality would be expressed through their most signature ensemble, which becomes the basis for my creation. The materials I use range from vintage fabrics like doilies, ruffles, and curtain tassels to everyday objects that might otherwise be discarded. I’m all about layering - both in terms of materials and the ideas behind the work. Clashing textures, patterns, and styles is a big part of what I do, creating something that’s deliberately off-kilter but still cohesive in its own unique way. The techniques I use are as varied as the materials. I like sewing as a preference but little patience, trusting the old hot glue when I need visual results fast, or use more unconventional methods depending on the effect I want to achieve. My work is ever-evolving, guided by the materials at hand and the characters I’m bringing to life. It’s about letting the process unfold naturally, where the unexpected often leads to the most interesting results.”
What does your art mean to you?
“My art is like a double edge sword no matter what its dangerous, it’s given me the opportunity to bring my back to a point where my inner child and I can start growing together. I thought it would be my older self guiding my younger but its a equal trade off, my younger self has taken on the role of caretaker for my older self, encouraging me to have express, explore, and have fun in a world I used to think was so serious. On the flip side, I have to trust that inner kid to guide me while I’m learning to balance the strength to heal with the promise of safety, dignity and self love. One day, I hope to drop the masks-both literally and figuratively - but still keep that same punch. For now, though, I’m still the shy attention seeker: wanting to be noticed, but not quite ready to talk about it. There’s definitely more growth ahead, and that’s all part of the process.”
What’s your favourite artwork and why?
“I’m more focused on the concepts behind my work than the finished pieces. One of my favorite concepts was for a performance competition called alt.SHOWDOWN Naarm. It might sound strange, but I created a capitalist newborn baby being breastfed. The idea was that the baby develops a milk fetish but doesn’t want to share, but feels pressured to so they start farming their mother for milk and selling it to the audience. This concept explores the sacrifices we make for connection and purpose, often without realizing the impact. It shows how a relationship can shift from being a journey to something more transactional - a lose-lose situation for all. The baby doesn’t understand that what it’s doing is wrong; it just wants to share. But there’s also a concern about the baby being judged as greedy for not sharing, whether that judgment is internal or external. This touches on the real karma behind the issue of how being judgmental in front of the most impressionable people on the planet. It’s a bizarre concept to see, but it’s a daily lifestyle I see all around me.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I have been approached to showcase 10 looks for an upcoming queer fashion show on October 24th. The event is called "Queer by Design" hosted by Revival Runway Project. Showcasing Naarm / Melbourne AUS talented queer designers. It will be the first all queer cast featuring all queer designers, models and organisers.”
Instagram: @milkyplugkid
