One can just imagine the legendary Amazon warriors riding into battle wearing armour that was made to beguile their opponents as much as it was created to protect them. Fantastical interpretations from many artists have painted various representations of the archetype, but few choose to bring the armour to life with such distinct visions in mind. But this is precisely what Ian has done with his company, Girl Armour.
Creating intricate sensations of fibreglass, metal and various other materials; he develops literal pieces of armour or breastplates, which are nothing short of astounding in appearance. The breastplates themselves are as individual as the clients he creates them for. Nothing is beyond his fervent imagination; so whether you fancy yourself a Greek warrior, a wood nymph, a modern day Eve, or a Black Widow, this is the man to see. No two creations will ever be alike, and only elaborate commissions are taken. The galleries on his site are there to inspire you and although he will not copy another body form, he will take the theme into mind when creating yours. When designing such a piece, he doesn't just take a client's measurements into consideration, he wants to know about you - favourite colours, what you're into, what you're not. Even your favourite films will give Ian information to feed into his final result, something that will be uniquely you.
Ian takes all the requests for his work seriously, "The fact that they want something made by me, who does just one off's, is a big indicator of that they themselves are after. By that I mean the character and personality that I believe comes through the breast-plates, in large part due to them being original in nature, is an attractive feature to potential customers. I can relate to people who understand that it means to be unique. That's not in anyway knocking mass production at all, each has its place and price in the market accordingly.
"I tend to find that my customers are very into what they are into. The Outfits are not cheap by any means, so when someone wishes to purchase a body form, they seem to realize how I can channel their desires through it. By putting that person's beliefs, likes, quirks, photographs too into my thought process when making the piece, it's a way of tuning into their demeanor." There's a slight pause as Ian never misses a beat to bring humour into his conversations, "And they don't come de'meaner than my customers!"
The mediums Ian chooses to work with actually came about in his childhood years when he was fond of putting together models. "As a kid I was always putting together plastic model kits of planes, trains and automobiles. You name it, be it 12 inch figurines of knights in armour, or robots, I would be paining and gluing away. 
So the thrill of creating something layer by layer always stayed with me as I got older." He laughs, "Could be the glue as well! As your readers know, art is a great way of expressing yourself, plus opening up your mind to other things in life. So I was hooked on 'making stuff' at an early age. No surprises there then, but as my interest in fantasy & films grew, I wanted to know just how they made the elaborate costumes I saw on screen. So my enthusiasm carried onwards and upwards.
"My big pleasure is in the tactile aspects of creating moulds and then taking from that, a light-weight copy of fibreglass 'skin' which can be colorized to suit the desired end result. Metal is another medium which can be shaped; aluminium, for one, being very light in weight plus has qualities in common with glass fibre & polycarbonate. Used together thoughtfully, they can compliment each other and create a multitude of effects, space creature, cyborg, warrior and so on. Add to that mix a beautiful girl that's really into the symbolism of the body forms and bingo! 'It's alive, it's alive!'"
Much like the esteemed designer, Thierry Mugler, most famous for creating not just outfits but bringing out the inner vixens in his models; Ian has done the same, invoking the demons and the angels, debutantes and daredevils, that could exist in us all. Nothing is off limits when he conceives his various matricentric inventions. His only goal seems to be some kind of honor gifted upon the wearer, a celebration of the strength of women. Shown in beauty and confidence that should radiate from within, his breastplates being only a channel for the energy to flow.
"I do feel that a lot of my inspiration comes from a Medieval, mythical, and historical influence. I like the feminine, romantic, knights in armour, honor aspect to the ideal state that humans could aspire to. Though in truth, I am not daft enough to believe that period in time was anything other than a real hard and nasty place to be, but beauty did come through. It's that strength of being, that in some strange bespoke way, I want to give females and option to explore in their own fantasy.
With regards to making outfits for my own use, at this moment I am in a devil & demons kind of vibe. I would like to show my personal collection off at a London art gallery one day. It would be fun lining them up on a wall, building a reaction up in the viewer as they move along with the flow. I am a big believer in how colour is an energy and combined with textures, plus various metals and alloys, it can generate an exciting feeling of the female form. It's all a case of what path you wish to go down and positive, flattering empowerment comes in many ways."
Ever the mad scientist in his Rochester based studio, famous for it rich & 
historical elements, Ian goes through many trials and tribulations much like Charles Dickens must have when he wrote in the same city. Living in the old cobble stoned area by the castle no doubt fuels the fire for many tempestuous thoughts, and many brilliant designs. Each piece has come with its own set of obstacles which Ian usually relishes with anticipation. Approached to create a breastplate with the appearance and texture of an actual tyre tread, but still maintained a beautiful feminine flow, Ian pursued his only route - he got hold of an actual tyre.
"The steel banding is very difficult to cut through from underneath, which was my first plan of action. So I got 'round it by shaving individual strips off the tyre and gluing each suitable piece in a base, one chunk at a time like a jigsaw puzzle, then dipping the whole shape in black rubber, so there wasn't a seam to be seen, and it curved with the outfit's breasts and stomach. Again, I succeeded in doing it and it looked terrific, but there can be some trial and error involved in any new process. That is what makes it fun though, plus I would get bored doing the same thing over and over again." Characteristic of his good nature, he jokes, "Happily, the bloke whose tyre I cut up didn't notice as he drove off!" In a reassuring gesture he tells me he isn't a complete lunatic, not yet at least.
Much can be said about his empyrean designs, as well as what his designs say about himself, or the wearer.
"Well, I do see a lot of what I do as dark and slightly threatening in style, though I think that a girl wearing their inner beauty and strength externally is a wonderful sight. I really do like the 'you can look, but don't touch' message the outfits shout out. That is not to say that I only believe in the dark aspects of beauty. Some of my most powerful costumes are water, fairy and elfin designs - Mother Earth being one with incredible presence, and that's pure white.
"As for my own particular likes when making outfits, I would say that the warrior apparel is amongst my favorite type. It always gets a double take from the admiring looks department, and I can still come up with a different 'not done before' shape. So when I'm asked for an armoured 'Helga: the destroyer' piece to smite wrongdoers everywhere, I am so into doing them that I take it as a personal challenge to come up with a newer, yet still classically 'my stuff' kind of look. I have been going for ten years now and do believe that the warrior outfits define and epitomise the signature quality that is, after all... GirlArmour!"