Uniformity: Nina Griffee, Make-Up Artist/Body Painter

Uniformity is a regular magazine column where we ask Beijing personalities about the various outfits that have defined them over the years. This month we quizzed Make-Up Artist and Body Painter Nina Griffee.

Make a list of all the uniforms you’ve ever been asked to wear.
Well, there was the school uniform. The usual: a shirt with a tie, complete in gray, white, yellow and blue. The corollary to that was a school phys. ed. uniform, a horrible rugby get-up, in mustard and burgundy with stripes.

When I worked at a bank, the uniform was blue and purple; it was an awful fashion crime. And dressing to be a teacher was, well, similar. The uniform for Brownies is pretty universal. I got to dress up in Fernando Alonso’s racing jumpsuit once. Of course, I’ve had various fancy dress outfits on for occasions. I wore a medical gown for a tonsil operation. On both sides of the spectrum, there were paintballing slacks, and for a wedding, a traditional qipao. More on that in a moment.

Which uniform was the most flattering?
The qipao. I actually had to make myself as part of my degree in fashion design. It is a little unusual and has sleeves -- and was one of the hardest things I have ever had to create, I can vow I will never make a qipao again, and salute the fine dressmakers that make them.

Which uniform was the worst fit?
The paintball uniform. I don’t think they’re supposed to fit particularly well.

Did you ever feel transformed by wearing any of these uniforms?
The racing suit – it was fairly hilarious.

Did you ruin any of these uniforms? How?
Probably a fancy dress outfit when trying to tear it into something new.

Which uniform did you resent wearing the most? Which uniform do you feel most sentimental about? Why?
The school uniform. I still have my tie, and because I have never had to wear a tie since.
That uniform was always an interesting thing. It was fairly ugly, and I think that mainly we had to wear them because our parents thought it was cute. And it went the whole nine yards, a man’s tie and long gray socks -- awful. I even had to sew my name into the garments on specially printed fabric nametags. There was no way to like the uniform, however I do think it always makes sense when you have kids that all come from different financial backgrounds, uniforms help to eliminate any kind of class status.

Tell us a story about wearing a uniform somewhere where you felt out of place.
Definitely paintballing. I’m not good with a gun even when full of paint, and I totally kept sliding on the paint under foot.

Which uniform did you have the most fun in?
Paintball slacks. The anonymity was great.

Which uniform were you most mocked for wearing?
The Brownies’ uniform (even though the sash was my pride and joy).

Which uniform would be considered the least fashionable?
The medical gown. Ugh.

Visit www.ninagriffee.co.uk to see where Nina will be painting next. Read more Uniformity here.

More stories by this author here.

Email: stevenschwankert@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @greatwriteshark