As a longtime member of the iHeartRaves team, Pixxie Stixx has had a voice in the iHR collections for many years now. With a unique style and tons of raves under her belt, it only felt right for us to collaborate on an official Pixxie Stixx launch to finish off the year. Shop her new collection here and learn more about what inspired it below!
iHR: Tell us about the Pixxie Stixx collection - What inspired it? What concepts did you bring to life?
Pixxie Stixx: I was inspired by my two favorite genres of EDM: Techno + Psytrance! I wanted to create looks that embody the attitude of those two genres. For the techno look, I wanted it to be total techno baddie energy so that's why we have a mini dress with built-in garters. The accessories all say "Techno" because techno heads LOVE to rep the genre.
For the psytrance looks, I wanted to create something with a super heady print that reminded me of the colorful dancefloor shade structures that they always have at psytrance festivals. It was also important that these pieces were fun to dance in so that's why I created the mini skirt with tendrils and the super oversized harem pants as well as the reversible hooded cloak. I also included a stash pocket for the pants and cloak so you can keep your little trinkets close.
iHR: What are some of the challenges you faced in creating this collection?
Pixxie Stixx: My biggest challenge was trying to filter all my ideas down to the capsule-size collection you see today. I originally had 4 completely different themes and had to cut that down to 2. It was also a challenge getting the psytrance print exactly correct. We went through about 5 iterations before I was happy with the colors, placement, and size of the print.
iHR: Which piece is your favorite, if you have a favorite?
Pixxie Stixx: I honestly do not know if I can pick a favorite because I am so obsessed with every single piece. But I am especially excited to drop the psytrance cloak because we have never released anything like it on iHeartRaves before. I am also super elated to drop the Techno x Techknow leg garters because they are a little tongue-in-cheek and can be worn with any techno-style outfit so they can be re-worn a lot.
iHR: How did you get the rave name Pixxie Stixx?
Pixxie Stixx: It's so funny because it was not at a rave! I was on a date with a guy in college and I was explaining how I was super into raves and he asked me if I had a rave name yet. I did not have one yet as I had only been to about 2 raves at that point so he just named me on the spot! He just looked at me and was like... Pixxie Stixx! I was actually shoked at how perfect it was and it just stuck. I used to love pixie stix candy as a kid and I was always pretty fairy-like so I feel like it works. So yeah I have been going by that at raves for over 10 years!
iHR: You've been working with iHeartRaves for years. What are some of your favorite memories working for iHR?
Pixxie Stixx: Ooo there are so many! One highlight is going to Tomorrowland my first year working for the brand. It is just such an incredible festival and being in Europe was so magical. I also got to see a bunch of techno artists that were high up on my list like Pan-Pot, Marcel Dettmann, Adam Beyer, Kollektiv Turmstrasse ~ this was in 2018 before Techno really took off at festivals in the US so it was super special.
Another highlight was the Beyond Wonderland creator house we hosted last year. It was so magical to enjoy the fest with such an amazing group of ravers and be able to reward some of our top creators with a VIP festival experience.
iHR: Your style is very eclectic and unique, how do you apply that when creating a look with iHR pieces?
Pixxie Stixx: It really depends on the festival and the current styles that we are trying to promote but I always pick an overall theme and then try to dig into that theme as much as posible with accessoires. For one of my looks at EDC a few years ago, the theme was first off Pride, and then I chose to go with a classic ROYGBIV rainbow so I wanted to pile that on as much as I could. I love mixing prints so when I had the set already chosen I also added rainbow-striped socks to add some more chaos to the fit. I also wanted to reference the old school daisy reference from EDC so I put daisies in my hair. I truly believe more is more when it comes to styling so I make sure that every part of my body has some interesting element from headwear down to socks and shoes.
iHR: Which festival is your favorite to go to?
Pixxie Stixx: Currently, my favorite festival is Okeechobee! I really hope it comes back for 2025. I love that there are other genres besides EDM but electronic music is still the main focus so I can go see Haim or Mumford & Sons or Megan the Stallion as a headliner but know that I am still going to get the sickest techno for the afterparty in the Jungle 51 stage. I have discovered so many incredible artists at that stage! My top being Hiroko Yamamura who also led me to an after-party in Miami where I discovered Indira Paganotto!
But besides the music, the size and vibe of the festival is just so perfect. I feel like Florida ravers are just some of the most chill, open, and fun people I have ever encountered at a festival. It's also a nice size but still feels manageable and easy to get from stage to stage. I also love that you can bring your own food, beverages, and alcohol to the Aquachobee stage. That creates an easy going vibe and helps save on needing to spend a ton of money on those things.
iHR: If you created a piece of kandi today, what would it say?
Pixxie Stixx: I Won't TechNO for an answer ;)
