Rave Gear & Corpse Paint

Students may recognize Bentley Pickering from around campus by his brightly accessorized clothing and dramatic gothic makeup. But they may not know that he prefers to be called Lee, or that a lot of his creativity comes from rave culture. 

Though Lee has never attended a rave (most events are restricted to those 21 years and above), he was initially drawn to rave culture through the online community.  The bold, reflective designs caught his eye, as well as the high-energy dance styles that accompany the music.

He has even created some of his own pieces of rave gear, hand-sewing strips of retroreflective material onto “phat pants” and a custom jacket that shines in any amount of light.  

One of his main inspirations in rave culture is an artist known as ROMANCEPLANET, who makes jumpstyle music, a fast-paced genre often played at raves. Lee regularly listens to jumpstyle tracks and can often be spotted at school dances busting out hardstyle moves, even when the DJ isn’t playing rave music.

His interests go beyond just rave culture. Lee is also drawn to alternative aesthetics, namely the striking black and white gothic makeup looks known as “corpse paint”. He first encountered the style online, and occasionally appear at school with his entire face painted  in skeletal patterns reminiscent of KISS. While corpse paint is traditionally used to create an eerie stage presence, Lee embraces it as a form of self‑expression.

“Even if people don’t remember my name, I hope they remember me somehow, that’s my goal,” Lee remarks as our conversation comes to an end.

He hopes his style shows others that alternative fashion isn’t something to fear, and he encourages anyone who’s curious to try hardstyle dancing because, as he puts it, “it is extremely fun.”