Saint, Sinner, Seamstress: ‘Play Filthy’ Threads its Own Path

Written and Interviewed by Charlotte Lewis

As part of our series spotlighting Glasgow’s creative scene, editor Charlotte Lewis speaks with Cara; the vision and craft behind Play Filthy about Catholic guilt, goth aesthetics, and fashioning the future.

Image - Daniel Jarvis @danieljarvis.photography

In the heart of Glasgow’s growing creative scene, Cara, has been steadily building her fashion label Play Filthy; a brand as bold and uncompromising as the designer herself. Raw, subversive, and rooted in her personal narrative, Play Filthy has already dressed performers, had its own runway, collaborated with global stars like SZA, and carved out a place in Glasgow’s vibrant queer fashion community.

But Cara’s route into fashion wasn’t conventional. “I’ve always wanted to wear stuff that I had ideas for, but I couldn’t find the pieces,” she says. She often found herself cutting up and reworking shop-bought clothes to make them her own. When producing through London manufacturers proved too expensive, her mum taught her how to sew. That skill changed everything.

Now, Cara makes every garment herself, keeping production sustainable by working on a made-to-order basis and pouring her creativity into custom one-offs for stylists, performers, and queer nightlife events like Glasgow’s legendary Ponyboy. “There’s freedom in custom,” she explains. “You can home in on an idea without worrying if it’s wearable for everyone. It’s about trusting my vision and creating something unique.”

Though she studied business rather than fashion, Cara sees that as an advantage. Where many fashion graduates end up working for established houses, she had the foundation to launch her own label. And crucially, Play Filthy isn’t about trend-following; it’s about self-expression. “The brand is me. I’m the muse.”

One of the clearest influences on Cara’s work is her Catholic upbringing. Play Filthy’s recent “Bound to Me” runway collection opened with a bridal look: an intentional nod to Catholicism’s control over ideas of purity, sexuality, and marriage.

Raised in chapel with her mum and grandmother, she recalls internalising the church’s warnings about sin and punishment. Discovering her sexuality as a teenager brought guilt and fear: “I had nightmares about purgatory. I even had religious OCD thinking if I didn’t do certain things, I’d go to hell.”

Fashion became both a rebellion and a release. Through Play Filthy, she reclaims those narratives, turning restrictive religious imagery into provocative, liberating designs. “It felt healing,” she reflects. “Like comforting my younger self who thought she was wrong or dirty.”

This tension between Catholic aesthetics and anti-authoritarian energy underpins the brand. Or when asked to describe the brand in three words, Cara herself puts it: “Slutty, goth, and antichrist.”

She is quick to stress how much the queer community in Glasgow has shaped her as a designer. From Ponyboy nights to collaborations with queer performers, those spaces gave her the freedom to dress exactly how she wanted. “Straight cis men think the world revolves around them, that if a girl dresses provocative, it’s for them,” she says. “But in queer spaces, I felt comfortable, free to push my style further.”

Her designs mirror that ethos: unapologetic, body-baring, playful, and revolutionary. They don’t seek validation from the mainstream but instead speak directly to communities who know the power of clothing as both armour and expression.

Image - Play Filthy Website - https://playfilthy.co.uk/

Though Play Filthy has already found recognition, Cara is clear about where she wants to go. She will continue balancing the accessible, wearable pieces on her website with one-off runway looks that showcase her full creative range. She dreams of dressing Julia Fox, a kindred spirit in avant-garde self-styling, and even admits a childhood wish to design for Avril Lavigne, her teenage idol.

But for now, Glasgow is home and an amazing space to grow. “Glasgow’s up and coming,” she insists. “Everyone thinks you need to move to London or Manchester, but you don’t. With social media and the right spaces, there are opportunities here.”

Image - @spit.ting

From altar girl to underground designer, from Catholic guilt to queer liberation, Cara has spun her story into a brand that is fiercely personal yet strikingly resonant. Play Filthy isn’t just about clothes; it’s about reclaiming narratives, challenging norms, and wearing rebellion on your sleeve.

Visit Play Filthy - HERE