Tilly Lockey
Radical
Self-Expression
Interview by Emma Roberts
Photographs by Christopher Owens
Stylist - Jo Levy
MUA - Jo Leversuch
Designers - Rachel Eleanor & Melissa Castrignano
Every superhero has an origin story. A pivotal event that shapes the trajectory of their lives. Tilly Lockey is a hero to many, and she tells the beginning of her story with ease, as it’s one she’s told a thousand times before. Tilly explains, “I contracted meningitis when I was a baby, and I was basically told that I was going to die - we didn't have much hope at all. After one week in intensive care, three weeks in recovery, a second infection, and 10 blood transfusions, somehow I managed to pull through. Against all the odds, I survived, and I'm here today.”
Wasting none of the time she once thought she might not have, it is impossible to guess where you might find Tilly Lockey on any given day. A recording studio, a stage, or a photoshoot - Tilly’s mix of talents make every day different for her, and she’s equally committed to them all. Tilly says, “I don’t let my past define me too much. I’m all about the future, because I've got so many endeavours to the point where it almost stresses me out, because I’m always wondering, what do I like best? What do I fully commit to?”
“I used to wear silicone prosthetic arms that are designed to blend into your body, but I didn’t want to blend in.”
Tilly has more feathers in her cap than most 18 year olds - she’s been a radio presenter, TV star, fashion model, and public speaker, but her current priority is her music. On Spotify, her bio describes her as a bionic pop artist - a bold new genre defined by her mix of inspirations and her undeniably unique stage presence. Looking back on her music experiments so far, Tilly recalls, “My first single was pop, but I’ve experimented with folk, ballads, heavy rock and drum and bass. Right now I'm working on getting my EP together and finding a manager to start doing gigs again. Last year I held auditions for the band that I've got now, and we work super closely, doing all the writing and production. I like to put messages through the music, but not in a ‘in your face’ sort of way. My angle is to write catchy songs that people can dance to, but then when you actually hone in on the lyrics there’s a story there.”
Storytelling comes in many forms for Tilly, as she reveals she’s writing a book about her life so far. “There's loads of coming of age books, but I haven't heard of any that explore my kind of story. It will be like everybody's coming of age story, but there’s something extra special when you've got a visible difference like mine that you've got to tackle. I think it’s going to be really relatable to the people who do have a limb difference, but then again, I think everybody will find something new.”
“I’m really passionate about tech for good, so one of my big goals in life is to host an event or festival that celebrates innovations in tech for the good of people.”
For Tilly, the best way to tell her story is through public speaking. For years Tilly has stood in front of huge audiences, sharing the same story as she has told us in the Pattern studio, with her charm and confidence inspiring everyone, from young girls to tech professionals. Tilly says, “I will always love public and motivational speaking, because there's such richness in learning from other people's stories and being able to tell your own. I also get to travel for speaking engagements, so it's a bonus to experience other cultures and learn from people in all walks of life. There’s two main types of talks that I do - some for inspiring young girls, and others in the tech industry.”
“It’s funny because that’s two very different audiences, but I love speaking to young girls who I see myself in, and I’m also a major tech geek, so both are great. So I've got the older men tuning in for tech, and then the little girls tuning in for the makeup and the fashion. So it is such a collision of worlds, but I love it that way. And one day one of those young girls might grow up to work in tech, so it’s amazing to have that mix. I’m really passionate about tech for good, so one of my big goals in life is to host an event or festival that celebrates innovations in tech for the good of people.”
Those who don’t recognise Tilly from her speaking events will no doubt recognise her from her fashion work. “Fashion is a huge part of my personality and my mom is very big on fashion too but I still manage to surprise my family with my style. Sometimes I'll come down the stairs in the craziest outfit and my whole family is like, ‘what the hell?’. They don’t need to understand my style though - it’s my way to express myself.”
Since she was little, Tilly has been wearing her prosthetic arms, and her current ones are made by Open Bionics. Tilly aptly wears The Hero Arms, which come in dozens of prints that she switches and customises to suit her eclectic style. She explains how her arms lend themselves perfectly to editorial fashion shoots: “I love working with Open Bionics on my arms. I’m not part of the company, they just call on me to test something new and get my feedback. They have such a great team of engineers, but they can't test what they’re making, so that's where people like me come in. I used to wear silicon ones that are designed to blend into your body, but I didn’t want to blend in.”
“My favourite thing about The Hero Arms is how customisable they are, and how you can switch in more different colours to match your outfit. I have so many different colours now, even a Spiderman pair, but I would love to integrate high fashion into my arms, maybe getting some Louis Vuitton or Tommy Hilfiger branded ones. If I was leading a high fashion brand, I would jump on opportunities to open up the brands to more people. Anyone can express themselves through fashion. One of my favourite things is walking down the street and seeing people wearing mad fashion choices that shows who they are at heart - I love Fashion Week for that reason.”
“The best part is when you know you're actually making an impact on somebody, when they say something I shared has made their day. It doesn't feel like work at all.”
Tilly has just been at London Fashion Week, where she has previously walked for the likes of MAC Cosmetics. She remembers, “Doing the MAC show was so funny, because it was one of the first times I was going to do things by myself, and experiencing the Fashion Week chaos. I was lost trying to find the show and I eventually found a queue of six foot plus supermodels, and I have such a different look to typical models, so I was proud to be part of the change that saw a more diverse range of models walking shows.”
Tilly is an obvious role model for people with limb differences, but her expressive style and personality demonstrates to young people in every walk of life that being yourself is the greatest power move a person can make. A scroll through Tilly’s Instagram showcases her infectious energy and confidence no matter what she’s up to, and this little corner of the internet has touched the hearts of so many. “Of course, social media has its downsides, but I think one great thing about it is that you can reach a community. I've had a couple of people get in touch and they might be missing a hand, or might be having a completely different issue in life that's really completely unrelated, and you make connections with each other. That's what I think is really beautiful, is that we're all related in some sort of way. The best part is when you know you're actually making an impact on somebody, when they say something I shared has made their day. It doesn't feel like work at all.”
With all of these adventures, there is no typical day-in-the-life for Tilly. “I should write everything down and get super organised, but I'm just not doing that at the minute, so I'm running around like a headless chicken. To me that's freedom, though, isn't it? I think a lot of people who are building their careers wish to have more freedom to explore the things they want to do. I feel lucky that I'm not really tied down to anything. That's why I'm glad people follow me on social media just for me and my life - I can be myself and make a difference. I could grow my following and get better engagement if I niched down, but the fun of tuning into my social media is that you don’t know what you’ll see me doing, and I love it.”
“Sometimes I'll come down the stairs in the craziest outfit and my whole family is like, ‘what the hell?’. They don’t need to understand my style though - it’s my way to express myself.”
Amongst the glamour and glorious chaos that is Tilly’s life, she still makes time to support the community that is closest to home. The LimbBo Foundation supports limb-different children and their families by providing opportunities for them to connect with each other. Families from across the country gather at LimbBo days, and Tilly joins them to show young people how their unique differences are something to be loud and proud about. “It's beautiful because I see how much it impacts the kids. They go away feeling like they're not the only ones in the world with a visible difference, and it’s amazing to see them making friends and playing together without all the added stares.”
However, Tilly says she has not always been a regular attendee. “LimbBo days were something that I never went to as a kid, which surprises most people I meet there, because everyone tends to go to them, but I never felt the need when I was little. Looking back on it, I feel like it would have really helped and impacted me a lot, but when I was a kid, I didn’t feel like it was necessary. I had more tunnel vision for the things I was passionate about doing. When people told me I couldn't do something, that was fuel for me and used to say ‘let’s go and prove them wrong’.”
“Today, I feel like my mindset is really different to how it was when I was growing up. Now I'm a bit more emotional and vulnerable. I don't really know where that came from. I think it’s just part of growing up. I’m proud of that growth. I was always focused on proving the point, whereas now I'm more about enjoying the journey, analysing the hardships and hugging myself through it all - I think that’s what happens when you find inner peace, isn't it?”
Some people will spend their entire lives searching for inner peace, but struggle in a world where we are constantly comparing ourselves to people online. Finding this assurance so early on in her adulthood, Tilly has set herself up to enjoy a life where she can confidently show up as her authentic self in everything she does - the hard part will be deciding exactly where she shows up to.
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