The girl gang style of Sukeban wrestling came to London last week, and Gracie Brackstone was there to capture the glory
“By the end, the audience was chanting ‘holy shit, holy shit, holy shit’. Pink confetti was released and chaos just unfolded,” says photographer Gracie Brackstone. “I left the event so speechless and in awe of these strong, powerful, funny and beautiful women. I think that was the most gagged I have ever been in my life.”
Last Thursday (October 10), east London was taken over by women wrestlers and their fans as Sukeban made its debut in the capital. Founded in 2022 by designer Olympia Le-Tan and her brother-in-law Alex Detrick, the Japanese women’s wrestling league combines the entertainment and sport of wrestling with explosive aesthetics, fashion and beauty. In each stop of the league so far – New York, Miami and Los Angeles – the team work with local brands and artists to bring the visuals to life, from Isamaya Ffrench and Mei Kawajiri to Stephen Jones and Saweetie. In London, the wrestlers stepped into the ring wearing bespoke costumes by Le-Tan and make-up by Pat McGrath and Andrew Dahling, while Aries created special merch.
The night concluded with a bang, but it was an atmosphere that was present right from the start, the whole evening a riot of colour, noise, neon hair extensions and latex, ecstatic crowds and powerful women beating the shit out of each other. “Stepping into York Hall felt like stepping back in time to those stripped-back boxing ring clubs that you’d see in the 80s – only this time, the walls were drenched in fluorescent pinks and purples ready for Sukeban’s gang of vandals and misfits to centre ring,” says Dazed’s Lamia Barakat, who was there reporting from the ground. “The hum of deep electronic beats welcomed the crowd, ready for an all-female fatale showdown as they emerged from the plumes of smoke.”
The Sukeban wrestlers are divided into four gangs: the Cherry Bomb Girls, the Harajuku Stars, the Vandals and the Dangerous Liaisons, all full of characters of different ages, body types and personalities, all with their own distinctive aesthetic. Commander Nakajima defended her title in a goth look, while Midnight Player was steampunk-inspired in a diamanté-embellished black boiler suit. The Cherry Bomb girls are tomboys, influenced by hip-hop legends like TLC and Salt-N-Pepa, while Babyface of the Harajuku Stars was cutesy in a pastel kawaii dress. The hair and make-up, meanwhile, took around six hours, with bold eye looks, bright liners, and colourful braids. “Going backstage and seeing the girls get their make-up done felt like a proper movie moment,” says Brackstone. “They looked insanely good in those latex outfits.”
Then the fighting started, and the gloves were off. “Each rope dive and choke slam was as explosive as the last. They ragged out each other’s wigs from one corner to the next for three hours straight,” Barakat describes. Brackstone says her jaw dropped, and stayed that way for the entirety of the first fight. “The girls really were throwing each other about, at one point I got pushed out the way by one of them while trying to take a picture. They were climbing and jumping and flooring each other. I have never seen anything like it and now I can’t believe I had never heard of Sukeban before.”