Here I am at the Style Naturally book launch with Jill Fehrenbacher (with baby Petey) and Bahar Shahpar, via Starre Vartan at Huffington Post. Check out the book for green beauty and fashion goodness. Thanks again to Summer for inviting me to participate.
Here is my "Girl on the Street" (or girl in her living room) spread, my recycled pieces on recycled paper...
And here is the unedited text, since I am too lazy to scan the actual text in right now. This is pretty much how I answered the questions and little was edited. I am never really sure how to label myself. I told them I was a creative ecologist and they translated that into a DIY/crafter. So be it...
What motivates you?
I am motivated by the need to express myself creatively and the desire to feel good about the work that I am doing.
Tell me about where you are from and where do you live now?
I grew up in Woodstock, NY, spent some time in the Mid West and moved to NYC to attend Columbia University. Aside from a brief stint living in Barcelona, I haven't left.
If you had to describe your everyday style in 2-4 words, what would it be?
comfortable and eclectic.
Tell me about what you are wearing in the pictures?
photo 1
The piece is called anti pattern, because it was all done with draping and sewing that was not very premeditated. I had just finished an intensive flat pattern making class and this was a bit of a reaction against that, fulfilling a desire to create something more free form. It is recycled from cashmere sweaters and is super soft and comfortable. The shoes are by Chie Mihara. She has a quality line that I feel is timeless. I still wear the boots I bought in Barcelona from one of her first collections when she hadn't yet started selling in the US. The organic cotton t-shirt underneath is by John Patrick Organic, which, as you know, is a great line of sustainable separates.
photo 2
I am wearing a dress that I made from broken umbrellas collected from the streets of NYC following a thunderstorm. It was the first in a series of pieces made as part of the fiftyRX3 project. The Escama bag is made by Brazilian craft cooperatives from recycled pull tabs. In full disclosure, it came in a swag bag at the first SANS show. The shoes are an amazing pair of vintage Charles Jourdan pumps. I love their shape.
Did you always make your own clothes?
No, I started out studying fine art and was always dabbling in creative things, but aside from some pretty bad hand sewn attempts and a crocheted sweater vest, I never really made anything to wear. Finally, I bought a sewing machine, started playing around with it and eventually signed up for some classes at Parson's, then later FIT to learn how to make patterns and sew properly.
What do you like about it?
As with anything creative, the sense of accomplishment and self-expression is very fulfilling. Wearing something you have made for yourself is a fantastic feeling. I have a real reverence for the craft of a well constructed garment. After learning how to make clothes, I had new found respect for everything in my closet. It can be quite tedious from start to finish. Sometimes I don't have the patience and would rather design all the elements and let someone else put it together, other times, I revel in the process.
Favorite places to shop?
I really do not shop that much. My closet is already quite full and I am trying to focus more on enjoying and wearing what I already own. However, I will never turn down a good flea market. I just love the history of things and always wonder about where they came from.
Any fashion pieces that you have to have?
No, I really do not believe in that. I do feel fashion can be driven by the need for change and I am as interested in that as the next person. Yet, for me, this could be pulling things out I haven't worn in awhile or mixing things in different ways. I may add in a trend-driven item here or there, but I think true style is just believing in yourself and pulling things together well. It isn't about the must-have item or brand name 'it' bag.
Any fashion era that you particularly feel an affinity towards?
I like vintage clothing, but I don't want to look too contrived or feel I am in costume, as dressing all from one era might do. I tend to mix different decades together with contemporary pieces. However, if I had to choose, I suppose I'd be a flapper or a hippie, maybe I just like loose dresses or the nonconformity that was happening in those eras...
Any fashion or style icon?
I think Lisa Eisner is interesting. I mean anyone who pulls off wearing Sammy Davis Jr.'s old suits has to be confident. And that is what style is really about after all, less what you wear and more how you wear it. So, in that regard, I see people everyday just walking around the city that interest me more than anything in fashion magazines. What I find most fascinating are those so clearly outside of the reaches of any fashion dictate or style conformity. I wonder what compels them.
Take me through your closet?
[note: ok, the answer to this question seems a bit boring. maybe it is just weird to talk about the contents of my closet, but it is a book on style after all.]
What does it look like? Well, living in NYC, hopefully, has kept it edited, as I don't have a lot of space here. I have a two small closets in the hallway. One is devoted to dresses, they are so comfortable and easy to wear. That is also where my recycled collection for fiftyRX3 lives. Among the contemporary pieces, the closet includes vintage wool jersey and dead stock crocheted dresses that I have collected over the years along with a handful of formal gowns. The other small closet is devoted to coats and jackets. The typical variety one might expect for the full range of seasons we get here in NYC.
The main closet would probably be divided. First there are the everyday jeans, t-shirts and sweaters. I have jeans in all shapes and sizes. My t-shirts tend to be about the fabric and cut. Generally, I don't like designs on my t-shirts, with some exceptions that include two beautiful batik t-shirts from Bali that I have had for about 20 years. I tend to get cold easily, so I have a variety of sweaters and wraps for all seasons. Then I suppose there is the typical range of skirts, pants and woven tops. Within each category there are some special pieces and things that I have collected. I have some nice Oscar de la Renta and Yves St. Laurent vintage pieces, but also a lot of obscure stuff that is equally loved. In terms of things that aren't vintage, I have added in organic t-shirts and jeans. I think John Patrick Organic is great for everyday style. I also have invested in some designer pieces that I will hang on to forever. I am a fan of Maria Cornejo and have several pieces, including a skirt from her collection where she utilized a woven bamboo fabric.
My shoes and bags reflect my clothing. I try not to be redundant or excessive, but have a variety of bags in the necessary sizes and colors to get me through the demands of living in a city where you need to carry your stuff with you. I tend to like pared down designs without a lot of embellishment. I have several pairs of vintage Ferragamo boots that wear like iron. I also have a few pairs of shoes by Chie Mihara, who I discovered when I was in Barcelona. Her shoes are well-crafted, timeless and unique, yet accessible. I bought a pair of boots from one of her first collections and still wear them as much as the heels I bought last summer. I am currently wearing a pair of Nike running shoes that I have had for ten years, they have been washed and mended over the years, but are currently missing part of the tread. When I give up on them, I will send them back to the company and they will grind up the rubber soles to use in playgrounds that they build in under served communities.
Any fashion rules that you follow?
I dress for myself. Basically, I want to feel good about what I am wearing and where it came from, but this can manifest itself in many ways. There are a variety of things that influence what I put on everyday, just like for everybody, but I never take it too seriously or become a slave to it. There is plenty in my closet to have fun with when the mood and occasion strikes, other times I find a simple comfort in austere uniformity.
Any motto that you live by?
"One should respect public opinion in so far as is necessary to avoid starvation and to keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny, and is likely to interfere with happiness in all kinds of ways."
-from Bertrand Russell's The Conquest of Happiness
His writing has influenced me from a young age. I try to revisit his ideas and remind myself that happiness is as much the process as it is the product.
[note: no surprise this last one didn't make it into the book. maybe they were looking for something a little more vreelandesque, such as her... 'too much good taste can be boring.' didn't she also say 'black always matches black.' okay, i live by these too.]
I am motivated by the need to express myself creatively and the desire to feel good about the work that I am doing.
Tell me about where you are from and where do you live now?
I grew up in Woodstock, NY, spent some time in the Mid West and moved to NYC to attend Columbia University. Aside from a brief stint living in Barcelona, I haven't left.
If you had to describe your everyday style in 2-4 words, what would it be?
comfortable and eclectic.
Tell me about what you are wearing in the pictures?
photo 1
The piece is called anti pattern, because it was all done with draping and sewing that was not very premeditated. I had just finished an intensive flat pattern making class and this was a bit of a reaction against that, fulfilling a desire to create something more free form. It is recycled from cashmere sweaters and is super soft and comfortable. The shoes are by Chie Mihara. She has a quality line that I feel is timeless. I still wear the boots I bought in Barcelona from one of her first collections when she hadn't yet started selling in the US. The organic cotton t-shirt underneath is by John Patrick Organic, which, as you know, is a great line of sustainable separates.
photo 2
I am wearing a dress that I made from broken umbrellas collected from the streets of NYC following a thunderstorm. It was the first in a series of pieces made as part of the fiftyRX3 project. The Escama bag is made by Brazilian craft cooperatives from recycled pull tabs. In full disclosure, it came in a swag bag at the first SANS show. The shoes are an amazing pair of vintage Charles Jourdan pumps. I love their shape.
Did you always make your own clothes?
No, I started out studying fine art and was always dabbling in creative things, but aside from some pretty bad hand sewn attempts and a crocheted sweater vest, I never really made anything to wear. Finally, I bought a sewing machine, started playing around with it and eventually signed up for some classes at Parson's, then later FIT to learn how to make patterns and sew properly.
What do you like about it?
As with anything creative, the sense of accomplishment and self-expression is very fulfilling. Wearing something you have made for yourself is a fantastic feeling. I have a real reverence for the craft of a well constructed garment. After learning how to make clothes, I had new found respect for everything in my closet. It can be quite tedious from start to finish. Sometimes I don't have the patience and would rather design all the elements and let someone else put it together, other times, I revel in the process.
Favorite places to shop?
I really do not shop that much. My closet is already quite full and I am trying to focus more on enjoying and wearing what I already own. However, I will never turn down a good flea market. I just love the history of things and always wonder about where they came from.
Any fashion pieces that you have to have?
No, I really do not believe in that. I do feel fashion can be driven by the need for change and I am as interested in that as the next person. Yet, for me, this could be pulling things out I haven't worn in awhile or mixing things in different ways. I may add in a trend-driven item here or there, but I think true style is just believing in yourself and pulling things together well. It isn't about the must-have item or brand name 'it' bag.
Any fashion era that you particularly feel an affinity towards?
I like vintage clothing, but I don't want to look too contrived or feel I am in costume, as dressing all from one era might do. I tend to mix different decades together with contemporary pieces. However, if I had to choose, I suppose I'd be a flapper or a hippie, maybe I just like loose dresses or the nonconformity that was happening in those eras...
Any fashion or style icon?
I think Lisa Eisner is interesting. I mean anyone who pulls off wearing Sammy Davis Jr.'s old suits has to be confident. And that is what style is really about after all, less what you wear and more how you wear it. So, in that regard, I see people everyday just walking around the city that interest me more than anything in fashion magazines. What I find most fascinating are those so clearly outside of the reaches of any fashion dictate or style conformity. I wonder what compels them.
Take me through your closet?
[note: ok, the answer to this question seems a bit boring. maybe it is just weird to talk about the contents of my closet, but it is a book on style after all.]
What does it look like? Well, living in NYC, hopefully, has kept it edited, as I don't have a lot of space here. I have a two small closets in the hallway. One is devoted to dresses, they are so comfortable and easy to wear. That is also where my recycled collection for fiftyRX3 lives. Among the contemporary pieces, the closet includes vintage wool jersey and dead stock crocheted dresses that I have collected over the years along with a handful of formal gowns. The other small closet is devoted to coats and jackets. The typical variety one might expect for the full range of seasons we get here in NYC.
The main closet would probably be divided. First there are the everyday jeans, t-shirts and sweaters. I have jeans in all shapes and sizes. My t-shirts tend to be about the fabric and cut. Generally, I don't like designs on my t-shirts, with some exceptions that include two beautiful batik t-shirts from Bali that I have had for about 20 years. I tend to get cold easily, so I have a variety of sweaters and wraps for all seasons. Then I suppose there is the typical range of skirts, pants and woven tops. Within each category there are some special pieces and things that I have collected. I have some nice Oscar de la Renta and Yves St. Laurent vintage pieces, but also a lot of obscure stuff that is equally loved. In terms of things that aren't vintage, I have added in organic t-shirts and jeans. I think John Patrick Organic is great for everyday style. I also have invested in some designer pieces that I will hang on to forever. I am a fan of Maria Cornejo and have several pieces, including a skirt from her collection where she utilized a woven bamboo fabric.
My shoes and bags reflect my clothing. I try not to be redundant or excessive, but have a variety of bags in the necessary sizes and colors to get me through the demands of living in a city where you need to carry your stuff with you. I tend to like pared down designs without a lot of embellishment. I have several pairs of vintage Ferragamo boots that wear like iron. I also have a few pairs of shoes by Chie Mihara, who I discovered when I was in Barcelona. Her shoes are well-crafted, timeless and unique, yet accessible. I bought a pair of boots from one of her first collections and still wear them as much as the heels I bought last summer. I am currently wearing a pair of Nike running shoes that I have had for ten years, they have been washed and mended over the years, but are currently missing part of the tread. When I give up on them, I will send them back to the company and they will grind up the rubber soles to use in playgrounds that they build in under served communities.
Any fashion rules that you follow?
I dress for myself. Basically, I want to feel good about what I am wearing and where it came from, but this can manifest itself in many ways. There are a variety of things that influence what I put on everyday, just like for everybody, but I never take it too seriously or become a slave to it. There is plenty in my closet to have fun with when the mood and occasion strikes, other times I find a simple comfort in austere uniformity.
Any motto that you live by?
"One should respect public opinion in so far as is necessary to avoid starvation and to keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny, and is likely to interfere with happiness in all kinds of ways."
-from Bertrand Russell's The Conquest of Happiness
His writing has influenced me from a young age. I try to revisit his ideas and remind myself that happiness is as much the process as it is the product.
[note: no surprise this last one didn't make it into the book. maybe they were looking for something a little more vreelandesque, such as her... 'too much good taste can be boring.' didn't she also say 'black always matches black.' okay, i live by these too.]
