In episode 285, Kestrel welcomes artist and illustrator Kelly Lottahall to the show. An artist and illustrator, Kelly incorporates preloved textiles and scraps into her unique works of art.
“It’s so like not that significant to most people, but for me — when it’s an item, a shirt, anything that’s used … this doesn't have to be vintage, I’m talking about stuff that’s just regular old stuff people don’t want. Not like vintage that’s 30 years old and super cool because it’s another era — no, I’m talking about like 10 years ago and you don’t care about it anymore. I’m like no, but I do — that could be really really cool, are you kidding me?” -Kelly
Have you ever noticed how the fashion world often orients itself as very separate from the art world?
They are obviously intertwined, and we see some overlap in the mainstream, but there tends to be a very distanced relationship – especially in the way that the fashion industry disregards the artistic aspects of fashion.
Here’s a couple examples –
Garment construction has been devalued and not treated as though it is a REAL art form – both in the way sewers are paid (so often less than a living wage) when they are true artists; and also in how the industry has reduced our perceived *value* of garments through fast fashion and lower prices.
There is the way that traditional fabrics and garments (which literally ARE art) have been disrespected and/or appropriated for the sake of commercialism – so stealing cultural fashion art and then replicating it in a way to simply make a profit off of it (in turn, totally detaching it from its artistic roots).
This week’s guest is literally BRINGING the fashion and art worlds together through her unique craft, and she’s repurposing quote unquote *trash* while doing it.
As she says –
“I like finding old things and turning them into new things. I like gadgets that used to work that don’t anymore. I like clothes that are too old to wear the original way, that can be recreated in a new way.”
Quotes & links from the conversation:
“I think there is something in me — there’s just this natural connection with somebody’s lived in story.” -Kelly (9:36)
“The biggest thing we need to understand is that our culture — we just consume so much, excessively consume so much stuff that we just don’t have to have. But we also have to understand that brands — fast fashion brands — they also know this about us, and they’ve made it so easy for us to just click and buy the second we think about it.” -Kelly (32:14)
“A Photographer, A Stylist, And An Artist” collaboration
Kelly’s Website >
Follow Kelly on Instagram >
S05 Episode 260 | What are you latching onto? A special edition recap — highlighting what we learned on season 5 to take us intentionally into season 6
S05 Episode 259 | Georgina Johnson's book "The Slow Grind" & the inevitability of degrowth in fashion
S05 Episode 258 | Aja Barber on how the *affordability* story is fueling a messed up narrative & why we need a culture shift
S05 Episode 257 | Farai Simoyi of The Narativ on the need for safe spaces where global designers can be seen, valued, and heard & educating the next generation of fashion's leaders
S05 Episode 256 | Shilla Kim-Parker of Thrilling on the digitization of secondhand & supporting small business
S05 Episode 255 | Gee's Bend Quilters: the original purveyors of sustainability & exploring the meaning of an equitable collaboration with Mary Margaret Pettway & Greg Lauren
S05 Episode 254 | Johnathan Hayden on using a brand as an experiment, questioning ownership over one's trash & how augmented reality could impact sustainability in fashion
S05 Episode 253 | Advocating for the U.S. to appoint a fashion czar, what are The Green Guides and more on the intersections of politics & fashion
S05 Episode 252 | Frankie Collective on reimagining supply chains for *upcycling* & embracing sustainability and streetwear through reworked design
S05 Episode 251 | CiscoSews on the freedom in nonbinary design & experimentations with upcycling
S05 Episode 250 | Natalie Shehata on why *diversity* is tokenistic and advocating for holistic inclusion
S05 Episode 249 | Isiah Magsino on fashion's current obsession with *genderless* and paying respect to queer & trans communities who have been stepping out of the binary forever
S05 Episode 248 | Ocean Rose on botanical dyeing, sustainability as a collection of idiosyncrasies & the art of slowing down
S05 Episode 247 | Christian Allaire of Vogue on the deep meaning behind Indigenous ribbon work & fashion as a means to reclaim culture
S05 Episode 246 | Nia Thomas on building an autobiographical brand & breaking up with plug and play approaches to doing fashion
S05 Episode 245 | Eshita Kabra-Davies of By Rotation on fashion rental, making the sharing economy personal & challenging the pressure of *newness*
S05 Episode 244 | Alyssa Beltempo on creativity over consumption & shifting the narrative away from placing *all* responsibility on the consumer
S05 Episode 243 | Julia Perez of Jae and Leona on separating self care from capitalism, launching a skincare line during the pandemic & advocating for skincare as liberation
S05 Episode 242 | Questioning the meaning behind *regenerative fashion* and building new fashion systems with Christy Dawn & Oshadi Collective
S05 Episode 241 | Reimagining waste as a resource, creativity's battle against commerce & the importance of welcoming financial sustainability into the larger conversation
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