I grew up on a small family farm in New York State. I drove tractors, threw hay, milked cows, raised pigs, and walked along acres in the heat and negatives. I was strong with broad shoulders and well-fed to keep up with Nature, in all her forms.

A combination of understanding and embracing by body and identity led me to accept that I wanted something different when it came to my clothing. In my early 20’s, I asked for a used Singer for my birthday, and I began to teach myself how to sew. For the first time, I experienced what it meant to have clothes that truly fit and that I felt right in.

Developing a style and life around second-handedness, alteration, and craft has changed me and the way I move through the world. It naturally affects the works I make, as I believe it is entirely possible to shift manufacturing and making to majority-reused.