ON LABOR & COMMERCE
The purpose of labor is to ensure our survival. In a time where it's hard to find ways to survive without being exploited and/or exploiting others, how do we reclaim the power of our labor?
As Kahlil Jabran wrote: "You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth. For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons, and to step out of life's procession, that marches in majesty and proud submission towards the infinite."
I want labor that actually enriches our lives instead of extracting from them. Labor that supports (& is supported by) our health, our creativity, and our ecosystems.
I hope that Body High can be a way to grow towards this. I do not view you as a consumer, and I hope you will see me not as someone trying to extract profit from you, but rather someone invested in our collective survival.
ON SUPPLY SYSTEMS
Body High's supply system has been thoroughly vetted for ethical labor standards, traceable sourcing, and responsibility toward the environment. I prioritize working with BIPOC, LGBTQ & women-owned suppliers whenever possible.
Transparent sourcing details will be provided for all items!
ON MATERIALS
All Body High creations are made with 100% natural/organic materials, except when using surplus materials. Why? Because everything we make comes from & will return to the earth.
Most clothing that is marketed as "eco-friendly" or "made with natural materials" still contain a percentage of synthetic fibers (check your labels!) which renders these garments very difficult to recycle / safely dispose of. Even some "natural" textiles such as bamboo or tencel require copious amounts of chemical processing / waste to create.
It's confusing on purpose... but you can trust in the textiles that have been used for millenia - wool, silk, cotton, hemp, linen... these traditional textiles are often nowadays vilified by companies that profit off of getting you to buy into the latest "sustainable" synthetic material. I've done my research, and am always open to learning more - but I choose to only support textile industries that I currently know to be most beneficial to our planet, our bodies, and the communities involved.
The surplus materials that I use are also known as "deadstock," "post-consumer" or "saved-from-landfill." Until I can find a natural textile that works for swimwear, I'll be working with spandex (aka elastane / lycra, aka plastic, aka fossil fuels). But I'll only work with the excess that aready exists. And I'll provide guides for how to care for these materials as safely as possible.
ON MAKING CUSTOM CLOTHES ACCESSIBLE
Patternmaking for the masses is a challenging task, especially for close-fitting garments. It relies on standardized proportions that will work for the most people, but there's no way to accomodate every body type.
So instead, I've created patterns using algoritmic software that allows me to adapt the pattern to a client's unique measurements. This eliminates the expense of creating a pattern from scratch for each client, lowering the cost of custom-fitting. Fast fashion is too big of a monster to accommodate this level of customization, but I truly believe this is the future of fashion - better fitting clothes means less waste, and once I have your measurements, you can request other garments made to the same specs!
ON PRODUCTION
Did you know that ALL clothes are handmade?
I got into fashion design because I love making clothes. While it's a whole different experience doing garment production, I still find satisfaction in streamlining processes for manufacturing - finding the most efficient way to make something in bulk quantities without losing the magic of the creative act.
All garments are made by me, in my home studio, using industrial machinery & high-quality thread. Someone once told me that I shouldn't write about my work in the first person, because it would make clients feel some kind of way about me "slaving away" making these clothes. I won't lie - it is hard work, and many (if not most) garment production work is exploitative - but I was lucky to gain experience with production in a healthy, supportive atmosphere, and I'm learning to be a good boss to myself.
It's all the more fulfilling when I can share how much making your clothes means to me. I hope that by knowing who made your clothes, it'll be more meaningful to you, too.
ON COMMUNITY CARE
Community care is what I dream will replace economics. When I think about "making a living," it's about survival, and I think it's inefficient & downright backwards for us to sell our labor & neglect our callings in order to buy the things we need to survive on our own, when if we could pursue our callings, we'd have all that we need to survive collectively.
I don't want to create a fashion empire - I want to create an autonomous space for sharing resources & connecting through creativity. I want to host mending circles, be a source for sewing machine troubleshooting & gender non-conforming style advice, make space for textile folks to build solidarity, and co-create new aesthetics alongside fat, trans, and disabled icons-to-be. Join me?