Maker to Maker - some reflections on what has held Made My Wardrobe together this year
Hi ya’ll, it’s Lydia here, we are back in lockdown here in the UK, and I just wanted to check in. If you’ve found your way to my blog, it’s probably because you have a love for sewing, so maker to maker, I wanted to share a few reflections on 2020.
As a maker there are two sides to my practice, one is making costumes for theatre, dance and live performance, the other is Made My Wardrobe - a personal blog, turned indie pattern company, fabric shop and skill sharing space. In 2020 I found myself in the unusual position of having half my practice rooted in an industry which has thrived during the pandemic - sewing & craft, and the other foot rooted in an industry that has been decimated by the pandemic - theatre and live performance.
I’ve had to expand and shrink parts of my practice faster than a French accordion player. As we begin a second lockdown I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what has happened and reach out to the incredible creative communities I’m part of.
Looking back, 2020 couldn’t have got off to a more incredible start. Back in February I was invited to join the Varda Artist’s Residency on a beautiful wooden boat, just over the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. Knowing now what was to to come, I feel ever more grateful for this time to totally immerse myself in one of the most inspiring environments I have ever known.
Alongside me on the residency were three fellow artists. Aigerim Akenova, Caroline Kaufman, and Emily Rae Counts whose work reminded me to commit fully to being an artist in all it’s rawness and vulnerability.
Aigerim is a fashion and textile designer from Kazakhstan. Caroline is an artist and textile designer from New York and Emily is a ceramicist from Seattle.
After being in the Bay Area for a month I headed up to Northern California for my second residency. This time on Folklife Farm with poet Jacquiline Suskin and musician Prexst. I worked on the structure of a book I’ve been too scared to start writing for three years. Jacqueline and Prexst reminded me of the power of poetry, huge Redwood trees and hot tubs. Jacqueline’s new book Every Day is a Poem has just been published and it’s the perfect handbook for getting you back into your writing practice.
In March I had to cut my trip to California slightly short because suddenly countrywide lockdowns were coming in to place. My plan had been to launch the 2020 Made My Wardrobe Workshop series as soon as I returned to London but of course that was now completely out of the question. As lockdown started in the UK. I panicked. I berated myself for being a useless freelance artist and applied for every job in a care home I could find. I threw myself into making scrubs for the NHS and masks for homeless charities. Sewing became my duty rather than my passion or my income. The shift made me proud and sad at the same time.
Throughout April I noticed a gradual increase in sales in my sewing patterns, I watched with joy as people turned to craft as a solace from the anxiety of lockdown. I wanted to make it as easy as possible for those who were new to sewing to gather the supplies they needed, so I introduced my kits. I was blown away by your response to them and loved packing each little parcel of potential with love and care.
Thanks to your donations, we managed to raise a massive £3,600 for Black Minds Matter in three days by holding a raffle of our kits. The mission of Black Minds Matter is to support in making mental health topics relevant and accessible for all black people in the UK. If you missed the raffle and would still like to donate you can do so here.
In June, I found out the Soho building my studio was in, was going to be demolished and turned in to a hotel. The building was home to over 70 artists. As a community we were knocked for six. It was almost impossible to try to find a new studio in the middle of a pandemic when no-one was answering emails, let alone doing viewings.
Before the building was demolished a group of us decided to make something in the space. We called it DISMANTLE. Driven by the need to reignite the importance of human connection, togetherness and community following the time of isolation Covid-19 has brought with it, we put together this installation, socially distanced pop up performance & film project.
With an anarchic edge, DISMANTLE filled an empty space with a bit of life, attempting to offer hope and resilience for a moment (before it is gone again). It was a celebration of a city that is full of art, but, hasn't always looked after its artists. You can watch the film here
I’m ridiculously grateful to my long-time friends and collaborators who rallied and improvised to make this piece, especially Josie and Philippa who had the idea and made it happen.
Project led & produced by: Josie Dale-Jones & Philippa Hogg, Installation by: Camilla Clarke, Costume by: Lydia Higginson, Lighting by: Lucy Adams, Photo's & film by: Camilla Greenwell, Graphics by: Oliva Norris, Collaborators & Performers: Nobahar Mahdavi, Kaajel Patel, Josie Dale-Jones, Hannah Ledwidge, Olivia Norris, Philippa Hogg, Lydia Higginson, Carmel Smickersgill, Artist Wellbeing: Lou Platt, and massive thanks to Camden People's Theatre for lending us their kit.
Dear Luxury Hotel Developer,
You have the power, but we have the heart.
You have the money, but we have the joy.
You have the authority, but we have the community.
You have the structures, but we have the ability to dismantle them.
Yours Sincerely,
The Artists'
On that note I packed up my flat and studio into a van and drove west, to Bristol. I had a broken finger (from playing basketball too enthusiastically) and a broken heart (from leaving my girlfriend in London and not knowing what our future would be.)
My dear friends Lizzie and Kate had said I could share their studio with them until I found my next space.
As the dust settled on my move out of London, I took stock on how Made My Wardrobe has grown in sales over the last few months and realised I was completely over-stretching myself, trying to do everything from packing up orders to designing the new collection. I needed a team.
I advertised for two roles and had over 170 people apply. I interviewed seven for each role and was blown away by the talent and skill of the people I met. I had been worried about not finding people with the specific experience I needed outside of London, but that fear was quickly thrown out the window.
Through doing the interview process I gained more clarity on which parts of Made My Wardrobe needed fresh eyes on them. I’m incredibly excited to be working in various capacities with five of the candidates who applied. In light of the current climate I wanted to give as many folk as possible the opportunity they deserved.
Hiring a team made me deeply reflect on the values of Made My Wardrobe. I returned to Jennifer Armbrust’s Proposal’s For the Feminine Economy. Which I highly recommend reading in more detail over on sister.is
1. YOU HAVE A BODY.
2. YOU ARE CONNECTED WITH THE EARTH, THE PLANTS, AND ALL LIVING BEINGS.
3. INTEGRATE
4. INSTITUTIONALIZE EMPATHY: BUILD FRAMEWORKS THAT SUPPORT FEELINGS.
5. EMBODY YOUR VALUES.
6. RECLAIM HAPPINESS: NEW DEFINITIONS OF SUCCESS.
7. "CONSIDER EVERYTHING AN EXPERIMENT."
8. FREE YOURSELF FROM THE MYTH OF THE MERITOCRACY.
9. TELL THE TRUTH.
10. CULTIVATE ABUNDANCE CONSCIOUSNESS.
11. A BUSINESS CAN BE A HEALING FOR YOURSELF & OTHERS.
12. A BUSINESS CAN BE A MODEL FOR A NEW SOCIAL & ECONOMIC ORDER.
I hope our team will hold each other accountable to these values as we work together. It’s an honour to be part of a team and I’ve been thinking a lot about how we can work in as non-hierarchical way as possible. I hope Made My Wardrobe can transcend from its start as my solo journey of healing to its future as a collective of creative voices and journeys. I hope more folk will feel sewing their own clothes is attainable because of the diverse perspectives Made My Wardrobe will encompass. For those who have been sewing for years, to those who are only just learning how to thread up a machine, we are here to ensure making your own clothes brings you the joy and fulfilment we all need a little more of in life.
On that note, Made My Wardrobe has more capacity to collaborate than ever before, so if you are a maker who would like to work with us, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re here to support, uplift and share.