Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do. I live in Halifax and I run a small clothing line. I work with fair trade manufacturers in India because I am drawn to natural fibers and process based textiles. In my next collection I will be working with hand woven organic cotton that will be block printed by artisans in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Other than manufacturing and various collaborations, I am a one-woman operation. So, I am juggling a lot of roles and I spend more time than I would like managing inventory and going to the post office. I cherish the days that I get to spend designing clothes in my studio or dreaming up look books and editorial photoshoots.

What kinds of things are influencing your work right now?  Lately it’s not very specific, I am influenced by the role clothes can play in the lives of their eventual wearer. I think a lot about uniform and utility. I think of clothing as a tool to help a person exist in the world, usually through the way it confirms something about their identity or mood and then how it actually functions. Ive been trying to design pieces that someone can wear for a week straight and feel ok. My summer collection will be very light hearted.

How long have you lived in Halifax and what brought you there? I have lived in Halifax off and on for about 9 years. I moved here after finishing university because it is close to home, (Cape Breton Island)  and it seemed like the best option. It is a small city and sometimes it’s not enough for people for many reasons. But Halifax really works for me, people support my work and I am fortunate to get to spend some of the coldest months in India. Plus, there are a lot of creative people around that are always willing to collaborate. I have also tapped in to an amazing barter economy with a bunch of the small business owners I know, so that really improves quality of life.

What’s your absolute favorite place in the city/the world to be?  It would definitely be somewhere in Nova Scotia. My friends have this mobile sauna and one night this summer it was parked at Lawrencetown Beach (just outside of Halifax), there was phosphorescence in the ocean and a meteor shower in the sky, it was actually magic. We scream-laughed at every shooting star. So if the conditions would allow for it again that would be my favorite place in the world to be.

What are some recent, upcoming or current projects you are working on?  I have a few video projects coming up in the spring. I will be collaborating with a Halifax based filmmaker and musician to create a series of micro-fashion films. We are in the verybeginning of planning right now. I am looking forward to merging aesthetics and giving the clothing context and movement.

Where do you plan to travel next?  I will be heading to India in February, and I think I will spend most of my time in Jaipur. This will be my fourth winter in India so I sort of know what to expect (except India is always full of surprises), and I am hoping this time it will feel less like travel and more like the other place that I live. Other than that I have a trip planned to visit my sister in the North West Territories in July, I’ve never experienced 24-hour daylight or the northern landscape. We are going to go on a canoe trip.

Describe your current studio or workspace. My studio right now is in a shed behind my house. It is very cute. I painted the inside walls white and pink, the outside has a nice sage color wood siding and is surrounded by an overgrown flower garden in the summer. In the winter it is much warmer than the house I live in and my sweet cat comes in and out all day.

Photos by:

Alexa Cude: @seriouslyalexa

Dani Proteau: @daniproteau

Tom Terrell: @tomterrellphoto