Your creations are so wonderfully unique, patched with unexpected patterns and pairings. What kinds of textiles catch your eye for a piece, and how do you know what to combine it with to make a masterpiece?

All of my pieces tell a story. I don't sketch or plan beforehand- I work spontaneously, on the floor, almost like making a collage. The best moments are born out of necessity and spontaneity. When I was living in London, I hung out with these amazing gypsies on Portobello road who would trade me Indian Kantha and Japanese burro in exchange for mending their clothes. I started using these in my work - partly because I wanted these antique textiles to have a second life, and partly because I was so broke I couldn't afford to buy lots of new materials. Some of my pieces incorporate scraps from Provencal dresses I wore as a child. One of my newer jackets has a patchwork of fabrics from the last ten years of traveling - like a little memory map. I am constantly buying, acquiring and hoarding materials for Bohemia; traveling to Istanbul for old ikat, quilt shops in New England for novelty prints, and French markets for old linen. I don't overthink when I create. It's primal and instinctual and very very messy! My cuts are rooted in the classics, but the motifs are where I lose myself in contrast, clash and pattern overload.
4 of 14

The Guest List

More