church girls + animal parade
+ a collection in two parts+
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Church girls comes from my personal apparel history. Growing up, most of my clothes were the older girls from church's castaways. I retained a majority hand-me-down wardrobe through my post-graduation internship. I never felt embarrassed about it. Actually, I enjoyed looking unique, wearing nothing you could buy in a store. One lady told me I looked like I was from a different era. (Insult maybe, but I loved that.) Other hand-me-downs became so old they were once again on the cusp of a trend.
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Many of my hand-me-downs were banished to the back of the closet as I got to buy my own clothes and participate in street fashion for the first time on a college campus. My outfits got very dainty with sheer and uncomfortable fabrics, complex layering, and a general lack of practicality. The pandemic knocked that out of me quickly, and I retreated back into my old, floppy, cotton hand-me-downs and stolen t-shirts from my husband. This time with the clothes, I was older and more aware of things. They became a symbol of neglect and pity. None of them were chosen by me or my parents, and many were from people I barely knew. I was well-dressed for the depressive, disassociative state of the world.
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When the town began to open back up, I had a reason to dress up again but saw nothing both exciting and comfortable. Most of the clothes I made had been given away or broken down into scraps. I hadn't sewn for myself in ages anyway. My last set of hand-me-downs were starting to deteriorate beyond repair. Left with some chiffon blouses and rayon skirts, it was finally time to sew and dress for me again.
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Church girls's theme is finding appreciation again for the anachronistic, cultural melting pot of my old hand-me-down wardrobe. There are clothes from the 00s, 90s, and proper vintage eras; from American families but also Mexican and Panaman families; and from mass retail, luxury, and home seamstresses. Also, they aren't just stuff that looked good in a store - they are care items that were set aside for me by people in my community.
+ For the capsule collection, I immortalized my favorite old clothes as reverse-engineered patterns. With the original garments, I am creating clothes that are finally me but flavoring them with discordant sources of inspiration and sentimentality. I take each design's name from scattered memories.
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+ I wasn't prepared to unlock a 00s fashion time capsule when I found a copy of Animal Parade. It's not like Hikari epitomizes the era and I never liked that style back then, but her cami layered over a basic tee and bulky cargo pockets has a hold over me. It's a mix of fresh and nostalgic. It brought to mind some of the silly and hyper-girly outfits Hillary Duff wore. She wore layers and comfy cottons all the time, too. Maybe people would cringe at her old outfits, but they were undeniably fun.
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Pre-AP, I wore camis and biker shorts for modesty under fussy chiffons. My foundation was decidedly neutral. There's something expressive and carefree about wearing these purely functional elements on top and in cute colors. Even these 'boring' garments can be special. It was a line I needed to be led across in my life. This speaks to me in several different directions. Rejoice always. It's okay to be playful. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord. Even drudgery is an area for personal growth and exploration. I was sad for a long time, but seamstress's block has finally lifted.
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The animal parade capsule collection is what Hikari is to me: individualism in each layer, joy in adding details, and amiable natural fibers. I name each design after significant animals in my life.
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The two themes belong together. Meditating over the introspective and the expressive, hiding away and being open, the old and the new. They come bundled with transformational passages of Scripture.
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