Today in New York: Sally Keiser
Sally Keiser mission is to spend 2010 away from new manufactured clothing, thus only allowing herself to wear repurposed, handmade, or thrifted clothes.
It’s not an easy thing, but Sally is very determined in her project, up to the point that she started her own line of repurposed clothes and accessories.
And it’s not just about fashion, since she actually came to this decision because she refuses to buy something made by disadvantaged people whose salary is ridiculous, just so her closet can have every color t-shirt and the “latest” styles. Her philosophy is that wearing something made by someone whose face you have seen, or repurposed from something discarded because it was out of date, makes the clothing so much more important. And so, if you want to share her vision and start changing the world (an your wardrobe), make a stop at her Sally Ann K boutique, for fancy, trendy, eco and work friendly unique pieces.
:: Why and when did you started Sally Ann? I started Sally Ann K about two years ago. I had been selling my designs in a record store in Lansing, Michigan. They were getting great feedback. I discovered Etsy, started my online store and began sewing full-time. Haven’t looked back since! Who would take a regular job over sewing all day and hanging out with fabulous cats!?
:: Where do you get your inspiration from? I’m inspired to sew from my mother, Roxanne. She is the most talented woman I know. She sews, sculpts, paints, draws, designs furniture, builds houses, engineers buildings. You name it, she can do it! She is always pushing me to try new things. Just the other day, she sent me a prototype of a bi-fold wallet. It was made form a suede leather skirt and used a clip-on earring for the closure. She sent the pattern and a TON of clip-on earrings and said, “You need to make these!” Oh, and did I mention, these were in the jewelry box she made me from an old silverware box and lined it with the fabric from a brown velvet dress?! She’s a genius at repurposing!
Another big source of inspiration for my pieces is the fabric from which they come. When I shop at Salvation Army, Goodwill, or go through donated items, I look at the pieces for their potential, not what they are in front of me. I make most pieces one-at-a time. It’s great to appreciate their transformation!
:: Who is your ideal buyer? I would say the ideal buyer is someone who appreciates the story of each item and wears it with pride and confidence. Someone who is proud to wear sustainable fashion and that loves spreading the word that it was made from something discarded.
:: What is your favorite NYC based fictional character and why? I’ll say Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina. Bogart is the perfect costar, everything about this movie is perfect! One of my favorite Hepburn movies. She is beautiful, a modern Cinderella, so-to-speak.
::What’s your favorite NYC movie and what your favorite NYC tv series? Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It doesn’t really talk much about NYC and it’s hard to even pick on the fact that it is set there, but it’s one of my favorite movies! Can’t go wrong with Kate Winslet! Her style in the movie is very interesting as well. And the soundtrack is fantastic. As for my favorite NYC TV series… of course my favorite guilty pleasure: Sex and The City! Very cliché, I know. But I’ve seen every episode a million times and I especially love watching the episodes I’ve already seen every few years. As my outlook on love has changed throughout the years, so does my view of the show. It’s great.
:: Do you think New York can still be considered the place-to-be for young creatives? I would loveeee to live in Brooklyn right now. Oh, how amazing it would be, constantly be surrounded by people with the same passion for life and fashion as myself! The creative atmosphere alone would be a such a motivator!
::If I say Italy, you say…? I want to go to Milan! I wish I were able to travel more. If I had the opportunity, I’d hop on a plane, and roam around Italy, make my way through France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain. With just one bag and a month, I’d be set!
Francesca MasoeroFrancesca Masoero non è la campionessa di canottaggio che appare se digitate il suo nome su Google. È l’altra, la multitasker. Ha un (in)utile dottorato in cinema e marketing; racconta in modo non convenzionale e creativo New York, Torino e Bologna su NUOK e scrive di eventi, lifestyle e cultura per Lookout Magazine; si occupa di marketing, comunicazione, pr e web 2.0 tra Torino (la sua città natale) e New York (la sua città ideale). In più, a volte fa la stylist e a volte la cool hunter. È creativa, ma pignolissima. Sembra zen, ma è perennemente sull’orlo di una crisi di nervi. La salvano le piccole cose della (sua) vita: il rock’n’roll, la pasta al pesto, internet e il suo nuovo bellissimo frigorifero da 300 litri, pieno di quello che il suo fidanzato chiama “cibo da conigli”.
