theheadwrapsocialite…“Everybody”
theheadwrapsocialite…“Everybody”
"Fashion Fusion: Art, Education and Sustainabilty with Designer Brooke Burch"
Today, we dive into the world of Brooke Burch-Clothing Designer, Fibre Artist, Educator and Entrepreneur. From sustainability to the joy of creative expression, this episode explores the intersection of artistry, education and entrepreneurship.
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Good afternoon and welcome to everybody. The podcast which shares stories that highlight people in life, that make the world an interesting place, which ultimately ties us all together in unique and wonderful ways. And who am I, you might ask. I would be the headwrapped socialite Weith mom, micro-influencer in the fashion and etiquette world. But on this podcast, I will be introducing you to some people who I've had the opportunity to meet along my journey, who have helped enrich me and my life in beautiful ways and who I hope will do the same in yours. Today, our guest is Brooke Birch clothing designer, fiber artist, seamstress, educator and entrepreneur, with a passion for fashion, retail and a commitment to sustainability in the apparel industry. Our guest is a true trailblazer In our community. She is one of the leading seamstresses and entrepreneurs. Just to see her bloom, her business, makes my heart smile. So, without further ado, I would like to introduce you all to Brooke Birch. Welcome, brooke, to today's episode. Thank you so much for having me. Brooke, can you tell the listeners a little bit about who you are? I?
Speaker 2:am a local clothing designer and sewing instructor here in Rochester. I've been in business for a little over a decade and I recently acquired a new space for my studio only about six months ago.
Speaker 1:How long has your studio space been in the works?
Speaker 2:You know, not very long. I worked out of my apartment for about eight years and about a year ago I ended up renting a space from another local business owner and I was able to use that space for a year to build my business into what it is now. So I got to expand into group sewing classes and after that was able to get a larger space. So it's all really happened in less than two years, this great expansion.
Speaker 1:That's wonderful. So we're going to take the listeners back a little bit to your early beginnings. So your journey from childhood sewing to a bachelor's degree and apparel design is incredible. How did your early experiences shape your passion for fashion and the art?
Speaker 2:Always love sewing. I've always loved design, even before I knew what it was. I used to make drawings when I was probably five or six years old and they all had wings, which was weird. I used to draw little fairy people all the time and I have books of these. I never threw them away, so I still have these books with fairy drawings. And have you ever heard of the show the Magic School Bus? Do you remember the show With Mrs Frizzle.
Speaker 2:Yes so she was like I loved that show. She was super impactful, and so you remember how she had a different outfit for every occasion and I just thought that was so unique. I think that was the first time I started noticing what somebody was wearing For sure, really using that as a catalyst for my early creativity.
Speaker 1:Oh, I love it. And so I love how you referenced the Magic School Bus, because, oh my goodness, I love Mrs Frizzle.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:And Jess that you brought her up. I haven't thought about Mrs Frizzle and the Magic School Bus since my kids were little, exactly.
Speaker 2:So that just yeah, it was a good show. It was a good show, really creative show for the time, and the woman was a protagonist, which was really cool too. So I would draw stuff like that, like with different images like pizza and stuff on it, and add wings. I guess Having wings, they had to have wings, otherwise it didn't feel right. And then you know, my parents and family just supported me along the way, especially my dad. He got those laminated, he helped me put those books together and it just kind of kept growing from there. My grandma would buy me boxes of art supplies and I've always loved art in general. So art and design, drawing and painting actually minored in drawing and painting in college. So it's always been something creative, you know, since at least the age of five. Yeah, but didn't start sewing until on a sewing machine till I was 11.
Speaker 1:Interesting. So can I ask you a question? With your design and with your art, do you like sketch out things, or how does that process work for you? Actually, no, I don't.
Speaker 2:I don't do that. I prefer to make things. I don't even like sketching, but it's funny because I teach it as part of my curriculum, because I think it's important to put your ideas on paper, mainly for a communication aspect. But I think that the making and the process of making is the most important part. So I'd rather throw something on a mannequin, you know, I'd rather cut, cut it up, cut up the fabric and put it on someone, rather than drawing. Sometimes I'll do the drawings later, if I need to, if I need to document that for some reason. Okay, yeah, I'm more, just get my hands dirty.
Speaker 1:Oh, I love it. Yeah, so today we are actually on location and we're in Brooke's beautiful studio space and, as she's referencing the mannequins and how she drapes things, first, things that I noticed upon entering her spaces she has a couple of mannequins and one is draped with this beautiful print. It's purple and fuchsia and has this big bow on it, and I'm noticing that in the space as well. She has tons and tons of fabric. Can I ask you what exactly is a fiber artist?
Speaker 2:That would be anybody who works with fabric or fabric like materials, so it doesn't have to be somebody who makes clothing. They could be a 2D artist. They could be also considered a mixed media artist. You know, and I didn't really, and that's the first time I ever have called myself a fiber artist- actually.
Speaker 2:I love it. Because of what I've learned over the last couple of years and the people that I've met, I thought, okay, I fall into this category and people are just so creative with the way they put things to things I never would think of. They put fabrics together in a special way, they recycle materials in a special way, and I just love to watch people do that, and I've been experimenting with that as well.
Speaker 1:Brooke, you have a passion for sustainability in the apparel industry. Can you share some initiatives or practices that you've implemented in your work to contribute to a more sustainable and eco-friendly society?
Speaker 2:Okay, I feel like I needed to make a list. I should have made a list, but we'll just start with the teaching aspect. Most of my materials are donated, so I usually just put a call out a couple weeks before each sewing term starts and usually people just bring all kinds of stuff in. They just use it as a destash moment. They bring it in, I sort through it or have my interns look through it and we organize it. What we can't use, we usually give to the students. So right now I have this huge donation of clothing, patterns and fabric and things and they get to pick through it this week and take things for their own collections.
Speaker 2:I love that so that's one thing that I do. I have been taking my small scraps and working with a company called Four Days If you've seen it floating around on Facebook but it's a big fabric recycling company. They've got these different bags that you can purchase from their website. When you get the bags, you fill it with whatever you want. I think that they originally meant for it to be clothing, but they've noticed people sending them other stuff like fabric, like me so now they're realizing okay, we've got a restructure, they're making bags specifically for fabric scraps. So they're starting to think more along those lines and they recycle it and make products for their website.
Speaker 2:Oh, I love that so it kind of comes full circle that way, so I can use my credit to get recycled clothing and items from their website.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's awesome. So are they globally, or is this a local?
Speaker 2:business. It's global. I don't know if it's United States based only, but that's a big one. I also heard of another one I have yet to work with them yet, though, but fab scrap. They are, I think, out of California, and they get fabric from the apparel industry, like offcuts from them and bolts from them that are off season that they're not going to use. I know they've got one location in California and you can purchase online, I think, per yard, so they're just selling kind of end of bolt, pieces of things, scraps of things that they got from industrial locations. So I don't know if I can donate my things to them yet, but I'm going to look into it. Yeah, so there's all kinds of stuff. There's even, I think, at 125 live. They've got a quilters group, a lot of quilters groups at local churches that take donations, but also someone's making dog beds out of mixed material scrap. That's local, I think it's through 125 live.
Speaker 2:So, that's what I want to do, because I've been saving everything. I saved my thread, scrap everything that we cut off the edges of things. So I'm saving that, so we'll see if we can do something with it. That's good.
Speaker 1:Okay, and so once you figure out what you're going to do with those things, I would love to come back and see what you do with those, For sure, and then the kids, I mean, and the students I've got adults and kids.
Speaker 2:We use it for the projects. So what we're doing is just recycling things over and over until it's all gone, until there's no more.
Speaker 1:I love it, I love it and that's one thing I've noticed. Some of my friends have taken classes from you or have their children, so put things on Facebook. I'm like, oh, my goodness, that's such a cute bag that they made and I love the excitement to Brooke that you have surrounding not only your business, but you just lit up when you started talking about your students. So, in your role as an educator, what aspects of fashion and design do you find most interesting or most rewarding to teach, and how do you inspire creativity within your students?
Speaker 2:Um, I think. Well, at least I hope. I hope I inspire them early on in the teaching process. I try to take a bit of the pressure off by not focusing on machine threading, because we all know that's like one of the like, most annoying parts of sewing. It's hard, it's dense, so we build up on that over time.
Speaker 2:Okay, so they get to sew. They get to sew the first day. Okay, you know, they get to go right into line where my first project is a pillow and they get to pick the fabric they want for it. So that's automatically design freedom. Right, so you might have the pieces pre-cut but you get to pick the colors you know. So that's already giving them some freedom. Second project same thing, pre-cut, but they get to pick the fabric. And that one's even more colorful. That's the tote bag. My students still bring their bags to class with them because they're really proud of it. They spend a lot of time making that. I've had people ask me and I've only had Min ask me this, which I'm not sure. I'm not sure if this is correlation. They said, well, do they get a certificate? And I'm like no, they get the joy of finishing the project Exactly, exactly.
Speaker 1:I'm like they don't need a certificate. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now I do have different levels of sewing.
Speaker 2:Okay, so you do kind of graduate from one to the other, but you work at your own pace. I think that also takes the pressure off, so they never feel like they're falling behind or they're never bored because they're being held back. They get to move at their own pace. Yeah, so it's just really chill. It's mixed age groups, so I teach eight-year-olds right next to six-year-old people. Yeah, so it's multi-generational and that's been really fun. That's great too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, when you said that, it shows me that it doesn't matter the age, right, it's like we're all, and I always say we're all this beautiful world together. When you lend a helping hand to somebody else or somebody watches you, you get inspired by that person who's sitting next to you Exactly, and it doesn't matter what the age is Exactly Breaking down those barriers, because we're always I mean while we're children at least we're always with our peer group, we're always putting us with the same age people.
Speaker 2:I've got friends that are 20 years younger than me and 20 years older than me and I love it Exactly.
Speaker 1:There's so much to learn from other people and their experiences.
Speaker 2:Yes, so I think that's been really good. They enjoy it. They just enjoy that aspect of it which is great In terms of what I teach them and why I teach that to them. I teach them the core values of sewing and then, as they progress, we go to the core values of design. Now, I don't think there's any particular right or wrong in something, but there's a process you have to go through in order to come out with a finished product. So I just work towards that. I let them have their design freedom, but I know when to reel them in and tell them what's actually doable in the amount of time that you have.
Speaker 2:I'm like a consultant especially with my advanced students and I have a lot of kids that have been with me for a long time, so they are advanced students in these classes and they get to work on their own projects at this point, Wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so do they call you and just make time slot, or is it open?
Speaker 2:or no, it's mixed age and it's mixed level. Okay, so I've got my times that I've said I'm teaching classes. They let me know which class they could take. They come once a week at that time. Oh, okay, so it's like I've been separating by season. So I'm going to have fall term.
Speaker 2:This is winter term right now, and then in April, spring term starts. Okay, yeah, okay. So they sign up for a group of classes. This is a 12 class series, and then my next one's going to be an eight class series, but you just keep going from where you left off. I like that.
Speaker 1:So it's like a three to four month period that they work within.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Okay, and some leave and come back later. Okay, some can only do summer, some can do the school year but not summer. So they just keep coming back and forth, which is great.
Speaker 1:Brooke, like I said, I follow you on Facebook and I love to see pictures of not only you and your students, but you. Every now and then we'll put pictures of your son.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, you know.
Speaker 1:So I would just like to know how do you balance motherhood and your full time business? How do you find inspiration and motivation in both aspects of your life to continue to?
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, I wanted to build my business in a way that I could be a present parent and be able to run my business on my own terms. So that's what I've been working towards all these years. My son is almost 10.
Speaker 2:No, I can't I can't, I can't which is crazy, and he's been right there along with me from the beginning, pretty much Literally. When we got our apartment was me and him at table and a sewing machine and a dream. And a dream I would say like that because literally I had my baby in my arm and my sewing machine on the table.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:I was like, okay, we're gonna do this. So I think he really gave me the spirit that I needed to propel myself. Yeah, for sure, and sometimes it takes something big like that you know, having a child or something to be really impactful in your life to get you moving For sure for sure. And kids tend to do that to us yeah for sure.
Speaker 2:So he's been great and I've got a lot more time for him. Now that there's separation between the business and the home life, it's so weird getting up and not seeing clothing racks in my apartment, like that's weird. But it's been great, it's been really good, and he spends a lot of time here with me too. I'm sure he has that creative bug with Enhanced yeah, he's very creative and he is a little delegator. He likes to tell people what to do, not in a mean way he just explains things to them.
Speaker 2:So he's. I think he's definitely taken that from me because he would be right there when I was teaching private lessons in my apartment. He heard it. He probably could have taught the class. He probably could have taught the class.
Speaker 1:That is a good boy. That's great. What advice would you have for mothers, parents in the workforce? One piece of advice you could leave them with.
Speaker 2:I would say I'll take the pandemic as a talking point for this. During the pandemic, we saw a lot of things. We saw a lot of people lose their jobs. I was able to stay in business and kind of roll with the punches and figure out something else to do and use my trade skills to my advantage. I think that it's never too late to learn a new skill. I think as parents, as providers, you can't be too dependent on one thing. You've got to have multiple skills. Maybe you're falling back on your minor skills that you got in college. Maybe you're getting a certificate in something you've never done before, just to make it. Just to make it. In this world, I know a lot of people are even doing side gigs. I did Airbnb for a couple of years and it was great. I loved it because I love meeting people. It feels great, we all be hanging out together. So you got to do what you got to do when you got to do it and feel good about those choices that you make. Thank you for that.
Speaker 1:It was a gift. I liked that as both a lover of fashion and an entrepreneur. What challenges and opportunities so do you see in the evolving landscape of fashion now?
Speaker 2:I feel like I've noticed a lot of trends emerging and I guess I can still tie in what I'm thinking of at the moment, right now, and that's recycling. I love it, but that's kind of affecting the apparel industry as a whole, because I think that especially younger generations are getting sick of fast fashion, and that has caused a lot of things to happen. It's caused a lot of second-hand shops to arise. It's caused a lot of small boutiques to arise. For the second-hand shops, it's a little more random and you've got a lot more merch, but then you've got these smaller boutiques that are pre-curating everything. They're either going hunting for items themselves, people are cutting things up and remaking them. You see it all over Instagram.
Speaker 2:So I would say that's kind of what's emerged, and it's almost been like a trickle-up factor from the bottom to the top. So now the top designers are trying to make their clothes look like they did in a recycle. Isn't that something? Yeah, it's been a whole thing. So then I had to take a second look. I'm like wait, girl. I think what the heck man? Y'all almost tricked me you almost got me that time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so they're catching on to the streetwear trends that people in small groups and subgroups are creating, and I still feel like my job's still going to be totally valid. I'm a seamstress, so I don't work corporately, so I think I can use that to my advantage somehow in recycling.
Speaker 1:So yeah, so can you tie that into the vintage rack that you have? Could you explain to our listeners what exactly your vintage rack is?
Speaker 2:I know, and it's funny because I think vintage rack is the most generic name ever.
Speaker 1:I love it, though I love it. It's exactly what it is, and it literally started with one rack.
Speaker 2:So in my apartment I'd have clients asking me do you have something I can wear with this dress, like a little sugar? I'm like no. I'm like no, especially if I made you something custom, I don't just have things around. So then I started thinking, ok, enough people are asking me maybe I should look for things like that that go with the formal wear. So then I just kind of started experimenting.
Speaker 2:I'd go to some estate sales and garage sales and pick up things that would go well with things I was working with. And then the customers that were coming in they knew about it, so they started to know that the rack was there and it was really popular. I'd even have people messaging me what you got in your rack this week and I'm like you got to come see, or I'll just pan over so they can see in a picture or something. But then I'm like, ok, this could be a thing, because I didn't know anybody in Rochester doing vintage at the time. So then I expanded the rack a little bit like made a full rack. And then I remember that day, the day I was opening, so to speak, I met a guy selling vintage.
Speaker 2:So he was there with his mom and he's like he was there. So funny. They're my first customers, so I took a picture of them. His name is Max Hayden. Ok, Yep, he sells clothes at Treatum.
Speaker 1:Ah, ok, yeah, OK.
Speaker 2:So he was like oh, I sell vintage and I was the first man I ever met anybody in Rochester selling vintage. But he does more of a masculine kind of more streetwear vibe which I'm just starting to catch on myself. I normally collect dresses and stuff and so it just blew up from there. I had an outdoor sale, kind of like in the midst of the pandemic, so we did it outside and I was like on a live feed. That was like the first time I was like, hey guys, come on over. I was like on the porch at my apartment building. It was a whole thing and I met some of my customers I have till this day I met my student, esme there. I've had Esme for six years now.
Speaker 2:Oh my goodness, like I've literally been teaching her for that long. I met her at that outdoor sale thing, wow. Yeah, so made a lot of connections through that, started doing pop-ups Okay, so I knew there was a real desire for that type of clothing and we just weren't seeing it here. I started doing the Minneapolis Vintage Market about a year ago and I made so many connections with other vendors up there and they have such a large vintage presence up there that you can find it anywhere. Literally every time I go there I go to a different store. I like go purposely go looking for some like weird hole in the wall store each time. So, knowing that I wanted a flagship, this was the perfect space for it. Yeah, so I just got a little space where I can keep all the clothes that I find. I'm open a few days a week and people have been liking it, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:You know, people have been discovering it, so For sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so do you also put it on Instagram? Like, do you take photos and put the pictures on Instagram so that you could sell them? Or if people have questions or inquiries about an item, they can DM you. Or do you have to come into the physical? They can if they see something that they like. Okay.
Speaker 2:But I don't actually go through item by item. I might make a reel of 10 to 15 looks and they could ask that way, but I do encourage them to come in because I think it's very important that you try it before you buy it. Okay, you better try it on. Some people don't like to do that and they just want to buy it, but I don't have a return policy, so you can't bring it back, you better try it on Exactly.
Speaker 1:This is a real meaning of you buy it. You buy it Exactly. There's no return, no return, no exchanges.
Speaker 2:So you better really like it, and I think that quality over quantity is something that people need to learn how to practice, especially with our environmental issues going on just really picking those pieces that make you feel you know, they make you feel special and they make you feel comfortable. So you want to pick those type of things to have in your wardrobe, for sure, for sure.
Speaker 1:Those items that stand the test of time.
Speaker 2:Yes, exactly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, your commitment to bringing joy through creativity, like I've said over and over, is quite inspiring. How does the process of making and designing your items contribute to your overall well being and also happiness for yourself and for those around you?
Speaker 2:I'll use the example of working out with my apartment. For many years, you know, I'd spend 14 hours a day sewing by myself. It was like solitary confinement. I was like anytime anybody walked in there I'd be talking their head off because I hadn't seen people for like two days, you know. So it's really nice to be able to see people every single day. You know, I get a few surprise people, but then I have the people I expect to come in for their classes and I can follow up with them, see how their days and weeks were going. And you've got to have that interaction with people. Like that's like a human necessity. Yeah, you got to have that. So that's already increased my mood, my energy. This just made me appreciative of what I do have and also more aware of what I'm capable to give to people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I like that. And one thing I will tell you, dear listeners, is that Brooks Space is so inviting Like I'm sitting here and it just fills me with joy and I can see the joy that it brings you and the space is light and airy and you're surrounded by things that you love and that you're able again to give back to the community and have them appreciate and love the art of creativity within themselves too. But this space is amazing.
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 1:I don't even so. So but now.
Speaker 2:I want to go in, so, so, so. It makes me want to feel I've had people walk in here and be like can I just be here with you? Can I just hang out with you? I'm like, if you want to Like it just makes you feel safe. I agree, yeah, and that's what I wanted it to be a safe space.
Speaker 1:Thank you you achieved that, my friend. So since it is Black History Month, we're just going to reflect a little bit on Black History. Can you share a pivotal moment, or quite possibly it could be an individual from Black History who has inspired and influenced your journey as a clothing designer, a fiber artist and an educator?
Speaker 2:Oh wow, oh man, hmm, interesting, that's a good question. Hmm, somebody who's really impacted me. I think the Obamas in general are amazing and I think that was like when they were in office and Michelle Obama was just like such a figure and such a fashion figure. You know, I think watching her during that time that's when I was in college.
Speaker 2:You know, so it just was like oh, you know, like we can become great things, we can be leaders, you know, and it just kind of reinforced the fact that I still wanted to start my own business.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you persevere and you just keep working. That's it. I like that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you for that. What advice do you have for aspiring designers and entrepreneurs looking to turn their passion into successful careers?
Speaker 2:Oh boy, that's a big one, wow. Well, it's a big one for a few different things. So when I went to college, I studied the manufacturing side of clothing. So I was trained to work a corporate job at a business. You know, target whomever, wherever you go, on a design team of some sort.
Speaker 2:When that was actually never what I wanted to do. I didn't really know until I was like doing it and yeah, that's how hard life happens. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it is right, you know, and you're constantly being reviewed and stuff in the corporate world, right. So I was like that's not where I want to be. I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do. I would say to college students in general you don't always have to know right away. You don't have to go to college knowing what you're going to study. You might go to a college that offers a couple things that you want to study and then just kind of see where you end up in that. You know, put some thought into it, because I did not declare until I was a sophomore in college. I thought maybe biology.
Speaker 1:You know that was like my other option.
Speaker 2:So I was like, hmm, okay, so let me just kind of feel it out and I think that never think that you can only do one thing. That's very important. You can do lots of things. I think that you do need to have focus in what you do, so make sure that you're gaining as much knowledge about this area of study that you are passionate about. So gain that knowledge. Knowledge doesn't stop after college. Ooh, that rhymes.
Speaker 1:It is.
Speaker 2:I didn't even know. I was like, hey, okay.
Speaker 1:I think you might have another career too.
Speaker 2:Exactly, I need to put that on a t-shirt. We're putting that on shirts. There you go. Yes, we are ready, and I just think that, when it comes to entrepreneurship, there's no right or wrong way. You're all on your own journey and you will make mistakes along the way. That's how you rebound from the mistakes that will change your outcome.
Speaker 1:Let me just tell you I honestly have had so much fun sitting with you today and, like I said in the beginning, even though this is our official first meeting of sorts, have that genuine welcoming spirit. I have thoroughly enjoyed this conversation. You've made me laugh.
Speaker 1:I wish I had a tissue because I was like dabbing on my eyes, like you are a serial, but just such a lovely person and a lovely spirit. I've had so much fun, like I said, sitting down today and chatting with you about what you do, how you inspire others, how you inspire those within our community, and from your commitment to sustainability to your fashion sense, to your role as an educator. I guess the word that comes to my mind if I could put a word that would describe my encounter today it is just joy. It's joyful to be in your presence. Thank you for allowing me to not only interview you. This has truly been an honor for me. Thank you so much, though. Thank you for inspiring us all, brooke. Thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. And now that the interview is officially over, I would like to ask you a fun question. Okay, if you could design an outfit for a fictional character in your favorite movie or TV show, what would it be and who would it be for?
Speaker 2:Oh, boy SpongeBob. No, I'm kidding, I'm kidding SpongeBob will slay, let's see. Ooh, that's a good question. I've always really liked sci-fi and futuristic type clothing, but Like Star Trek, yeah, that type of stuff, or like Black Panther.
Speaker 1:Like any of those you know? Yeah, like the type of stuff.
Speaker 2:But gosh, because, okay, the person I'm thinking of. I usually do more women's wear, but I'm thinking of the Witcher from the Witcher and it's a guy, but I feel like I could make some sort of really awesome cloak for him with a piece of beautiful body armor over the top. That would be really cool. That's cool.
Speaker 1:It's really cool. He needs to dress up a little more. I like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.