studio524

studio524's Shop Announcement

I am a freelance artist, illustrator and designer, garnering most of my work from one phase of the fashion industry or another. Despite that fact, I often find myself working across a wide range of markets for a very diverse list of clients.

Organically speaking, I like to think of my work as quirky - with a dark side - and I am always striving to push the viewer's imagination to the outer edges. Popular subjects include women's issues, human rights, globalization, communication, and the complexities of human relationships.

You can find samples of my work online at:
studio524.ebsqart.com
www.istockphoto.com/studio524
www.spraygraphic.com/studio524
warmart.ning.com/profile/HazeMcElhenny

My profiles are also available on
http://www.facebook.com/haze.mcelhenny
http://twitter.com/mchaze

As for Skirting the Issue, the project began in the summer of 2006 after working very closely with a commercial screen printer. During the length of this project I was fortunate enough to witness and become involved in all phases of the the process of commercial screen printing and I was aghast and appalled at the amount of waste created and the number of sample runs that were assigned to the trash because they did not meet client specifications in one way or another. This really got me thinking about how to reclaim some of those goods without trampling on license issues.

Shortly after that project closed, I found myself at a local thrift store. This particular store had more than several racks (in fact it was almost an entire floor) of tees. Many were barely worn and of a very high quality but I still wondered how many had any chance of being sold and actually worn and more - how many would soon be packed off to the landfill.

Actually seeing and realizing all of this waste was very disturbing. So I started cutting and sewing a few proto-type designs of skirts and polymorphic garments for my own personal use. It wasn't long before I was sewing designs to spec for others.

Then, in June of 2007, the very first "conga line" was formed and Skirting the Issue was launched to a globally-based group of women who purchsed samples and experimental designs that were created just for them. This conga line started in Perth Australia, wound through Belgium, the UK, and finally landed back stateside in Georgia, Virginia, California, Ohio, Hawaii, Tennessee, Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, bringing the business of upcycling tees to an entirely new level.

The conga line continued to grow into 2008 and I was working exclusively with clients on a one-to-one basis, producing no real stock and sewing only to spec. Clients chose their designs from sketches, provided their measurements, defined their color preferences and selected art for their individual creations. All was good and quite a number of tees were reclaimed, reused, and upcylced during this phase of Skirting the Issue.

Early in the spring of 2009, I signed on with the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce to participate in ArtWalk, an event held in Downtown Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. During this event mostly local artists, hosted by downtown merchants, take to the sidewalk to demonstrate, display and market their wares. The event occurs the last Saturday of every month from April through September.

I immediately realized that I would need some stock and samples to show and so I began the process of creating a line of "one size fits most" designs that would flatter most figures. Well, one size never really fits most and so I began producing skirts and polymorphs in sizes small-medium, medium-large, large-XLarge.

These sample designs have been very well received but, as I begin to design for the change of seasons, I do have some "leftover" styles available in season at very recession-friendly prices - my first ever "Summer Sample Sale". This is the basis of some of my Etsy offerings as I begin designing for the transitional fall 2009.

Of course I would still be happy for you to join the conga line and to produce a one of a kind design, sewn to spec, just for you. Contact me either by phone, email of Etsy convo and I'll explain, in detail, how it works. It's very easy and you will be involved in the entire design process from start to finish. As always, this is about you and creating a garment that you will absolutely adore. You choose your colors and the art, define your fit preferences and body issues, provide your measurements and participate as the skirt or polymorph is developed just for you.

What's more is that you will be supporting a world of good and Skirting the Issue, reclaiming some fabulously well-made, high quality tees. All of thee tees used in production of my skirts and polymorphs are hand selected and purchased from local thrift stores that support needy families and/or disadvantaged individuals.