Uniform Studio

Artist: Martha McQuade
Website: Uniform Studio
Etsy: Uniform Studio
Blog: Uniform Studio Journal

Where are you located?
Minneapolis, Minnesota

What do you create?
I primarily make clothing and accessories for children and adults, along with some house goods. This includes sewn and knit items. I also dye a lot of the fabric and yarn that I use.

I am an architect by trade, and so I make buildings and landscapes as well. In the past I have worked as a furniture and cabinetmaker and have done some graphic design. I also love to paint. I guess I just like making things.



How did you come up with your company name?
The short answer is that I had an aquaintance once who always referred to what he was wearing as his uniform. I liked the idea in that it referenced what he was wearing with his identity. It wasn't that he always wore the exact same thing, but that what he wore was a part of him and you could see his identity in how he dressed each day.

The longer answer is that one definition of the word uniform is an idea of constancy. In everything I create I am interested in a unified idea of making, where underlying qualities are constant and form, structure and texture are inherent in the way the garment and fabric are made.

I am interested in exploring how seams, construction and molding of fabric can be integral to the design of a garment or object. In this way, design comes from the construction and material, the integration of light and the way the garment interacts w/ the body. Emphasis is on manipulation of fabric, rather than embellishment.

uni form seemed a good way to express these ideas:
uni -consisting of one. one -combined elements form one substance
form -to make; the essence of something

I am also very interested in collaboration and ideally would like to build UNIFORM Studio into a studio with multiple people and various projects. I feel like everything I do is collaborative in some way so adding studio after the name made sense to me.



When and why did you decide to start your business?
I didn't really plan it. I have always made a lot of my own clothing. When my friends started having children I made baby and kids clothing for them and then eventually for my own children when I had them. About three years ago during the winter holidays one of my friends was hosting a sort of craft sale, and asked me if I wanted to join in and sell some of my children's clothing. The funny thing is that I didn't sell much and had a ton of stuff left over. After that I saw an ad for a local indie craft sale and signed up, hoping to unload all of the things I had made. I ended up selling everything in about 4 hours and meeting some owners of local shops who were interested in carrying my line. UNIFORM Studio has grown steadily ever since.



Where do you get your inspiration for your projects?
I am really inspired by material, texture and light. It would appear that this comes from my architectural background, but I think I have always been drawn to these things and in actuality this is probably why I chose to pursue architecture. In my clothing design I am really interested in how particular materials and the way they are manipulated can become the design of a garment. I am really inspired by seeing how light interacts with materials in nature -deep crevices in bark and the shadows they create, the changing color and movement of the sky or water. This might translate into a surface exploration of making my own textural fabric, or into forming a garment with structured and exposed seams or into a fabric dyeing process.

When and how did you learn to sew?
My mother, who knit and sewed a lot of my clothing when I was young taught me to sew when I was around 10, I think.



Which of the tools you use is your favorite?
I love tools. It's hard to pick a favorite although being a person who loves the process more than the product I would say that the simple ones are the ones I gravitate to. If I could only do one thing it would probably be knitting. I like how slow it is and I love the fact that you can make an entire garment that is 3 dimensional and shaped to the body with one continuous strand and no seams. I really love my wood and bamboo knitting needles.

What keeps you motivated?
Making things. The more I make, the more ideas I have and the more things I want to explore. I am also very motivated by seeing all of the amazing work and process of other artists, both friends and those whose work I see in gallerys, museums or online. I find it especially inspiring and motivating to meet someone whose work I find beautiful but very different than my own. It's interesting to see how another point of view can inform your own work.



How do you get the word out about your work?
It has really been just word of mouth. I have clothing in a few shops here in Minneapolis (Design Collective and Gallery 360). I also have a website, an online journal, and an online etsy shop.

Recently there has been a bit more press:
There is another article about UNIFORM Studio currently at twincitiesnightclubs.com and one of my dresses is going to be in the April issue of the fashion magazine L'Etoile.

What is your main goal for the next 6-12 months?
I would like to focus on developing a process of documenting and presenting my clothing collections and putting them up on my website. Currently I take all of my photographs myself and I don't have any models (other than myself and friends). I would like to get to a point where I could collaborate with a photographer and develop a style of documentation that would fit with the work and be consistant.



What is the biggest challenge about having a business?
For me I think it is the business side -all of the financial aspects and marketing. As I begin to sell more I have also started to realize how time consuming the labeling, packaging and shipping is.

Who are some of your favorite indie designers/artists?
My favorite indie artist goes by the name of Ninjagrl. She is a street artist and you can see her amazing work here.

I guess I'm a bit biased as she's my best friend, but I like the fact that while her work and mine are very different in mediums, I see a connection in ideas about repetition and layer and color.

I have lots of other favorites as well. It seems funny to me to name some and not others, as there are so many people whose work and process I admire for different reasons.



What's your definition of a perfect day?
A day where I'm up early and have a long morning alone to myself, making stuff, no deadlines, a long walk with my sons, visiting the Walker Art Center and eating thai takeout with my husband over the sunday times magazine section.

Thank you Martha!

Beyond Her

Artist: Paule Hewlett
Web site: Beyond Her

Where are you located?
Right now I'm in a bedroom in my home that I've set up as the Beyond Her universe. The walls are lined with wire shelves. There is lots of stuff on the walls and a big table in the middle which stays very messy with things I'm working on.

What do you create?
I start with the artwork, primarily watercolors and pen and ink. Then I transfer the images onto various surfaces, including paper, textiles, and ceramics. Right now the Beyond Her line includes stationery (calendars and note cards); housewares (mugs); aprons and tote bags; natural soaps, candles and baby clothes. I also sell some limited edition prints. I have journals, pillows and yoga clothes in the product development phase.

There is always a literary component to the products. I love and collect quotes; my favorites fall into a category between sweet and cynical. It's a fine line, but I focus on what I think of as wisdom. I find the combination of art + wisdom very satisfying.

I also spend a lot of time on the packaging; I'm very interested in how the products look on the shelf and how the pieces go together. The note card sets, for example, all have a theme, reflected in the images, the quotes, the labels and the envelopes. They're really little collections.



How did you come up with your company name?
It was a friend's idea. I didn't realize how much I say "It's beyond me," when I come across something I don't understand. I've learned to appreciate the name with time. This really IS beyond me. I don't know why I'm so committed to it. I couldn't stop if I wanted to. More than one person has said I'm out of control.

When and why did you decide to start your business?
I've always done crafts and made a lot of gifts. In 1999 I made my first calendars in the format I still use -- an image and quote per month, in a 5 x 7 acrylic frame. I think I had them printed at Kinko's and put them in a cheesy frame from KMart. The rest is history.

I started selling at church holiday shows and I still sell at small to medium sized shows. I really like the interaction with customers, although I realize I need to focus on wholesaling to grow.

I've been a freelance business writer for 25 years. (I published humorous essays online under the Beyond Her banner for a couple of years). Just recently, I've started seeing the possibility of having Beyond Her as a real job. I hope to make that a reality in the next two years.



When did you start painting?
In high school, in Mr. Peterson's class. He was one of those teachers who has a real impact, although I doubt he would remember me. His confidence in my talent meant a lot.

I actually started out as an art major in college, but I changed direction because I thought it was too impractical. Don't laugh - I switched to English.

I picked up painting again when my kids were little - watercolors were quick to dry and easy to clean up. So here I am, all these years later, trying to make a business out of art.



Where do you get your inspiration for your paintings?
I tend to focus on what I call "everyday objects," which include plants and flowers that I gather outside and things I love around the house, like jewelry and pincushions and books. I take a very micro view. I have never been disappointed by how beautiful and wondrous most things are when you take the time to study them.

I never would have said this a few years ago, but I see God in all the details. If something is pleasant to look at and use, I feel like it's worth capturing. It makes me reverent.

Just lately, though, I sat down and painted 8 "good spirits" in a blind fury. They could be either angels or fairies. When I stopped, I saw they were very similar in style to how I painted in high school, when my dream was to illustrate children's books. I honestly don't know where this flight of fantasy came from.



What keeps you motivated?
I need to keep doing artwork just to get my products started. I enjoy the process, but I always have an end in mind.

As I said, this is very much a passion. I adore the high quality, well-designed products in my life. I guess my intention is to keep going until I fill my entire house with products that I enjoy.

Is there any technique/medium that you still haven’t used and would like to try out?
So many! I'd love to make prints. I haven't had a really messy art project for decades. I'd also like to learn to do ceramics. I have a thing about stamped bowls and plates. My biggest fantasy, though, is designing fabrics. I'm a textile freak!



What advice would you give to someone starting a creative business?
Focus on the positive; don't even listen to anything negative. I often think of a story Roseanne Barr tells about starting out as a comedian. Her comedy was so different; a lot of people didn't get it. So her sister would go to her gigs and make a point of standing behind the people who WERE laughing. It helped her focus on what she was doing right.

I also don't think I could do this if I didn't love it. This is still the most fun I can have - even when I'm gluing labels on boxes, the time just flies. I always say that the day I wake up and think, "oh, no, I've gotta do more Beyond Her stuff," is the day this story ends.

What’s the most important thing you’d like people to know/understand about your work?
That Beyond Her takes a little time to appreciate. You have a think a minute to see how the image and the quote and the product relate. But it's worth it. Beyond Her keeps on giving.

What’s on your nightstand?
As always, a novel. I read for 30-40 minutes in the early morning. Right now, a bible and lenten readings. Oh, and reading glasses!


Thank you Paule!

Hello!

I just wanted to check in to let you all know that apparently the beginning of the year has been a busy one (a great thing!!) for all the creative people I've approached for interviews. I'll try to get something up soon, promise!

Thanks for your patience and for visiting! :)
Patricia