PATTERN Magazine Issue 8 Fall 2015

ISSUE NO. 8_15 dollars

FASHIONING A COMMUNITY.

+ FEATURING DANIELA UPSHAW, BAMCO, RICKETT’S INDIGO, ALLISON FORD, MATTY BENNETT, CURT ATON AND MORE

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sculpture objects functional art and design November 6–8 Opening Night, November 5 Navy Pier

Ken Akaji, Ippodo Gallery

sofaexpo.com

EDITOR’S LETTER

TIME TO GET OUR HANDS DIRTY TO MY GREAT EXCITEMENT, IN FEBRUARY, THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS decided to invest in the creation of a makerspace inside the gigantic Circle City Industrial Complex located in the Mass Ave/ Brookside corridor. The grant was part of a broader initiative to stimulate and support small scale manufacturing job creation in Indianapolis. Since then it’s been a non-stop medley of meetings with city planners, architects, makers, consultants, sponsors and donors. Bringing Ruckus - the makerspace - online is a huge undertaking, and I am deeply grateful that so many entities and individuals have offered their support to Pattern and our partner, Riley Area Development Corporation, to help make it happen.

AS IF THAT ISN’T ENOUGH, WHEN THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF PATTERN STORE ROLLED AROUND, instead of throwing a party, we decided to rework the entire concept, and re-launch as Pattern Workshop—a combination of micro-makerspace, showroom and event space. We’re still on Mass ave in the Trailside building, just in a different space, and it looks amazing! The revised concept is what I had originally envisioned when the opportunity to have a storefront presented itself - I think taking makers out of their basements and spare bedrooms and putting them front and center on a lively, downtown street is one of the best ways that we can continue to educate our community about the Maker Movement, and why it matters. As this issue is going to print, Christian, Jerry, Chelsea, Eric and Rachel, are all busy moving into the space and getting ready to take their businesses to the next level. If you haven’t had a chance to stop by and meet them yet, please do so!

AND SO PATTERN’S WORK TO PUT THE MAKERS OF OUR FINE CITY ON THE NATIONAL AND INTERNAtional stage continues. We’ve taken many great strides in the last five years. Tangible support from Indy’s civic and business leaders means that there is a growing understanding of the importance of small-scale manufacturing for our city’s economic, and yes, cultural future, but we’ve got a long way to go yet.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? FOR STARTERS GET TO KNOW THE LOCAL MAKERS - THERE ARE QUITE A FEW OF THEM—AND BE SURE to support them by purchasing their goods. Also? Tell your friends! And if it’s been a while since you last visited downtown Indianapolis, I invite you to come and see how much growing up our little city has done in the last few years—I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

FINALLY, I HOPE THAT THE CURRENT ISSUE NOT ONLY OPENS YOUR EYES TO ALL THE DIVERSE TALent and cool stuff happening in Indianapolis, but perhaps also inspires you to pick up some tools, and get back to exploring a well-loved hobby or creative outlet. Making stuff is where it’s at!

PS. As our publication matures, we’ve decided to venture more purposefully outside of Indy’s borders to share our story with the rest of the world, face to face. So starting with the current issue we’ll be traveling to different parts of the country, making new friends, visiting old ones, and bringing back great Hoosier expat stories and fabulous fashion editorials. This issue, we went to NYC, and had an amazing time! Next stop? LA!

POLINA OSHEROV_EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

PHOTO ©BENJAMIN BLEVINS

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PATTERN ISSUE NO. 8

COMING SPRING 2016 | INDYRUCKUS.COM

FASHIONING A COMMUNITY.

PUBLIC RELATIONS Keri Kirschner

AD SALES

ads@patternindy.com Account Director Laura Walters Account Director Jordan Updike

DISTRIBUTION

Distributed worldwide

by Publishers Distribution Group, Inc. pdgmags.com Printed by Fineline Printing, Indianapolis, IN USA PATTERN Magazine ISSN 2326-6449 is published by PATTERN

EVENTS

Event Director Laura Walters events@patternindy.com Event Coordinators Abbi Johnson Amanda Meyer Volunteer Coordinator Esther Boston

ONLINE

Senior Web Developer Peter Densborn Web Developer Tony Ledford Content Manager Eric Rees content@patternindy.com

SHOWROOM

871 Massachusetts Ave Indianapolis, IN 46204 Hours: 12-5p, Thr-Sat

VIDEO

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Maria Dickman Kenan Farrell Daniel Incandela Kyle Lacy Craig McCormick Polina Osherov Sherron Rogers Eric Strickland Barry Wormser Tamara Zahn

HOW TO REACH PATTERN

Events: For the latest on Pattern events, sign up for updates via meetup.com/pattern

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Visit patternindy.com/subscribe Back issues, permissions, reprints info@patternindy.com Advertising inquiries ads@patternindy.com

EDITORIAL

Editor & Creative Director Polina Osherov Design Director Kathy Davis Managing Editor Eric Rees Senior Designer Lindsay Hadley Senior Copy Editor Mary G. Barr Editors-at-Large Benjamin & Janneane Blevins & Maria Dickman Staff Photographer Esther Boston

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Kevin Aranibar Al Bracken Wil Foster Shaun Frederickson Hadley “Tad” Fruits Elese Keturah Polina Osherov Greg Perez Stephen Simonetto Christopher Whonsetler

ILLUSTRATORS

Jon McClure Aaron Scamihorn

WRITERS

Mary G. Barr Maria Dickman Amanda Dorman Catherine Fritsch Crystal Hammon Dylan Hodges Denver Hutt Abbi Johnson Richard McCoy Ashley Minyard NaShara Mitchell Kate Newman Gabrielle Poshadlo Austin Radcliffe Sam Stall Madie Szrom Danielle Waggoner Laura Walters

DESIGNERS

Doug Eaddy Andy Fry Lindsay Hadley Lars Lawson Amy McAdams-Gonzales Jon McClure Stacey McClure Katie Snider Cody Thompson

DESIGN INTERN Abigail Godwin

PATTERN WORKSHOP & EDITORIAL OFFICES PATTERN 871 Massachusetts Ave Indianapolis, IN 46204 By appointment only

A SPECIAL THANKS TO

Riley Area Development Corporation, Sun King Brewing, IndyChamber, PRINTtEXT, SpeakEasy, KLF Legal, Central Indiana Community Foundation, Indianapolis Downtown Inc, LISC, Moyer Fine Jewelers, and Horizon Bank 8

PATTERN ISSUE NO. 8

CHALLENGER G U S TAV E E F R O Y M S O N ENTREPRENEUR

FEARLESS BUSINESSMAN. FIGHTER OF BIGOTRY. FOREFATHER OF PHILANTHROPY IN CENTRAL INDIANA.

THE COMMUNITY WE’VE BECOME STARTED TAKING SHAPE A CENTURY AGO. THE COMMUNITY WE’LL BE IN 100 YEARS

STARTS WITH YOU.

Share your vision for the future of Central Indiana at CICF.org/BeIN.

CONTENTS PATTERN ISSUE NO. 8 patternindy.com

TEXT EDITOR’S LETTER, 6 CONTRIBUTORS, 12 TRUE BLUE, 24 RALEIGH DENIM, 30 BAMCO Q&A, 32 MAKING SPACE FOR MAKERS, 34 HIDE BOUND, 46 MADE IN INDIANA, 51 Danisha Brown Jerry Lee Atwood Ian Oehler Christopher Stuart Allison Ford Matthew Osborn Matty Bennett Brian McCutcheon Indy_Droids Curt Aton Sister Karen BECK JONES Q&A, 68 DANIELA UPSHAW, 74 THE MAKER’S PROCESS, 78 INDxNYC, 104 CRIMSON TATE Q&A, 128 OP-ED, 160

IMAGES CONSTRUCTED, 14 HARD WEAR, 41 THE MAKER’S MAP, 64 RED HARING, 70 STUFF ARRANGED PRECISELY , 76 BEAUTY BREAKFAST, 80 LOVELY BONES, 84 SKYLINES, 94 CONCRETE, 110 IN CONFIDENTIAL, 121 INFURTUATION, 130 QUEEN NAPOLEON, 138 DAY GLOW, 144 A HAUNTING FALL, 152 ON THE COVER Ebony, LModelz Model Management Photography by Polina Osherov Art Direction by Polina Osherov & DaNisha Greene Style by DaNisha Greene Makeup by Kathy Moberly Hair by Philip Salmon Manicurist Tenesa Burnett Photography assistant: Esther Boston Wardrobe assistant: Candace Bullock Retouch by Wendy Towle Wardrobe: Hooded mesh sweater, Arreic Black romper, Arreic

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ON THIS PAGE Dress, Vivien Jackson by Mariah Crop Top, Arreic Accessories, Cheeky Couture

CONTRIBUTORS

MAKERS OF ANOTHER KIND WORD SMITHS, DOCUMENTARIANS AND LAYOUT NINJAS ILLUSTRATIONS BY AARON SCAMIHORN AL BRACKEN, PHOTOGRAPHER

DENVER HUTT, WRITER

DOUG EADDY, DESIGNER

AUSTIN RADCLIFFE, ARTIST AND CURATOR

INFURTUATION, PAGE 130

MATTY BENNETT, PAGE 59

QUEEN NAPOLEON, PAGE 138

STUFF ARRANGED PRECISELY, PAGE 76

albrackenphotography.com

Indianapolis native Al Bracken has always been drawn to the arts in its various forms. He was Introduced to the medium of photography by a college roommate assisting a local NBA and NFL sports photographer, but discovered that he was more drawn to fashion editorial and advertising imagery. He built a relationship with LModelz Model Management where he tested with all the new talent. After a year of portfolio building, he packed two suitcases and boarded a New York City bound Greyhound coach and freelanced in the city for various modeling agencies, as well as doing actor headshots, and cookbooks for clothing startups. Now back in Indy, Al is in preparations to attend a one-year portfolio school in Chicago this fall for art direction. His goal is to be an art director living in New York City and working with luxury and commercial fashion brands.

If you could spend your whole life making something, what would it be?

Building a large house or public museum with various rooms, antechambers, and secret passageways with each space having it’s own unique charm or character. Think of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.

ASHLEY MINYARD, WRITER @ashleyminyard_

INDXNYC, PAGE 104 Ashley Minyard is a recent Indiana University grad who has just made the big move to New York City. She is looking to start her career in magazines, a passion that Pattern has helped inspire. She loves all things creative—art, fashion, music, and food—and seeing Indiana’s arts community grow and develop makes her proud to be a Hoosier.

If you could spend your whole life making something, what would it be?

If I could make a living by “making” I would make magazines!

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@denverallison

A born Southern Californian but Hoosier at Heart, Denver Hutt attended Indiana University—Bloomington where she earned degrees in political science and criminal justice. Following her graduation in 2009, Hutt moved to Indianapolis where she was named Executive Director of Central Indiana’s first collaborative work space, The Speak Easy. Under Hutt’s leadership, The Speak Easy’s adopted its vision to “cultivate an entrepreneurial community in which its members create, collaborate, and learn.” This echoes Hutt’s driving passion to connect community partners to produce new relationships and advance economic opportunity across Indianapolis.

Hutt’s efforts have led to her being recognized as an Indianapolis Business Journal “Forty Under 40” honoree, a member of the Stanley K. Lacey Series class XXXIX, an Indy Star Woman to Know and a Plan2020 CityCorps Fellow.

NASHARA MITCHELL, WRITER @Nashsaramitchell

OP-ED, PAGE 160 NaShara Mitchell is a SUCCESS advocate, strategist, speaker, educator, entrepreneur, and business owner (#SASSEE B) reframing gaps to opportunities in education, business and life for women, creatives, and the underrepresented. With 14 years in higher education administration and business ownership, she currently serves as assistant dean of academic affairs and student development for the Indiana University Graduate School. As a Plan C professional, she is also the owner of Studio B Creative Exchange, an unconventional co-working accelerator and event space, the Design Bank-a maker space with Impact in 3D and Ready to Blush—a beauty and wellness concierge.

If you could spend your whole life making something, what would it be?

Make ideas happen for ALL.

blazedesignstudio.com

Doug Eaddy is a new design recruit to the Pattern Magazine Army. Hailing from a small town in Scranton, South Carolina, Doug brings his unique perspective in design by incorporating his architectural background to his new found love: art direction and graphic design. If Doug not seen indulging in the southern tradition of BBQ and football, he is found designing and exercising his entrepreneurial skills by focusing on his own studio Blaze Design Studio. His dedication and perseverance awarded him the opportunity to have his work featured on prominent websites “Abduzeedo” and “Packaging of the World.” and have designs selected by Grammy Award Nominee recording artist Kendrick Lamar and renowned recording artist Wale. He’s even happier that he is able to fulfill his desire by helping people dream different and dream bigger. That’s why he lives by his motto: Live Life. Takes Risks. Have No Regrets.

If you could spend your whole life making something, what would it be?

Designing affordable homes/communities for lower income families, veterans and the elderly. I feel that just because you’re poor, older or a veteran you shouldn’t be deprived from being a able to have a stress-free and safe environment. And with the world changing, we all need to do a better job of giving individuals a better shot at life and it starts at home.

AARON SCAMIHORN ILLUSTRATOR AND SCREEN PRINTER, RONLEWHORN INDUSTRIES ronlewhorn.com

CONTRIBUTORS, PAGE 13 He is an illustrator and screen printer living in Indianapolis and operating his business under the name Ronlewhorn Industries. He produces hand-screenprinted artwork such as gig posters for bands like Cake, Taking Back Sunday and Dropkick Murphys as well as pop culture prints featuring movies such as The Princess Bride, Scott Pilgrim and The Burbs.

If you could spend your whole life making something, what would it be?

Portraits. I love illustrating faces. There is something so captivating about unique facial features that I can’t get enough of it. I see some faces and and I just have an itch to draw them.

thingsorganizesneatly.tumblr.com

Austin Radcliffe is a photographer, blogger, curator and art-world freelancer. Based in Cincinnati, he spends most of his time between the Midwest and NYC. Austin has worked with a growing list of galleries and institutions around the world, including Tate Modern in London, Art Basel in Switzerland and Mt. Comfort in Indianapolis. He also runs the Webby Award-winning tumblr and soonto-be-book, “Things Organized Neatly,” which will be published in Spring 2016 with Universe/ Rizzoli.

If you could spend your whole life making something, what would it be?

If I could exist making anything, I would make installation art with Taryn Cassella and Anna Martinez from Copy/Culture Studio.

SAM STALL, WRITER

TRUE BLUE, PAGE 24 Sam Stall is a veteran journalist who’s written or co-written 16 non-fiction books and three novels (none of which you’ve heard of). This is his first piece for Pattern, and it brings him one step closer to his life’s goal of appearing in every print publication in North America.

If you could spend your whole life making something, what would it be?

Like all freelance writers, I regularly toy with the idea of getting into another profession.

Beer making sounds intriguing—especially since growing an epic beard is practically a job requirement for brew masters. But I can’t stand beer, which probably disqualifies me.

Perhaps some form of carpentry work? Nah. That trade takes skill, extensive training, and good hand-eye coordination—all of which I lack. Better to stick with writing. At least I’m reasonably sure I’ll end each workday with the same number of fingers with which I started.

NASHARA M

ITCHELL

L

L SAM STA

AUSTIN

FE

RADCLIF

DOUG EADD

Y

AL BRA CKEN

AARON SCAMIHORN

DENVE

R HUT

T ASHLEY MINYARD

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHAUN FREDERICKSON ART DIRECTION BY KATHY DAVIS AND LARS LAWSON STYLE BY LAURA WALTERS MAKEUP BY GREG ROSE FOR MAC COSMETICS HAIR BY SHAWN DILLMAN, SARAH VONEWEGEN AND JESSE NORRIS FOR HAIRSPRAY BY SHAWN DAVID PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTED BY BETHANY FREDERICKSON, LAURA DE LA PAZ AND MATTHEW ZEGLEN WARDROBE ASSISTED BY CIERRA MCNEAL MODELS: AYDEN MORRIS, MARISSA AKERS, JORDAN ANTHONY AND RON STREET (LMODELZ MODEL MANAGEMENT) PROPS FURNISHED BY SOCIETY OF SALVAGE LOCATION PROVIDED BY BILTWELL EVENT CENTER DESIGN BY LARS LAWSON

ALL QUOTES TAKEN FROM “FRANKENSTEIN” BY MARY SHELLEY WEDDING GOWN, 317 BRIDE SNAKE BRACELET, VINTAGE, MURPH DAMRON SHOES, MODEL’S OWN

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LEFT: TOPHAT, COSTUMES BY MARGIE | CHOKER, PROFYLE BOUTIQUE | CLOCK NECKLACE, STYLIST’S OWN | RING, NICHE | FEATHER SHRUG, BOUTIQUE ON THE BOULEVARD | BUSTIER, PILLOW TALK | SKIRT, PROFYLE BOUTIQUE | RIGHT: GOGGLES, CITY MOTO | BOW TIES, STYLIST’S OWN | APRONS, SOCIETY OF SALVAGE

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DRESS, PROFYLE BOUTIQUE | BUSTIER, VINTAGE, MURPH DAMRON | BELTS, STYLIST’S OWN, TOGGERY | SHOES, MODEL’S OWN

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LEFT: JACKET, STYLIST’S OWN | BLOUSE, THE TOGGERY | RIGHT: DRESS, MARIE’S BRIDAL COUTURE GLOVE, VINTAGE, MURPH DAMRON | SHOES, BOUTIQUE ON THE BOULEVARD

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LEFT: LEATHER VEST, NICHE | DRESS, CALVIN KLIEN | CHOKER, THE TOGGERY | RAM NECKLACE, NICHE | RIGHT: DRESS, MARIE GABRIEL COUTURE

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TEXT BY SAM STALL + PHOTOGRAPHY BY HADLEY “TAD” FRUITS +DESIGN AND HAND LETTERING BY KATHY DAVIS

THE ALL-ABSORBING ART OF

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T

he media insists on calling textile artist Rowland Ricketts a “maker.” Last year he and his Japaneseborn wife, Chinami, were one of ten winners of the 2014 Martha Stewart American Made program. And Metropolis magazine recently listed the couple among its best new American makers. The Ricketts appreciate the recognition, but aren’t quite sure the title they’ve been given fits.

“One of the concerns I have with the maker movement is that it’s a trend, and trends come and go,” says Rowland, an assistant professor at Indiana University’s Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Art. “But we’re part of something that’s been done for hundreds of years by cultures around the world. It’s not a trend for us. It’s who we are.”

Their lives revolve around Bloomington-based Ricketts Indigo, which colors textiles using organic indigo plant dye the couple grows, harvests, and processes themselves. Chinami, a weaver, uses it to add deep, vibrant blues to the kimono and obi fabrics she creates. Rowland employs it to make, among other things, textile-based art installations that have appeared everywhere from the Textile Museum in Washington, D.C. to the Cavin-Morris Gallery in New York City.

Much of their indigo is grown on a small plot next to their modest rural home’s driveway. Come midsummer the short, bushy plants are harvested, placed on tarps in their front yard to dry, then trampled to separate the leaves— which produce the pigment—from the stems. The dried leaves are composted and dropped into vats in Rowland’s IU studio, where they ferment into dye.

The duo, who have three young sons, are utterly absorbed in textile work and indigo production. Likewise, indigo has utterly absorbed into Rowland. The tips of his fingers are stained blue from submersion in the dye vats.

But why bother with the laborious dye-making process when the product can be purchased abroad and cheap synthetics are easily available? Because the couple believes that the act of creating the pigment is as important as the pieces it enhances. It’s something akin to performance art – a way to infuse their products not just with color, but with history and tradition.

“If we just wanted to dye things blue, there’s a million other ways that would be cheaper and quicker,” Rowland says. “But it’s also about the work of making it. What you’re making is perhaps not as important as the work you’re performing to make it.”

Rowland found both his calling and his wife thanks to his fascination with Japan. He visited the country during his high school and college years, then returned after graduation to work as a high school English teacher.

“I didn’t want to just go to Japan for a year or two and come back,” he says. “I really wanted to bring something home with me.”

He returned with several things. First came a deeper appreciation for craftsmanship and local production. One of his most influential “teachers” was a century-old farmhouse where he lived for a while. Made almost entirely from locally-produced wood, stone, and other building materials, it helped him understand the huge spiritual and creative contrasts between making something and merely buying it.

“It opened my eyes to those traditions of making that were really different from what I knew growing up suburban St. Louis,” Rowland says.

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hat awareness of the local environment also changed his means of artistic expression. He was doing photography at the time, and thoughtlessly dumping his used developing chemicals down the drain. But when he learned that they were flowing, untreated, into a nearby river, he decided to find a more environmentally benign way to create. So he apprenticed to an indigo dyer.

It was a fateful move, both professionally and personally. One of the craftsman’s other students was Rowland’s future wife, Chinami. She’d started her work life as a receptionist at a pharmaceutical company, but left to learn the exacting crafts of indigo production and traditional weaving.

“I wanted a job I would never have to retire from,” she says.

Working with indigo is a centuries-old craft tradition in Japan. But when the couple came to America they had to start from scratch. Today a handful of farmers (many advised by Rowland) produce domestic indigo. But for a while he and Chinami were the only show in town.

That’s not surprising, given how hard it is to process the plant and use its pigment. One doesn’t simply dissolve some indigo into water and then drop in some fabric.

Instead, a fairly substantial amount of composted leaves are placed in a vat, where they’re combined with other traditional materials. Bacterial action creates usable dye – a dye that can change its character based on the age of the container in which it sits, temperature, and any number of other influences. Each pigment vat is only good for between four to 12 months, after which the bacteria die and the material becomes useless.

Indigo is worth the trouble, however, because of its resilience and longevity. Unlike most other dyes, it isn’t water soluble and never fades.

One day the couple wants to move their dying operation to their country home, effectively placing all of their artistic endeavors in one location. Chinami already does her weaving in a cottage on the property, and the composted indigo resides in a small greenhouse. But if all this sounds unspeakably romantic, it’s not. The Ricketts take great pains to point out that their farm life is anything but idyllic. One of their goals is to hire someone to help with dye production, because though the process is integral to their artistic endeavors, the endless labor consumes a huge portion of their days.

“It takes time from other things,” Rowland says.

“When we’re out harvesting indigo, we’re not working or dying things.”

That hard, unglamorous work forms the foundation not just for their art, but for their lives and livelihood.

Rowland thinks that too many people, perhaps caught up in the perceived glamour of the artistic life, minimize or ignore this part.

“All artists are businesspeople,” he says. “You have to find a way to continue to do what you want to do. Where you’re in the driver’s seat instead of having someone else calling the shots. Anyone who ignores that is just being willfully ignorant.”

The Rickets take solace in the fact that even the most pedestrian aspects of their labor can inspire. For instance, in summer when they spread their indigo harvest on tarps in their front yard to dry, curious passersby regularly inquire about what they’re doing. The couple doesn’t mind sharing. It’s part of the creative process.

“The work that we’re doing causes people to stop and look and ask questions,” Rowland says. “On some level that’s what art’s all about.” ✂ 28

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INDUSTRY INSIDER

RALEIGH DENIM MAKING THE AMERICAN DREAM USING THE AMERICAN FABRIC TEXT BY ABBI JOHNSON + PHOTOGRAPHY BY POLINA OSHEROV

ON WHEN YOU DECIDE TO START A DENIM COMPANY WITHOUT ANY PRIOR EXPERIENCE: When the whole process began, Victor was coaching a soccer team, and Sarah was still in school. Victor had been on some wayward travels through Europe, where he found a favorite pair of pants: a pair of denim jeans tailored more like trousers. When they were worn through, Sarah and Victor realized that they couldn’t find a replacement. The solution? Take them apart and figure out how to make a new pair. Sarah explains, “Can we make a pair of pants? Yes we can. Can we make them better? Yes we can. Can we make them fit better? Yes we can. Can we make pants that fit more people than just Victor?

‘Hey Brad, let’s make some pants for you.’ ‘Hey, Tom let’s make some pants for you.’ Can we sell them? Oh, someone bought some pants.”

ON PERSISTENCE: At the point that they decided to start producing a greater quantity of jeans, they needed to buy a lot of denim. Luckily, there was a mill that produced denim for some of the largest and most well-known denim brands in the country just an hour away. Victor called and emailed the sales rep at the mill where they were trying to buy a 200 yard bolt of denim every day for three months, and still didn’t hear anything back.

He finally had to go to the sales rep’s boss in order to be able to buy denim. When they showed up to pick up the denim, they arrived at the gate meant for 18 wheeler trucks in their car. “It took 20 minutes to open the gate for a car. They were like ‘no one’s ever used this gate before’ and they’ve been around since 1905.”

ON DOING WHATEVER IT TAKES: Their first big break was a meeting with Barney’s New York. At this point, their business was named “VS” as in “Versus.” In the week before the meeting they received a cease-and-desist letter from Versace. In that week, they had to recreate their brand from the ground up. “We coated screens, burned new logos, made new samples, made new line drawings…” Sarah lists off the number of things that they had to accomplish in the few days before their meeting. “And then we didn’t have enough money to get to New York, either.” Victor explains, “So, I called my dad to ask for money for the first time since I moved out of the house.” His response? “Oh, I think your 19-year-old cousin from Ukraine, who doesn’t speak any English, is in town. I think he’d love to see you.” In exchange for borrowing his dad’s minivan and a few hundred dollars, Sarah, Victor, and their intern, had to bring Victor’s Ukrainian cousin, on their very first selling trip to New York.

ON SCALE: When Raleigh Denim was only sold at Barney’s New York, Sarah and Victor signed every single pair of jeans with a unique edition number themselves. When they realized they would need to double production, it raised a number of questions about how they would scale their brand, what their values were, and how they could make

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SUBMITTED IMAGE

RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL FASHION BUSINESS IS A FAMILIAR DREAM FOR MANY BUT A reality for only few, like Sarah and Victor Lytvinenko of Raleigh Denim. Despite starting in somewhat unfavorable conditions—during the recession, in debt, and with little business experience—their persistent commitment to authenticity, as well as what has to be vats of sweat, blood, and tears has brought them well earned success. What began as a three person operation (the founders and an intern) has grown into a warehouse, known as “the Factory,” retail stores in Raleigh and New York City, denim distributed internationally, and collaborations around the world.

This April, I was fortunate to hear Sarah and Victor first-hand as they shared their startup story, their successes, and the lessons they learned along the way, at a Pattern meetup. Some of their best advice—and stories—were too good not to share again.

those work. “We decided we’d share with every single person that has been with us long enough, to master it, in a way. Those people that have been here for two or three years that are as good or better than we are, we want them to be as invested as we are.” Even still, scaling is terrifying Victor says. “There are so many demands that are so time sensitive, with so much pressure. It’s terrifying, it’s exhilarating though.” The challenge is one that they consistently deal with and are comfortable knowing it comes with producing for themselves.

ON HAVING A HEMMING MACHINE IN THEIR RETAIL STORE: Initially, when they opened their first retail store in NYC, they had a hemming machine that was functional but primarily for looks. Since the machine wasn’t being used, it almost seemed like something was missing, given that the authenticity of how the jeans were made was so important to the brand. Once they started using the machine, in the middle of the store, they found that people were so intrigued that most people ended up becoming clients.

ON ASKING FOR HELP: “Small business is tough and a lot of the things you run into, maybe nothing’s really wrong, it’s just small business,” Sarah explained. They made use of local business resources, which helped with best practices, general questions, the basic things that are essential to running a business but aren’t your expertise when it’s your first start up.

ON WHETHER OR NOT IT HAS BEEN WORTH THE JOURNEY: Building Raleigh Denim from an idea and a desire into a nationally recognized and premier brand has been anything but easy. Like many startups, it has taken a combination of perseverance, back-breaking work, and timing to overcome the perils of scaling, inexperience, and setbacks. Sarah and Victor started with a simple question—could they make a better pair of jeans? Years later, with a factory producing high-quality jeans for distribution in premium boutiques, they appear to have their answer. ✂

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MIKE LYONS & BRAD DILGER. BAMCO. DYNAMIC MAKER DUO BRINGING INDY’S DREAMS TO LIFE. ONE IDEA AT A TIME. TEXT BY ERIC REES + PHOTOGRAPH BY ESTHER BOSTON ERIC REES: So what exactly does BAMCO do for its clients?

BRAD DILGER (PICTURED LEFT): (Laughs) Generally, we make things. Those things could be anything from custom residential handrails to art pieces to music video props. We figure out how to do the project presented to us as efficiently as possible.

MIKE LYONS (PICTURED RIGHT): It’s all over the place really. Recently, we worked with a local Pride Parade group to create their float. They wanted something good looking, but easy to pull. So we helped build this thing called a zonohedron, ten-foot-tall steel structure that they decorated.

ER: How did BAMCO come to exist?

BD: Well, Mike has been in Circle City Industrial Complex (CCIC) for much longer than I have. I had been doing some work up on the north side. We were both looking for a way to cut overhead costs.

ML: It just worked out well since we are both the same age and at the same position in life. We’ve got families that need provided for. It just made sense.

ER: What did you do before BAMCO? ML: Formerly, my business was known as !WOW-HUH? in this shop at CCIC. I started here about seven years ago making things for a living before we joined forces.

BD: I worked at the Indianapolis Museum of Art for five years in their installation department. It involved working directly with artists to figure out how to make their vision actually work. Sometimes creatives have a problem getting over that conceptual hump and getting it done. I think that’s what us makers are for.

ER: How does BAMCO benefit creative clients?

ER: Tell me about your involvement with Ruckus.

BD: A lot of what we do as makers is provide artists the “canvas” on which to do their art. We worked with Spencer Finch on one of his installation projects.

He has these awesome star features that are made from steel and florescent lights and then he tunes them to the color of stars in the galaxy. And then he hung them ten feet in the air. We had to figure out all the pieces to make it work.

BD: Pretty much everyone in the CCIC is excited for it.

It’s going in at the south end of our building behind “the Big Red Door.” When construction starts, we’re going to be helping put this space together, but also helping the people who come here to work.

ML: If someone, creative or not, needs a part or something—anything custom-made to get a project done­—we enjoy helping solve the problem. We’re a big proponent of open conversations and open-source.

If you’re someone, like us, that geeks out over the complexity of things, we want to talk with you.

ER: Anything advice to help the creative class grow in Indy?

ML: As makers, we understand that it’s gratifying to solve your own problems, but we try not to get too caught up in that. Looking around at makers here in Indy, it’s a nice network of give and take. We don’t want to take work from other good makers who are doing good stuff. There seems to be a lot of competitiveness within that network. It’s a “I-can’t-let-anyone-do-thisbetter-than-me” mentality. I think if creatives can liberate themselves from that a little bit, it’ll result in much better work.

ML: We’re hoping that it brings a new group of people to this side of town. I really like the idea of makers and creatives being within the same space.

There’s potential for some really cool stuff to come out of Ruckus.

ER: What’s the biggest creative risk you’ve ever taken?

BD: Probably the project that we just finished for The Band Perry. They came to us needing a life-sized structure of the logo for their new song “Live Forever.”

We had to completely design, wire, and transport this enormous steel heart that lights up in seven days to make it in time for the music video shoot. It had a lot of elements that were firsts for both of us, so that just made everything harder.

ML: When you’re on that short of a deadline, nothing could be an error or the whole thing would have fallen apart. I think we got it though. The end-product looked great.

ER: Any last pieces of advice to makers or creatives?

ML: Really quick, I think the sub-answer to the risk question would be quitting my job to start !WOW-HUH?.

Wanting to take control over our lives and put together this business was scary, but gratifying.

BD: Same here. I never regretted that decision. ✂

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INDUSTRY INSIDER

MAKING SPACE FOR MAKERS OUTGROWN THE BASEMENT AND GARAGE? WE’VE GOT SOME SUGGESTIONS.

TEXT BY ABBI JOHNSON + PHOTOGRAPHY BY HADLEY “TAD” FRUITS AFTER BECOMING A FASHIONABLE TREND IN CITIES WORLDWIDE, ‘MAKERSPACES’ HAVE finally arrived in Indianapolis. Also referred to as hacker spaces, or community fabrication spaces, ‘makerspaces’ offer memberships to host craftspeople, artists and entrepreneurs, analog and digital alike. In addition to offering equipment and classes in traditional fields like woodworking, fiber arts and metalworking, they often have 3D printers, software, electronics, craft and hardware supplies and tools, that are shared by all the members of the space. Driven by the growth of the ‘sharing economy’ and the need for affordable and accessible space to support the maker movement, they’ve turned up in libraries and unused warehouses, and wherever else large groups of independent craftspeople reside. Many schools are starting to implement makerspaces on their campuses as well.

The Maker Movement which is responsible for spawning these inclusive, experimental, and entrepreneurial communities of innovation started as a grassroots phenomenon, following the financial collapse of 2008 and the loss of almost eight million jobs. Seven years later the movement has taken hold of the entire country, and perhaps even the world. In the US, last year, President Obama proclaimed June 18, the National Day of Making, launching The Nation of Makers Initiative, and hosting the first-ever White House Maker Faire. This year, the Day of Making grew into a week, and Ruckus, one of Indy’s own nascent makerspaces made it into a White House press release outlining the many Maker related initiatives taking place around the country.

Of course, Ruckus is not Indy’s only makerspace, and it’s certainly not the first— technology and robotics-focused Club Cyberia has been around since 2012, and is finally getting much deserved recognition. The new makerspaces launching this year primarily grew out of communities rooted in art and design. The Tube, originally Weber Dairy building, built in 1908, is the anchor for a larger community project in Garfield Park created by Big Car; Design Bank is the brainchild of design studio w/purpose and coworking community Studio B Creative Exchange, Ruckus came online due to the efforts of People for Urban Progress and Pattern while The Think It Make It Lab is set to open in the Herron School of Art + Design this fall fulfilling a long-time vision of its Chair of Fine Arts, Cory Robinson.

Each ‘makerspace’ has its own flavor and different amenities to offer the creatives hungry to tinker, or take their big idea to the next level.

There is no question that makerspaces proactively contribute to the wider community and the neighborhoods in which they are located. From transforming old industrial sites into hubs of activity and creativity, to offering opportunities for people to come and learn a new skill or perfect an old one. Ultimately, makerspaces have proven themselves to be great economic development engines by helping connect small business owners to one another, and to essential resources. The community within the makerspace is important, too: members are quick to lend a hand when a fellow maker is at an impasse, share ideas, or ask for feedback. After all, the goal is not just to weld together steel and hammer together wood—it’s also to build a more productive city and a stronger community.

RUCKUS

FOUNDING ORGANIZATIONS: People for Urban Progress (PUP), Pattern, Riley Area Development Corporation LOCATION: Circle City Industrial Complex, 1001 Mass Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46204 PLANNED OPEN DATE: Spring 2016 MEMBERSHIPS: $85 - $325; Annual memberships also available EQUIPMENT/AMENITIES OFFERED: Industrial sewing machines, CNC routers, laser cutters & plotters, 3D printing, wet lab, hand tools, photography studio WEBSITE: indyruckus.com POLINA OSHEROV: “There was an increasing need for the growing fashion community to have a space to start a business, and the support to do so. PUP had identified the same need in among other groups of makers and artisans, so there was a lot of overlap and common benefits. It felt right to come together to create a greater density of makers of all kinds.”

ERIC STRICKLAND: “In many cities, the makerspace location is an afterthought, not located in an ideal neighborhood, not in a true industrial building and lacking connectivity. The Ruckus location on Mass Avenue, instantly plugs it into Downtown Indy, the Mass Avenue Cultural District, and the Cultural/Monon Trail.”

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PATTERN ISSUE NO. 8

RENDERINGS COURTESY SCHMIDT ASSOCIATES

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INDUSTRY INSIDER

THE TUBE

FOUNDING ORGANIZATION: Big Car LOCATION: 1125 Cruft St., Indianapolis, IN 46203 PLANNED OPEN DATE: October 2015 MEMBERSHIPS: Access to the space will be primarily for Garfield Park neighbors, and Big Car staff and artists-in-residence.

Classes open to the public will also be offered.

EQUIPMENT/AMENITIES OFFERED: A shop for wood, metalworking, screenprinting and a darkroom.

WEBSITE: bigcar.org JIM WALKER: “Ultimately I think makerspaces will help create a super local economy - something that already exists a little in the food realm. You can get local eggs, vegetables, and there are lots of benefits to local economies, jobs are created, and it changes how people connect. If there are places people can build things and then sell them, you’ll see more partnerships come together, stronger communities, and people won’t have to drive as far to get what they need.”

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CLUB CYBERIA FOUNDING ORGANIZATION: Meetup group formed in 2012, moved to new location in 2015 LOCATION: 6800 E 30th St, Indianapolis, IN 46219 MEMBERSHIPS: Monthly, ranging between $35-$75 EQUIPMENT/AMENITIES OFFERED: Laser cutters, 3D printers, welder, CNC router, hand tools WEBSITE: clubcyberia.org MIC OWENS: “Of course with all the gadgetry that makes The Cyberia makerspace “STACKED”, I love the people who make up the community. We laugh, we play, we speak kindly to one another and have meaningful discourse about the world. And we do it all with really bad puns and some really insightful thinking. The thing I love most is that the members are from ALL walks of life. No matter what, our differences make us better and makes our creativity flourish in ways each member uses for their own enlightenment and achievement. we have and discuss big dreams and then go about making those things come to life, together.”

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INDUSTRY INSIDER

THINK IT MAKE IT LAB FOUNDING ORGANIZATION: Herron School of Art + Design

LOCATION: 735 West New York Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202 PLANNED OPEN DATE: Fall 2015 MEMBERSHIPS: Open to Herron students only at this time; no memberships EQUIPMENT/AMENITIES OFFERED: Computers, cameras, scanners and printers—adjacent to a digital fabrication lab containing equipment including largeformat CNC routers and laser cutters, plasma cutters and milling machines.

WEBSITE: herron.iupui.edu CORY ROBINSON: “Giving students the ability to experiment is one of the big benefits. Before we’d have to outsource the production, which results in exact, perfect results, which is great except that the students miss out on the creative process. Oftentimes the mistakes are the most interesting part of the process, giving students a great chance to problem solve.”

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DESIGN BANK

FOUNDING ORGANIZATIONS: w/purpose, Studio B Creative Exchange, UNEC Development Corp.

LOCATION: 3636 E 38th St, Indianapolis, IN 46218 OPENING: Soft opening February 2015, Grand Opening Fall 2015 MEMBERSHIPS: Daily and Weekly; $30-350 EQUIPMENT/AMENITIES OFFERED: Large Scale-Plotters, Laser and Vinyl Cutters, and 3D Printers WIL MARQUEZ: “The opportunity to ‘make’ opens up new markets and enables the spirit of ingenuity to build platforms for economic growth, entrepreneurship, and social impact. The impact is also global - as Design Bank belongs to online global certification networks that connect us to 18,500 3D printers and makers around the world. The idea of micro or clean manufacturing reappearing in many communities throughout the United States is real.” ✂

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PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART DIRECTION BY CHRISTOPHER WHONSETLER ASSISTANTS EMMA ROGERS AND KEVIN MEDLIN DESIGN BY KATIE SNIDER

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PATTERN ISSUE NO. 8

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PATTERN ISSUE NO. 8

TEXT BY ASHLEY MINYARD + PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN SIMONETTO + ASSISTANT EMMA ROGERS FEW THINGS MANAGE TO DISTINCTLY appeal to the senses more than leather.

The smell is intoxicating, nostalgic, and organic, wafting into the nostrils to deliver a calming dose of pleasure. To the touch, leather is smooth. The hand glides across its surface easily, the fingertips encountering slight ridges and rough patches of the hide, a diary of the life of its bovine owner.

When transformed into a product, leather takes on a new existence.

While maintaining the character of its being, it faces tight stitches, embossed ridges, careful folds, clean cuts, rough embellishments, artificial texture, and softly-worn suede. The look is different depending on the hands that formed it.

Indiana is lucky enough to have several leather crafters, all with different aesthetic, but a true dedication to producing quality leather goods.

Although the materials they work with are similar, each craftsman takes his or her own approach to the hide.

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HIDE BOUN 5 TYLER MECHEM LM PRODUCTS

ND 4 CHRISTIAN RESIAK HOWL AND HIDE

1 BROOKE LINDEMANN LEATHER.FEATHER.STONE.

3 MICHELLE WARBLE BUSTY’S FUN BAGS

2 TRUEN JAIMES HOUSE OF 5TH

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1 LEATHER.FEATHER. STONE. ORGANIC CHIC

Brooke Lindemann is the founder of Leather. Feather. Stone. Created in her home studio, she shapes pieces of leather using the raw edge and true shape of the hide to inform her designs.

This results in chic and simple products with soft textures and visual aesthetic.

Each product is as unique as the hide from which it originates.

Lindemann is a stay at home mom who decided to take on a creative career at home. Her company is largely run from Etsy but her products also appear in select boutiques. Her company has taken off in just a few short years, but actually began in 2011 with an unfortunate accident.

“I had a pair of moccasin boots that I absolutely loved but my dog ate all the fringe off,” says Lindemann. “I bought some pieces of scrap from a leather store in Indy and replaced the fringe.

I made it really wild and shaggy, and basically improved them.”

She used the leftover leather to create belts and cuffs to sell on Etsy. That transformed into clutch bags and evolved into a full bag collection. She sources her leather from a local family owned leather business, one that she prefers to keep top secret. Her choices in leather are very selective, and each product is informed by the natural raw edge of the hide.

“I buy leather that I’m drawn to and that I know will make beautiful items,” says Lindemann. “For example the crackle leather that is used on some of my bags, I have no idea where it comes from, and I can’t even find it online. I enjoy the hunt of stumbling into something awesome. It keeps things fresh for me and creates a demand for my product.”

Lindemann has general patterns that help provide a standard in shape and size for her bags, but she always leaves the edge open for interpretation. Another variable is the tassel that adorns each bag. The result is a snowflake line, similar products, but each organically unique.

She also creates accessories outside of the bag collection using the leftover leather to create tassels, cuffs, and earrings, utilizing as much of the hide as possible. The majority of her business revolves around playing, something that sets her apart.

“I grew up watching my mom sew, and I’m not great at sewing clothing but I’ve got an eye for detail and aesthetic. It’s important for me to have a nice finish to things. I’m self–taught but I have honed my craft. I’ve always felt like more of a sculptor than a seamstress.”

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2 HOUSE OF 5TH

3 BUSTY’S FUN BAGS

Situated at a luxury price point, House of 5th is delectably designed. The accessory line spearheaded by Truen Jaimes started in 2008, but only turned to leather goods three years ago. The company focus is to create fine leather goods & accessories that cater to the tech and travel savvy customer in an artisan fashion. The resulting product is a bold yet streamlined approach to fashionable tech.

Busty’s Fun Bags are just as interesting as the name. Created by Michelle Warble, the bags incorporate upcycled leather goods and often patterned upholstery fabric for a whimsical and homespun aesthetic. The name derives from her old roller derby nickname, Busty Sanchez, and the company came into existence after her retirement from the Naptown Roller Girls team. Although she only makes them on the side of her full–time job, the craft has gone from a hobby of creating her own bags to making products for others.

LUXURY ARTISAN

House of 5th’s selling point lies in elaborate finishing techniques and originality of design. Jaimes has full control of the operation of the company, and all production is done by artisans in his Fountain Square studio.

Eighty percent of the leather is dyed in house with their 19 proprietary colors. The top surface dye fades and distresses in certain areas to show the beauty of the leather over time.

“We only use vegetable tanned, top– grain, premium leather for our hand died line,” says Jaimes. “It ages nicely and softens over time, but it is very thick so it doesn’t tear.”

The process of construction is a mixed production strategy using industrial machinery or hand stitching, depending on the product. Part of what makes House of 5th so successful is their investment in top of the line equipment, acquired over time, to allow for advanced, streamlined production in–house. Instead of placing concern on money saving techniques, Jaimes seeks ways to make products more hand finished and artisan.

“I use what I call a reactionary design process,” Jaimes explains. “Where a lot of designers will be fine just focusing on trend, for me it’s really important to study and analyze the data of what’s trending but then offer the consumer something that they’re not going to find somewhere else. Sometimes it’s a forced design method. If I find something that I really want to do, but the market is already responding to it, I will force myself to design in a different direction. I want it to be relevant, but I want to create something that is not on the market.”

House of 5th’s latest collection is architecturally inspired, thanks to the recent completion of his own home and new studio, made evident by the punching and linear designs that mimic those found in the industrial space. Even as his designs develop, Jaimes still aims to keep the focus on the quality and production techniques that truly create the luxury artisan products.

WHIMSICALLY CRAFTY

“I really had no sewing experience, just home economics in seventh grade, but I decided I could do it. I sewed a purse, and it went from there. I started with regular fabric, moved up to quilting and upholstery weight fabric, then on to vinyl, and now I’m working with leather.”

The bags have clean lines, geometric patterns, and raw leather. She sources the material from both old leather clothing and local leather shops. Her products are then either hand stitched or constructed on her industrial sewing machine in the attic space of her home she’s dubbed “The Sweatshop.” She sells her bags online and at various craft fairs to artsy customers in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Louisville.

“I see things in the market I like and then use my weird twisted mind to put my own spin on them.”

4 HOWL AND HIDE

TRADITIONALLY RUGGED Christian Resiak never intended to start a leather business; he simply saw a product and decided that he could do better. In less than a year, this idea transformed into Howl and Hide, a completely hand sewn and American made leather company.

“I would stay up for hours and teach myself how to hand sew on crappy old leather jackets,” says Resiak. “I spent a lot of time studying and refining how to do this traditional trade that’s been long forgotten. It’s evolved to what it is.”

Functionality is the biggest focus of Resiak’s designs resulting in simple, timeless pieces. Preferring to skip the trinkets, there are no gimmicks to hide behind. He prefers clean silhouettes and few embellishments to let the leather and construction processes speak for themselves.

“I take pride that everything is completely hand stitched,” says Resiak.

“You lose the integrity of the item by machine stitching. I know every stitch that goes into the bag because I do it with my own two hands.”

All of the leather Resiak sources is full– grain hide from American raised cattle.

He prefers leather that shows distress from the life of the animal, adding a rugged appearance to the product without having to rough it up himself.

He is very passionate about sourcing everything from the United States, even his tools.

His traditional American values and construction methods make for a lucrative small business that has picked up quickly, but Resiak plans to stay small. His products are made to order, so although he has a collection of designs, he will only start creating a bag when a customer places an order.

“I’ll finish a bag, put it in a box, and send it,” says Resiak. “I don’t take it off a dusty shelf. It’s from my hand to yours.

It’s me making it specifically for you‚— maker to consumer.”

5 LM PRODUCTS

RUSTICALLY CRAFTED

LM Products may be a familiar brand that comes to mind, but more in relation to the music business. The company started in 1975 and is internationally known for selling quality guitar straps and musical accessories. LM Products has been passed down for generations, and now Tyler Mechem runs the company alongside his father, LJ. But Mechem has taken on his own project within the company, creating leather bags and accessories with the same high–quality crafting expertise passed through his family.

“I thought about breaking away from LM Products early on, giving the bags a different name and branding them differently, but I’m so proud that it’s a family business. I want to keep that aspect with the name. I didn’t want to have some contrived brand for the bags; it’s still just us in the workshop making it,” says Mechem.

While about 30 artisans work on the guitar straps, only Mechem and one other lead craftsman create the bags.

The workshop is filled with craftsmen who have been with the company for upwards of 20 years. Mechem learns from working alongside those makers and from his father and grandfather.

He consults his father with bag designs, who helps him to push the concepts further past the first iteration of the product. He uses the experience gained from his family to uphold the brand’s quality.

LM PRODUCTS PHOTO BY TYLER MECHEM

“We have a strap here that is 10 years old. It has been toured around forever, and it looks better than the day we made it. We think of things in advance to keep products from breaking down,” says Mechem. “In the bags, the stitches will end and we’ll anchor it with a rivet—that way the stress of years of use has two types of securement there that keep it from tearing apart. We anticipate how it’s going to be worn and react to that.”

The aesthetic of the bags at LM Products is timeless and somewhat rustic, but all edges are finished and polished. The function is built in, and the shapes and design of the bags are classic, no exuberant flourishes needed.

The leather looks pre–worn, showing the marks from the construction process and the hands of the leatherworkers.

The beauty of the bag only increases with age.

LEATHER. FEATHER. STONE. PHOTO BY POLINA OSHEROV

Mechem plans to expand the accessory aspect of the business, creating more products and moving past the music focus, but he says there’s nothing that can take him away from LM Products. He plans to one day pass the trade on to his son, who is now only 2 years old, if he’s willing and ready.

HOWL AND HIDE PHOTO BY POLINA OSHEROV

“One time when I was younger there was me, my father, grandfather, and great grandfather all working together at the same time. Four generations. Not a lot of companies have that kind of legacy anymore.” ✂

HOUSE OF 5TH PHOTO BY ANNA ZIEMNIAK

HOUSE OF 5TH PHOTO BY ANNA ZIEMNIAK

BUSTY’S FUN BAGS PHOTO BY MICHELLE WARBLE

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SHOWROOM OPEN THURSDAY—SATURDAY, 12-5PM

MADE IN INDIANA MEET SOME OF INDY’S TOP MAKERS.

© ITSMESIMON/SHUTTERSTOCK

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ESTHER BOSTON AND POLINA OSHEROV + DESIGN BY KATHY DAVIS

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JERRY LEE ATWOOD

I ANISHA BROWN IS EXACTLY WHERE SHE BELIEVES GOD WANTS HER to be. It’s this unshakeable faith, paired with an incredible work ethic and sparkling personality, that is the driving force of Poppy Seeds, her swimwear line.

She wasn’t always in swimwear; in fact, her love for fashion and desire to have her own line began with an interest in lingerie.

After graduating from the Art Institute of Indianapolis with a degree in fashion design, she set about making her dream of having her own lingerie line come true. But on the advice of a customer and mentor, she soon turned her focus to swimwear.

“I had no interest in swimwear,” Brown says. “I only took one stretch course at the Art Institute. But [she] was insistent that I should look into doing swimwear, because lingerie was more of a luxury, but women would always need a swimsuit.”

It’s advice that has paid off. Now several years into the line, with multiple collections under her belt, Poppy Seeds is almost to the point where Brown can begin to hire an employee and think about expansion.

Currently, she’s working on getting more wholesale accounts in far-off, beachy locations, like California or Hawaii. Locally, Poppy Seeds can be found via trunk shows and at Boomerang BTQ. Brown also maintains a web store, and takes custom orders. She’s also working to drum up greater publicity through Julia Rutland’s Aesthetic Design Style House.

“It’s a dream come true,” she says. “There are good days, and then there are incredible days.”

Poppy Seeds draws inspiration from old tv shows and strong, iconic women like Lucille Ball. Appropriately, collections are named after their inspirations, with recent ones being “Jeannie” and “All About Eve.” Bright colors and patterns are her signature, as well as vintage-inspired, but creative cuts—similar to what you might expect from Betsey Johnson.

Favorites include her “Perry” high-waisted yellow polka dot bikini (yes, like the song) from one of her first collections, the “Caviar” plunging halter one-piece, and the “Julip” halter one-piece.

As a young entrepreneur, Brown is enthusiastic about encouraging others to pursue their dreams and keep the faith.

“Be patient,” she said. “Work the process and do your research. Learn from others. And most of all, have faith that you are in the right place, at the right time. ” She attributes much of her success to the support she’s received from the creative class in Indianapolis. From photographers and models to makeup artists, boutique owners, and event producers, the loyalty to showcasing and growing local talent impressed and inspired her.

She also credits her family, husband, and son for their tireless support as she achieves her goals. But in the end, it all comes down to faith: in her God-given talents, and in herself. —TEXT BY MARIA DICKMAN

T ALL BEGAN WITH A FRUSTRATION WITH WESTERN SHIRTS. IN 2000, JERRY LEE Atwood was wearing them and working in a coffee shop, but the shirts were hard to find in his size. Spurred into action, he bought a pattern, borrowed a sewing machine, and, without ever having sewn anything, tried to make a shirt.

“It was a disaster,” he says. But he enjoyed the process and recognized the potential. He purchased “Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Sewing,” not long after—“the best instructional book”—and continued his journey of self education.

For a time, Atwood worked for a custom drapery shop, whose owner hired him after hearing of his interest in learning to sew. In 2011, he responded to a job opening from the Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT), and although he was completely unprepared for the interview, the manager took a chance on him.

“We got to try something new for every show,” he says. “It was never monotonous.”

He credits the IRT for many learning experiences, including a trip to Chicago to see the Charles James exhibit, as research for “Fallen Angel.” “It was fun to see the whole shop work on that project,” he says, referring to the red dress.

Atwood’s biggest risk would come in 2014, when he left the steady work at the IRT and struck out on his own for the first time. He works in his home studio, now, primarily on custom chain-stitch orders, while he perfects his patterns for jeans and, more recently, experiments with making t-shirts.

His designs are inspired by historic clothing and vintage machinery. He has a collection of Cornelys, chain-stitch embroidery machines with a universal feed to sew in any direction. Some of the machines are in use, while others he is rehabbing for sale, as a labor of love and preservation for future generations.

His love of Western wear comes from the childhood trips he’d take to Nashville with his father. Although he didn’t care for the music, the nostalgic style stuck with him.

“I feel fortunate to be able to make money doing what I do,” he says. “But there is never enough time to try everything that I want.”

Part of this is the challenge of trying to “do it all” as a small business owner.

“It’s tough being your own motivation and marketing,” he says. Despite that, the majority of his customers, particularly for his custom work, reside outside of Indiana.

In the future, Atwood wants to increase the quantity of work in chain stitch embroidery. His goal is to find more repeat customers, especially other businesses or brands, because doing larger orders for other businesses creates a steadier income than taking individual custom orders. He’s built a great business relationship with Jess Snell’s Rockin’ B Clothing, now based in California, for whom he has had repeat orders.

He’s ready to grow, although his expansion plans as yet don’t include hiring an employee, as training people to use the Cornelys is very time-consuming.

Atwood admits there are inherent challenges in running a Western-wear business in the Midwest; namely, that there’s a lack of large festivals—maker fairs, music festivals, D.I.Y. fairs and the like—creating sales opportunities.

“Living in the Midwest is an island, and traveling isn’t practical for me,” he says.

He also hasn’t found the perfect studio in a neighborhood in which he feels comfortable and that is also affordable, so for now, he’s working out of his basement.

And, as the father of a young son, his work-life balance involves part-time day care.

All these things add up to a feeling of isolation from others with similar businesses.

“I hear about someone else making jeans in the city, and think, ‘Wow, I had no idea someone else was doing that here,” he says.

By the time this story goes to print, however, things will have shifted dramatically as Atwood has been accepted as one of the residents of the newly launched Pattern Workshop—a pop-up makerspace and retail showroom in a storefront on Mass Ave in downtown Indianapolis. He jumped at the opportunity for more visibility and to become better connected to others who share his ideals of creating beautiful items by hand and from scratch. “I’m really excited to be a part of this project, and to play a role in helping grow the maker movement here in Indy.” In the space, Atwood plans to focus on making selvedge denim jeans for men, while continuing to fulfill his custom orders.

To those just starting out, take note. Atwood credits others’ encouragement to help get him where he is today. Important, though, is that he’s carved his own path.

“Find a niche that you enjoy that not a lot of people are doing, and make a name for yourself,” he says. “Teach yourself to be good, and eventually, someone will notice.” —TEXT BY CATHERINE FRITSCH

poppyseedfashions.com

hoosier-built.blogspot.com

DANISHA BROWN

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CHRISTOPHER STUART TEXT ON PAGE 56

IAN OEHLER

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HEN YOU MEET THE MAKER OF SOMETHING AS AWESOME as the adult sit-n-spin, you walk away feeling as though you just caught up with an old friend.

Well over six feet tall, his long brown hair pinned back with self-made wooden hair sticks, Ian Oehler has his feet planted firmly on the ground. It’s an unconsciously firm stance, a nod to his strong Indiana roots.

He sees himself settling down here, long-term, although if pressed, he wouldn’t be opposed to a stint in Germany, from where his grandparents immigrated circa WWI. He’s often found in Fountain Square, or spotted en route to his hometown of Carmel, Indiana, via the Monon Trail (I’m sure he would zip past me when I keel over at mile two).

At 30, Oehler’s one of the young people making an impact on Indianapolis’ creative culture. He’s a maker, and a tinkerer.

“I’ve always wanted to be innovative,” he says. “I grew up working in a wood shop. My father is a furniture maker. He primarily makes kitchen cabinetry in a shop attached to his house. It was my job in high school, and sometimes my punishment.

I realized I had to find my own way.”

Finding his path took him from a seven-year stint in Bloomington at Indiana University, where he studied environmental science, to the golden coast of California, where he worked in snowboard repair in the Squaw Valley region of Tahoe.

After that, he moved on to a fast-fashion shop in Los Angeles, where he assisted in digital media production, before returning to Indianapolis in November of 2012.

“I really missed having a shop, among other things,” he says. “It felt very stifling in LA. You can certainly find your niche. However, it’s a lot of people working competitively, [whereas] here, it’s a lot of people working together. “ Then, he met with Jim Walker, the executive director of Big Car, to talk about his desire to work with a non-profit. Walker invited him to a staff meeting and Oehler started showing up. He volunteered for a time, and even did shows in their old space (a converted service station on Lafayette Road) and working for commission.

He then started doing game night once a month for Big Car, where he created ping pong paddles and tables.

Which leads us to the present. Oehler works out of his father’s shop, though he hopes to be involved with The Tube Factory, which is set to open in late 2015 on Shelby and Cruft streets across from Garfield Park.

He tries (and fails) to convince me he’s not a master maker. Rather, he creates purely for the love of making something. “I don’t really want to make a living off what I make. I just enjoy making things for myself, and for people around me using reclaimed wood,” he says.

He enjoys how forgiving woodworking is, and how he can make a lot of different, functional designs. Precision-driven, Oehler seeks to build a pedal-powered tool, like that of a potter’s wheel, in order to be more efficient in grinding and sanding, although he does enjoy working with hand tools.

Outside of his work with Big Car and his father’s shop, he dabbles in music, performing as a tenor with the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir.

“I sing for myself when I’m not singing for ISC,” Oehler says. “In addition to singing, I like to play my main instrument, the marimba. I started playing it in the third grade.”

Occasionally, he can be found out and about in search of good dancing opportunities, like at Night Train at the Hi-Fi or Real Talk at White Rabbit Cabaret, and there’s a good chance he’ll be singing along on karaoke night.

“I sang ‘Kiss Of A Rose’ at the Metro on a Thursday night recently,” he says. “It was not well received.”

You can try out one of Ian Oehler’s adult sit-n-spins on Monument Circle through October. The public installation is in association with the Spark Program by Big Car, which is a 501c3 non-profit arts organization and collective of artists in Indianapolis.

—TEXT BY DYLAN HODGES instagram.com/thehighhills

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CHRISTOPHER STUART

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HRISTOPHER STUART IS A GEM—ALBEIT A SOMEWHAT HIDDEN one. He works out of an industrial park in Carmel, but within his studio is a wealth of great modern design (never mind the AT&T warehouse next door).

He didn’t start out as a furniture designer, or even an industrial designer. Instead, he started in graphic design at an industrial design company here in Indianapolis. At first he was just an assistant, but then his natural drive took over, and he began staying late to teach himself CAD to make himself more valuable.

Cue the recession. At the first major downturn, he was laid off. “No one was hiring industrial designers, because no one was producing anything,” he says.

“So I thought, ‘What can I do?’ At the time, all I had experience with was designing consumer electronics. So I was like, ‘What can I build from the hardware store?’”

He started tinkering and researching, and discovered a movement centered around this D.I.Y. ideal, particularly in Europe. And not D.I.Y. as most of us think of it—you know, all Pinterest and arts and crafts. Stuart’s D.I.Y. is rooted in great, simple, modern, somewhat sculptural ideas. “Like this is art, but the artist didn’t have a budget, so he went to the hardware store and bought shit, but the design was really good,” he says.

Thus the idea for his books, “DIY Furniture” and “DIY Furniture 2,” were born.

Around the same period of time, Stuart enrolled at Herron School of Art + Design, to get a degree in furniture design. “My original thought was to go design for a furniture manufacturer,” he says. “I’d then have a better understanding of the making side, to help me better design the products.”

“As an adult, art school allows you to be selfish and think about what you really want, from your work and your life,” he says. “That pause from the real world really allowed me to think about what I wanted, and it was at that time that I realized I really didn’t want to go to work for someone else. So I started thinking about opening my own studio.”

While at Herron, Stuart worked as a freelancer, which allowed him to build up some clients and make his goal come to life. He split his studio in half, part shop, part office, which allowed for on-site fabrication.

“Any downtime we had on the traditional service side—stereotypical design work for corporate clients with very little making involved—any lull we had, we would work on our own designs and make them in-house,” he says.

The end goal: to move more toward self-initiated work. “Eventually, I wanted the service side to match the work on the self-initiated side,” Stuart says. “Which is where we are now.”

His studio, LUUR, has made a name for itself in minimalistic modern objects, but almost always with a surprise twist, which has garnered acclaim from Architectural Digest, Design Milk, and Dwell Studio, among others.

His new-ish North South bracelets, gorgeously made in-studio of Corian, is a modern spin on the friendship bracelet, with the ability to mix and match colors and textures thanks to magnetic closures. The HiLo tray, made of Stuart’s current favorite wood, white oak, is an exercise in form and restraint. The U Bench, his highest end piece thus far, is part sculpture, part seating space, stunningly rendered in steel with a dark patina.

“Some people might think of simple and minimal as a negative,” he says. “I look at it as a challenge, because it can easily end up looking like everything else out there that’s simple and minimal.”

LUUR also stands out because of the range of the objects they produce. “I think one of the beautiful things about our studio is that we don’t paint ourselves into a corner,” he says. “We do high end [like the stunning steel U Bench], but we also have more affordable pieces [the bracelets, trivets, and trays].”

In many ways, this approach gives anyone an entryway into good design.

LUUR’s approach also dictates the materials, as they try to produce as much in-shop as possible. “I look at it as, ‘What can I produce in-house with the equipment that I have?’” he says. “I like to work with materials that resonate with me, particularly natural materials. There’s something beautiful about that. The materials that stand out to me feel like they have longevity to them, so even though my style is minimalistic, it feels like something that would have been used a long time ago.”

Stuart draws inspiration from art, architecture, fashion—and other designers, of course. “I think fashion, in particular, is really starting to push the limits with structural design,” he says. “The list goes on and on: Le Corbusier, Carlo Scarpa, Scott Burton. It’s pretty massive.”

But of course, there are limits to his capacity to D.I.Y. and design. “It takes a lot of time to make something,” he says. “Materials always cost more than you think.

The general public’s idea of what things should cost is skewed because of mass manufacturing. I think that’s a major challenge. It’s difficult to get the average consumer to understand why our costs are what they are.”

So where, then is the line between the maker and the designer? “I think you can be all of them,” he says. “It’s all getting blurred nowadays, which I think is really good, personally. Why can’t objects be functional as well as beautiful? Why can’t functional objects make you feel the way you feel when you look at art?”

He makes a strong point. His next steps include several showcases and continued development on his retail side, as well as furniture design in-line with what they achieved with the U Bench. LUUR’s also working on the interior design for a new hair salon that is soon to open in Nora.

In the meantime, Stuart will continue to make his own opportunities, both here and on the coasts. LUUR is truly a studio on the verge; with his determination to put out outstanding work and break boundaries in traditional industrial and object design, as well as sculpture and art, there’s little doubt that it’s only a matter of time.—TEXT BY MARIA DICKMAN

luurdesign.com

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PATTERN ISSUE NO. 8

ALLISON FORD

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LLISON FORD ISN’T A JEWELER. YES, SHE MAKES AND SELLS jewelry, but her creations are more than just beautiful adornments, and her mentality is more than just business. She’s an artist, carving intricate wooden works to be worn on fingers, necks, and wrists.

Her studio, in the Harrison Center for the Arts, isn’t pristine or entirely well organized. She has stacks of different colored woods from deep cherry to bleached beige, shelves filled with notebooks, silver scraps, shavings, tools and enough imagination to fuel an artistic movement—and that’s basically what she’s doing. Because when you look around the city of Indianapolis, there aren’t many places you’re going to find a wooden replica of a raven’s skull that doubles as an enormous ring.

“I was always creative as a kid,” she recalls. “My parents let me go to the art center in the town where I grew up, and I really enjoyed the jewelry class there. I took it twice.”

In high school Ford took a random stone cutting class and a couple related courses in college. And that’s about as far as her formal jewelry training goes.

Instead of sitting in a classroom, she would sift through old costume jewelry, taking it apart and figuring out unique ways to put it back together. After a while, she forgot about her hobby and focused on what to do after college. It wasn’t until a few years after she graduated from Indiana University that she found herself rummaging through her old tool kit.

“I got a Dremel and a piece of wood so I could make my own beads and from that I made my first ring, and that was it. I knew this was what I wanted to be doing.”

Ford started out in her garage, working under a single light bulb. She enjoyed working alone without interruption; however, this would change once she was given a tour of the Harrison Center.

“Joanna [Executive Director of the Harrison Center] really liked what I was doing, and I remember thinking, ‘Oh, she’s going to make me get a studio here.’ I didn’t want that because I liked working by myself. But by the time the tour was over, I was like, ‘Okay, how do I get myself into this building?’”

She was given her space through a handicraft exchange and has continued renting for the past four years, going from a solitary workspace with little intrusion to sharing a room with a studio mate (Beth Hall) and having people filtering in and out on a regular basis. Interruptions are now something she can’t imagine working without, which is good considering her three children can be found helping mommy create on any given day.

“Right before I was about to have my first [child], we decided to move spaces.

They’re here all the time—they’ve basically grown up here,” she says.

Her children aren’t her only helpers. Ford’s grandfather, who is the maker of the wooden bracelets she sells in her studio, is also quite the craftsman. Despite his deteriorating vision, she says he is finds beautiful wood for her pieces.

“He pulls things from his property, he salvages things, he trades with the Amish— it’s cute. He’s always asking me about wood and I have to say, ‘Grandpa, I’ve got piles and piles, I’m good!’” she laughs.

While fluid, flowing shapes that follow the natural path of whatever wood she is using is her trademark, Ford also loves whittling wood into the shape of insects.

After making an Egyptian-inspired collar, which she paired with a scarab ring, the Indiana State Museum took notice and wanted more. Instead of sticking with beetles from Egypt, she decided to try insects native to Indiana.

The collection sat behind a glass case at the museum for a year without selling a single piece. She brought the rings home to her studio, and during a First Friday event, sold each and every one.

“It’s not for everyone. But I don’t need to appeal to a million people, I need to appeal to a fraction of that,” she says. “I have loyal customers, and I have people who are like, ‘That shit is really weird, but it makes me think, and I like it.’”

With Indy’s young professional, creative, and Millennial populations growing, Ford says she’s seen a boost in her sales and a growing interest in the idea of wearable art.

“I don’t compromise much on myself. You just live your life and have your tastes— people can wear my jewelry now and think, ‘Allison Ford made that,’ and that’s a happy accident.”

You can visit Allison Ford’s studio at the Harrison Center for Arts, 1505 N. Delaware Street.—TEXT BY MADIE SZROM studioamfdesign.com

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MATTHEW OSBORN

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ATTHEW OSBORN HAS IDEAS. THE HERRON SCHOOL OF ART and Design grad may work predominantly with wood, but that doesn’t mean he sticks to a formula.

For example? “Lately, I’ve been thinking about landscapes in a big way,” he says. “Indiana’s pretty flat, obviously, and I find myself really wanting to interrupt that flat line with different forms and such. I’m working on a line right now that has like mountains and valleys coming out of tabletops.”

Inventive, to be sure. “My natural process, and what I love to do, is just change things as I go,” he says. “I do a lot of planning and thinking beforehand, but I love the freedom to just alter and change directions. In school I’d do an 180 on pieces, like start a coffee table and end up with a desk or take legs off of tables. But you can’t do that with the custom pieces.”

This creativity comes from a somewhat colorful education background.

You see, Osborn didn’t start out with the intention to become a woodworker, or a furniture designer. Rather, he went to Purdue for engineering. That evolved into a study of industrial design, and then ceramics. After graduation, he remodeled houses for a year. Then, Herron came into the picture.

His love for woodworking comes from familiar roots. “My grandfather was a hero of mine; he was an engineer, and he had a woodshop in his basement,” he says. “He wasn’t a fine woodworker—he used it mostly to fix household problems, kinda tinker around and occupy his time. For him, it was all about function. Part of the reason I love furniture is, it’s got the art side, and it’s got the functional side.”

He admits, he worked his way into it slowly. “One of the things that’s nice about furniture is that it’s very closely related to other marketable skills, like carpentry,” he says. “You can work your way in slowly and develop a clientele, without necessarily having to jump into and open your own shop. Sharing space and sharing machines makes a lot of sense just because of the initial overhead. It’s what I did, and it’s worked out well so far.”

Very well. A little over a year ago, he spun off from his business with a fellow Herron grad to start Osborn Design and Craft. His biggest creative risk came from moving away from cabinets and carpentry to focus on his custom furniture design business. He still does a little bit of studio design, which are more like art pieces for galleries. But his next goal is to do a line of furniture.

“I have a few potential flagship pieces in mind,” he says. “In general: simple, contemporary pieces with clean lines. I love working with wood because it’s beautiful, and natural, and it wears beautifully,” he says. “Particularly the subtle beauty of the stuff that grows around here: walnut, cherry, hickory — that kind of stuff.” Osborn also hopes to incorporate metals and other materials into his work in the future.

Inspiration for his designs comes from a variety of places, particularly his interest in architecture. “I like to think of my work as little pieces of architecture,” he says.

“Simple geometry, too. It’s in my blood — my grandfather being an engineer, and my father being a geometry teacher; I have a pretty strong math background. I find that kind of stuff fascinating.”

Osborn also started a makerspace to help encourage fellow woodworkers. “I felt the need to have a space for young creatives to get their start,” he says. “They can use all the help they can get in this market.” One of the biggest challenges to success? Customers that don’t understand everything that goes into making a custom, hand-crafted pieces.

“Our culture is really used to super cheap furniture that, even if it’s nice, it’s cheap because it’s mass produced. People come to me with a price point in the back of their head, and I have to educate them on the true costs of what I make.

Getting a strong cultural movement behind handmade or locally made objects and helping people understand how the piece they are buying is an investment, and that their purchase is helping the local economy is key. If we can get that to happen, that would be huge.”

And if his work is any indication, he’s right. —TEXT BY MARIA DICKMAN osborndesignandcraft.com

MATTY BENNETT

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HEN I SAT DOWN WITH MATTY BENNETT, THE MAKER behind National Moto + Cycle, I expected to learn a lot about bikes and even more about motor-cycles (not to be confused with motorcycles). What I didn’t expect was to delve into the rich Hoosier history of cycling, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the Zig Zag Cycling Club.

In 1890, Indy’s first cycling track opened at 30th Street and Central Avenue. The Newby Oval held 20,000 seats and was filled with cheering fans and spectators at nearly every event. Social riding groups, like the Zig Zag Cycling Club drew early enthusiasm from riders giving them the chance to participate in cycling events and relays. A few years later, in 1909, what is now known as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was built. I was surprised to learn that the first motorized race to take place there was a motorcycle race.

While Indy’s two-wheel racing history has been eclipsed by the far better known mythology of motor racing, Bennett notes, “biking is finally becoming part of our DNA. We are understanding how two wheels integrate into our daily lives.” It’s taken Indy a while to get there, but it’s taken Bennett a while to get back to two wheels, too.

Long before founding National Moto + Cycle, Bennett studied furniture design and woodworking at Herron School of Art and Design. Looking for exposure to more mass-produced product design, he moved to New York to attend the Finishing School where he “got into new world stuff.” Living in Queens and studying decorative painting, he was able to immerse himself into the world of applied artistry working for architects and designers to create spaces with an edge. “The spaces weren’t for everybody, but that was kind of the point,” says Bennett, who left the distinct mark of his personal style.

Back in Indianapolis, he founded Sequences Designs, an interior design firm.

Some of my best work came from resetting my focus on what I wanted to do.” His beautiful restaurant spaces, like Ball & Biscuit and Taste, speak for themselves.

But something was missing.

In 2008, National Moto + Cycling was founded. Headquartered in south Broad Ripple, National Moto + Cycling specializes in vintage motor and electric bikes.

“National’s story is about manufacturing, racing, making, and hard work.” Finally, Bennett discovered the perfect intersection of the elements that mattered most to him. The studio itself is decorated with artifacts representing the history his company embodies; posters from early racing days, and even an antique Sunco sign from the gas station his grandfather once ran.

But Bennett isn’t stuck in the past. As he looks to the future, he has big plans.

Soon he will be expanding the Moto Gear line, which is inspired by the mix of pilot, mechanic, and spectator gear and includes helmets, riding gloves, coats, and coveralls. In the coming year, you will also be able to find his bikes at a growing number of bike dealers. And who knows, perhaps you can join his newly formed Zig Zag Cycling Club. —TEXT BY DENVER HUTT twitter.com/nationalmoto

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PATTERN ISSUE NO. 8

BRIAN MCCUTCHEON

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ARPENTERS, CHEFS, ENGINEERS, BUILDERS, HECK, LINE COOKS; they’re all good at making things. It’s a trait at which masters of many trades would claim to be “good.” And yet, not all makers consider themselves artists. A fashion designer who dreams up a garment, certainly would. But the person who drafts the pattern, the individual who assembles the sample into a tangible piece of clothing—what about them?

“I’ve always been good at making things,” said Brian McCutcheon, co-founder of Indianapolis Fabrications (iFab). And from his studio on Indianapolis’ near East side, he transforms the act of making things for other artists into an art form itself, all the while maintaining his personal and outward identity as more of an artist than the term “fabricator” implies.

“It’s an outlet for my own work, and I treat my own art like it is for a client,” he says. “Instead of being an artist who has to rely on a fabricator to get a project built, I have that outside my office door and I’m in control of it. I can only think of a few acquaintances that have the same luxury.”

McCutcheon has been fabricating since completing his MFA in Art from Michigan’s prestigious Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1995 as a way to support his own work, which has appeared in museums and galleries across the nation from New York to Texas to Pennsylvania, as well as locally at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA). While fabrication promised more financial opportunity, he resisted investing his career into a field he felt couldn’t fulfill his need to not only make, but create.

Then, in 2010, when McCutcheon was teaching at the Art Institute of Chicago and living in Indianapolis, the IMA transformed 100 acres of wooded property into The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres.

“Team Building (Align)” by New York-based Type A (Adam Ames and Andrew Bordwin) was one of the many large-scale commissions designed to pepper 100 Acres with interactive, thought provoking original works. Align’s two 30 foot-wide metal rings are suspended from telephone poles and trees, and placed strategically so that on the summer solstice, their shadows merge into a single, ghostly ring. When the project ran into financial difficulty, Randy Domeck, then employed

by Type A, reached out to McCutcheon to help finish the project. With that, iFab was born and Align became the first work in its portfolio.

A gallery of square thumbnail images on iFab’s homepage is a veritable mosaic of McCutcheon and Domeck’s partnership: credits on projects as small as a backyard chicken coop and as monstrous as Rob Ley’s 13,000 square foot “May/September,” adorning an entire facade of the parking garage at Indianapolis’ new Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital.

Faced with a small local artist demographic working on projects at a scale that necessitate iFab’s services, McCutcheon relies on a wide word-of-mouth network that brings him jobs from all over the country. And yet, he finds he need not look farther than Indy when he needs to sub-contract talent for material acquisition, laser cutting, etc.

“I’m discovering more sources all the time,” he says. “We’re also so centrally located we can reach as far as Cincinnati, but we rarely have to do that.”

A job opportunity for his wife caused McCutcheon to relocate to Indianapolis from Philadelphia, a move he feared would place him somewhere he didn’t belong.

Accustomed to an entire community of creators, McCutcheon wondered what his new Midwestern neighbors must have thought as he labored over art in his garage rather than a radiator or home improvement project.

Since starting iFab, McCutcheon has discovered that where making and artistry intersect is also where a Midwestern base can be an asset. Aside from affordable studio space, opportunities for artistic and personal fulfillment abound.

“I mostly wanted to make my living from art and design-related projects,” he says.

“The importance of those things to the growth of our urban center has connected me with people who really make a difference in the community.”

On a discounted and sometimes pro bono basis, iFab has provided work for the East End Civic Association, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, People for Urban Progress, and many other nonprofits.

“I haven’t done studio work in three years now, but I tell myself my focus has only shifted, not disappeared,” he says. “The work I am doing is still my work. So few artists are able to live on their art alone.” —TEXT BY GABRIELLE POSHADLO indianapolisfabrications.com

INDY_DROIDS

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OW DO WE DEFINE THIS HALF-MAN, HALF-ROBOT? Street artist? Maybe.

Robot maker? Definitely.

Community creator? From his perspective, that definition might be a bit too much, as he explains that he began with a “pile of junk” from his home renovation.

A happy accident? “Isn’t that what they call them?” he says, smiling.

When I arrive on the street that Indy_Droids calls home, it occurs to me that I don’t have an exact address. Fortunately, I don’t wander around for too long, as for an artist/maker who values anonymity, his mid-century modern home stands out on an otherwise unremarkable street.

I learn that after a brief stint in Bloomington, where he met his now-fiance, Stephanie, the pair relocated to Indianapolis in early 2014. When I arrive for the interview, Stephanie apologizes for the exposed studs that used to be the walls surrounding their kitchen, citing their never-ending home renovation. She’s supportive of her fiance’s creative outlet, joining him on an occasional droid drop, but she leaves us to our own devices, as Indy_Droids gives me the tour of his basement workshop. He explains that, in conjunction with their home renovation, odd construction jobs from his friends have contributed to the pile of junk from which he now draws his inspiration.

“I had all this scrap, and I just started making in my spare time.” he says, and laughs.

The basement may be where Indy_Droids makes most of his robot minions by hand, but as he shows me around the main level, references to comics, cartoons and color—everything from Dr. Who to The Venture Brothers—adorn the walls. It’s an impressive collection that pays homage to all the corners of today’s viral obsessions.

Even more impressive is that he funnels all of this so perfectly into his craft.

He loves trying new patterns; everything from R2-D2 to Optimus Prime have been paid hommage by our local Droid maker, and each piece has its own Indiana-spin.

While Indy_Droids says he has no looming plans for taking over Indy, he’s definitely trying to make a point, leaving his hand-made robots for the taking, all over the city.

The reason? “Community,” he says. “It probably came from the Free Art Fridays they were doing in Atlanta, and I thought, ‘Why can’t we do that here?’”

Inevitably, when it comes to the free art movement, Banksy comes to mind.

But Indy_Droids thinks his droids stand for something different altogether, as he is making things that can go unnoticed, unclaimed or even worse, thrown in the trash by cleaning crews. His mission: challenging us as a city, and challenging himself.

“When I was first thinking about doing drops here, it sounded like a good way to get me out and exploring the city more,” he said. “But, this style of publicity fits me well.”

Thus, the invasion of the droids began in 2015. The little two-dimensional droid heads began popping up around town in January, in sporadic robot attacks called “drops.”

The art of dropping—hiding his droids in public, but somewhat out-of-sight— explores the fine line between leaving his art for people to find, without it being mistaken for trash (I once found one pieced together from parts of an analog clock).

He drops off his creations, posts them to Instagram and then moves on. Weather and life can delay drops, but like a robot, he tries to stay relatively consistent.

In stark contrast to what you may expect from the leader of a droid army, Indy_Droids is not boastful; rather, he prefers to focus on his craft and keep the wheels of creativity turning. In fact, when he found out that this interview also entailed a portrait photoshoot, he immediately wanted to know if he could make a life-sized droid head to wear in his session.

Indy_Droids freely admits that he is no Banksy—no urban anarchist fighting “the man” with his hand-made droids. He does seem, however, to be the perfect combination of maker/artist/humble worker for which the Circle City was made.

After all, Indy is in his name.—TEXT BY ERIC REES instagram.com/indy_droids

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SISTER KAREN

CURT ATON

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N A BACK OFFICE OF NOBLITT FABRICATING, CURT ATON UNFOLDS A 1972 BLUEPRINT of some metal part that belongs to an old Cummins diesel engine; his company will fabricate a few hundred of these and then put them out in the market. He points to numbers on the print that identify the type of metal to be used, the dimensions, and all sorts of indications that describe exactly how this part needs to be made. The makers at Noblitt can create just about anything out of steel or aluminum, then finish or paint it, and ship it anywhere in the world (or put it in a truck and run it across town).

Here in Columbus, Indiana, in a state of makers, in a city that has more mechanical engineers per capita than anywhere else in the country, Noblitt has been excelling at this kind of work for 50 years. They work for an exacting and important client base. While Indianapolis has its long history of making automobiles and parts, the history of making engines and transmissions in Columbus also dates back to the late 19th century. Noblitt Fabricating has served a critical bridge between factories and those that need some kind of special thing made.

“At Noblitt, we make things that nobody has a current source for,” says Aton, who along with his wife, Michelle, bought the company from the founders, George and Jane Noblitt, in 2010.

Aton operates in a niche business market in which his company fabricates prototypes for engines and things not yet made. There are few, if any, shops like Noblitt in the region. To walk through the shop and see the work being produced there would cause just about any maker or designer to have flights of imagination and wonder—the possibilities seem to flash from every workstation.

The folks at Noblitt can make things from wrinkled blueprints, digital 3D models, and sometimes from just simple conversations and sketches. The shop contains everything from a high-tech metal laser cutter and a wide variety of computer aided cutting and milling equipment to old-school welders, drill presses, and lathes.

More recently, his company has represented a tantalizing example of the possibilities between connecting this manufacturing industry to the art and design industry.

That’s because Aton also happens to love art, design, and a good challenge.

In 2011 the Indiana University Center for Art+Design (IUCA+D) opened in Columbus, and he and Michele began attending gallery openings and lectures about art and design. Their circle of connections widened and new opportunities began pouring in. One of the first such connections was with the duo of artists; New York based, Jennifer Riley and Indianapolis based, Emily Kennerk.

He began talking to Riley and Kennerk in 2013 about “these skeletons” he had around the shop—the sheets of metal left over from laser cut projects. The skeletons, of course, aren’t human, but more of like eight-foot-long sheets of metal with odd geometric parts perfectly cut out of them. Think a huge sheet of cookie dough with a 100 reindeers perfectly and systematically removed and you kind of get the picture.

“I’ve always been intrigued by those. All the forms cut out in different sizes and shapes. They seem to hold some kind of story in the steel,” Aton explained.

Riley and Kennerk took 70 sheets of “skeletons” and transformed them into a series of artworks that they exhibited in January of 2014 at IUCA+D in a show called “Big Bright Steel.” The installation was later placed on display at the Cummins Technical Center, and eventually purchased by Mercedes House, a new mixed-use development on West 54th Street in Manhattan.

In the spring of 2014, Aton met furniture designer Jonathan Nesci and went on to work with him to create an exhibit that featured 100 polished aluminum occasional tables that were fabricated at Noblitt. In October of 2014 these tables were displayed in the sunken courtyard of First Christian Church to national acclaim as “100 Variations: New Reflections on Eliel Saarinen and the Golden Ratio.” Nesci has gone on to produce a variety of other designs at Noblitt to further acclaim.

Nesci attests to the skill of the makers at Noblitt, “I’ve been to many metal shops all over the Midwest and know it’s rare to find a metal fabrication shop that is so flexible in what they can produce with such a wide variety of highly-skilled individuals under one roof.”

Aton explains why they are willing to take on art and design projects, “The makers at Noblitt really like creating things other than parts all day, so I see it as a kind of benefit to us, or a creative change of pace that keeps us thinking about our regular work in new ways. Of course, we all get really energized by making unique things that go on to be recognized in New York or wherever.” —TEXT BY RICHARD MCCOY noblittfab.com

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TEP ONE: SISTER KAREN CHOOSES HER CLAY. OR MAYBE THE CLAY chooses her, because clearly it’s a relationship, I am learning, as I am sitting in her peaceful Broad Ripple studio. Potter and clay are equals in the collaboration.

Step Two: Sister Karen blesses the clay. “Nothing long or drawn out,” she says, “I simply ask, ‘Let this clay and me be present together, and see what beauty can come.’”

Step Three: Sister Karen begins a dialogue. Soon science joins the conversation, with the force of the wheel, and as the particles in the clay align and strengthen. But then technique turns to art as the quiet chat returns between potter and clay. “What will we become today?”

Karen Van De Walle, C.S.J., easily drifts into first-person plural to describe her process: “We struggle if I don’t listen to the clay.” “We decide together what to create.” But indeed, it is sole proprietor Sister Karen who has been operating The Potter’s House and Studio on Carrollton Avenue in Broad Ripple for 30 years.

She left academia—teaching ceramics and drawing at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College—to set up a spiritual center on the east side of Indianapolis in the 1980s with a few fellow nuns in her congregation, the Sisters of St. Joseph. She laughs that maybe they were ahead of their time in the concept of a quiet retreat to guide people on their spiritual path, integrating solitude and the arts, if they so cared.

Soon after Sister Karen opened her own personal retreat, her one-woman studio, gallery, and pottery shop.

I have a collection of her work, acquired over many years as gifts from my brother.

While vastly different in shape and sizes, I know they are all created from the same conversation. I ask Sister Karen to describe her artistic style. “I hope everyday is a new day,” she replies. “I hope that people see a solidness about my clay or that the curves are beautiful or lines are strong and true and that the decorations are integrated more than on the surface—that they add to the intrinsic beauty of the shape. But I want it to be fresh everyday.”

Her pieces have a heft and a presence. They are cool to the touch with textures and colors that provoke, for me, thoughts of water. Her glazes are often in soothing, liquid-like blues and sandy, slightly pearlescent tans, a receding tide. There is a harmony to all of her pieces. I hear them whispering their story of earth and water, of wind and sky.

Sister Karen tuned in with nature and spirituality at an early age strolling with the groundskeepers at golf courses during early morning hours as her father, a professional golfer, practiced in South Bend, Indiana. While not a golfer herself, she was a swimmer, and today, she is an avid kayaker and photographer. She also loves to frequent hardware stores and culinary shops to find unique instruments to texturize her clay, from pasta rollers to pencils.

On the outside, her studio looks like a bright and welcoming vacation bungalow despite its origins as a garage. As we sit on stools in her workspace, sounds from a wind chime and a gentle breeze drift in from the propped open front door. Two customers waft in who mention they just came from church where they saw her pottery there. As they browse, one of the patrons jokes, “I was going to skip out on church today but I loved looking at your pottery!”

Her pottery is used at North United Methodist Church, among others. She says that she can’t keep count of all the clergy members who have her pottery as both art and as functional water-and-wine vessels. “So many denominations,” she says, “I’m very ecumenical.” She loves that people actually use her pieces in daily life.

“Is there anything more romantic than on a cold, cold day than having your hands caressing a handmade mug that is full of hot coffee that is starting off your day?” she asks. “It’s like food tastes better when it is served out of a handmade vessel.”

As a longtime maker in Indianapolis, she humbly hesitates to admit that she wishes Indianapolis could be more like other cities with an even stronger support of the arts. She commends the Lilly Endowment for their generous funding of area artists, and would like to see other organizations and private companies join the call to action, even to purchase local art for inspirational integration into workspaces and offices.

And as long as the clay continues to speak to her, she will continue to be a contributor to the community and be a maker in Indianapolis. Sister Karen says after one learns technique then one can be free. “You can do a beautiful rim and then all of a sudden you have the freedom to distort that rim. If I want to be a potter who makes 300 bowls that look alike, I might as well work at GM on the assembly line and make a whole lot more money,” she says with a smile. “I can appreciate potters who love to do that, but it’s not me.” Our community—and the clay—is relieved that wasn’t the path Sister Karen followed. —TEXT BY MARY G. BARR pottershousestudioandgallery.com

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DOWNTOWN INDY SHOPS LOCAL Downtown Indy is thriving today because of the remarkable people who have who shaped it and the businesses and organizations today with renewed interest who continue to make it. Standing on the shoulders of past Downtown leadership, let’s continue to make things happen together.

With the opening of Downtown’s first makerspace, Ruckus, it is a great time to be a maker and to partner with Downtown Indy.

BENEFITS FOR ONE YEAR MAKER MEMBERSHIP: • Recognized as a “Proud Downtown Indy Member” with window decal and logo placement on your website • Customized full-page profile on Downtown Indy’s website with photos, logo, description and direct link to your website plus complete contact information • Recognition as a preferred Downtown business/organization providing added exposure and promotion to public via phone, web, email, etc. from Downtown Indy staff • Email alerts informing members about public safety and traffic/street closures • Blog post in “Meet the Maker” series To get involved, reach out to Amanda: Amanda@DowntownIndy.org or 317.237.2218.

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RIGHNO BOUTIQUE

HOMESPUN BOOMERANG BTQ CRIMSON TATE

CHATHAM HOME

TOOLBOX MEN’S SUPPLY COMPANY J. BENZAL MENSWEAR

GLOBAL GIFTS THE INVENTORIALIST

THREE DOG BAKERY

ZAG WEST

NURTURE SAGE BOUTIQUE

MASS AVE. TOYS

STOUT’S SHOE STORE

SOCIETY OF SALVAGE

MASS AVE. KNIT SHOP

THE RUNNER’S FORUM

MY MUSE

DOWNTOWN INDY PARTNERS A A rts A Poppin 425 Massachusetts Ave.

E Indy Reads Books 911 Massachusetts Ave.

I

The IMA Museum Store 4000 Michigan Rd.

B B asile History Market at Indiana History Center 450 West Ohio St.

F M idland Arts and Antiques Market 907 E Michigan St.

J W indsor Jewelry Company 16 N Meridian St.

C T he Eiteljorg Frank and Katrina Basile Museum 500 West Washington St.

G P attern Workshop 871 Massachusetts Ave.

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D I ndiana State Museum Gift Shop 650 W. Washington St.

H S ilver in the City 434 Massachusetts Ave.

Compiled By Amanda Dorman Design By Jon McClure

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DOWNTOWN HOME TOUR OCTOBER 15–18 & 22–25 | NOON – 7PM T I C K E T S & I N F O @ D O W N T O W N I N D Y.O R G GET IN THE LOOP

Teagen Development: Supporting Indy’s makers, creators, and doers since 1983.

*Co-owned with Deylen Realty

Circle City Industrial Complex 1125 Brookside Avenue

Chatham Center 901 N. East Street

The Murphy Arts Center* 1043 Virginia Avenue

Ovid & Calvin Commons 1101 College Avenue

The Babeca 919 N. East Street

Lincoln Park Shops 25th & Central

“I LIKE SHOWING PEOPLE I CAN COME UP WITH THESE IDEAS AND MAKE THEM HAPPEN.” ­—BECK JONES

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BECK JONES. WUNDERKIND DESIGNER. STYLE AND SKILL BEYOND HIS 16 YEARS, THIS COSTUME DESIGNER STEPS INTO THE SPOTLIGHT. TEXT BY MARY G. BARR + PHOTOGRAPHY BY ESTHER BOSTON Beck Jones is not only creating jaw-dropping costumes complete with substructures, trains, bustles, coattails, and wigs, this 16–year–old Indianapolis native has already established his own theatre business with an aggressive plan to showcase seven of his own shows before he graduates Herron High School.

MARY G. BARR: Were you designing before joining Young Actors Theatre (YAT), [the Athenaeum-based youth acting troupe]?

BECK JONES (PICTURED AT CENTER): No. Like most kids who start theatre, I just wanted to act. Then in fifth grade I started prop construction. In seventh grade we did “The Little Mermaid” and I asked, “Can I costume this?” And I did. In eighth grade, I said it’d be my last year acting because I just wanted to make costumes from then on.

MGB: You have such a mature ability. Tell me how you learned to make these complex costumes.

BJ: It’s mostly from watching backstage videos and seeing photos from Broadway shows. They show how to construct stuff, and it gives me a lot of ideas.

MGB: Of all your productions, do you have a favorite?

BJ: Probably my favorite play to entirely costume was “Dorian Grey.” But my favorite individual costume was the Enchantress from “Beauty and the Beast.”

I was very proud of that actress—she was carrying 30 pounds on stage but could also handle all the dance movement.

MGB: I happen to have seen that production, twice!

That costume was incredible. So walk me through the creation of the Enchantress costume.

BJ: I learned from the director that this costume must be magical, so I created something that could transform [on stage]. I did sketches and used Pinterest to look for ideas and colors.

Then I showed the director my sketches and notes.

The character begins as something ugly, and then she flips the costume, and she becomes beautiful.

The original idea for the costume was a jacket.

And then it became a dress with the base made out of foam. There is a wire that runs up the back of it so it stays nice and stiff. It is constructed with three layers of foam so it looks like multiple dresses stacked on top of each other. Her wig was made out of cotton piping that we dyed. Since she had to go from ugly to beautiful, she had a bustle and belt that went through the cape. When it flips, it transforms from ugly browns and greens to vibrant and beautiful.

MGB: Yes, it was a very memorable costume.

The audience went wild during the dance scene.

So how did you know to do all that engineering with wires and layers and foam? That seems like some advanced construction to me. How did you know it would work?

BJ: I had to experiment and see. I had used foam with “Alice in Wonderland” the year before to create hips to look like the Queen of Hearts. They turned out a little floppy so I did the same thing with the Enchantress foam but added wires and it helped out a lot.

MGB: Tell me about the Beast costumes.

BJ: For the five Beasts, I made it look like they came from the Enchantress. We found old jackets that I fit to the guys, and then I cut them to be tailcoats.

The spikes are made out of foam covered in the patchwork of each character.

MGB: You’ve done a lot of fanciful costumes. What of your ideas have yet to come to life on stage for you?

BJ: That’s the reason my friend Fiona Dwyer and I came up with our own theatre company, 7th Artistry.

We have so many ideas to bring to the stage outside of YAT. We did “Rapunzel” at the Murphy Art Center on a First Friday. Since we are both still in high school, our plan is to have completed seven shows by graduation, and that’s how we came up with our name. Depending on life after high school, we’ll have to see if we will continue with the company.

MGB: So you have your own company with a plan, more YAT shows coming up, hundreds of costumes to your credit, where do you see yourself in the future?

BJ: I know I want to do shows. I’d like to start a costume business and then go to Broadway or some big theatre.

I just want to continue to make my own versions of costumes—and not just the basic form.

MGB: What’s most challenging as a costume designer?

BJ: When people say, “You’re just a kid. You say you can do it, but can you actually do it?” But that’s why I like showing people I can come up with these ideas and make them happen. I can motivate myself, and I can actually do this. ✂

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ARONSTAM JEWELERS, FRIEDA ROTHMAN BLACKENED SILVER TEAR DROP EARRINGS $150.00.

RED HARING INSPIRED BY KEITH’S ICONIC WORK

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLYUM BAULKEY MAKEUP BY JACKS VON LIRIA MAKEUP ASSISTANT: KASSIDI RHODES MODEL: PRESLEY STEWART (LMODELZ MODEL MANAGEMENT) & DAMON ANDREW RICHARDS (INDEPENDENT) RETOUCH BY WENDY TOWLE 71

RIGHT: ROCK MY BOWTIE, SOLID PRE-TIED RED $25.00. .

“I HOPE THIS TRIBUTE WOULD ENCOURAGE OTHERS, ESPECIALLY YOUNGER PEOPLE, WHO DO NOT KNOW KEITH HARING, TO LOOK UP HIS WORK, GO TO A GALLERY, AND NOTICE HIS INFLUENCE AND INSPIRATION IN FASHION.” –WILLYUM BAULKEY

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DESIGNERS

DANIELA UPSHAW FROM SELF-TAUGHT BULGARIAN SEAMSTRESS TO CUSTOM INDIANAPOLIS DESIGNS

TEXT BY CRYSTAL HAMMON + PHOTOGRAPHY BY ESTHER BOSTON THERE’S AN OLD BULGARIAN CUSTOM THAT GOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS: WHEN A child takes his first steps, family and friends gather for the American equivalent of a birthday party with a unique cultural twist. Several objects are placed on the floor— a pen, a screwdriver, a book, and a pair of scissors.

Whatever the child chooses reveals his destiny. The pen predicts a writer.

The screwdriver suggests a mechanic. The book is a foreshadowing of a teacher or scholar. A child drawn to scissors may be a nurse, a doctor, or perhaps a tailor or seamstress. The ritual is usually more lighthearted fun than serious prophecy.

Not so for Daniela Upshaw. Her choice—the scissors—proved to be doubly prescient.

The 47–year–old Indiana–based fashion designer has been drawn to fashion since she was a girl growing up in Sofia, Bulgaria, where her mother introduced her to custom–made clothing. Each year, they visited a seamstress who made the whole family new garments to take on their annual vacation.

During her early teens, Upshaw began to scour fashion magazines and one day fell in love with a design in a German magazine. Confident that it could be made, she clipped the page, shopped for the fabric and made an appointment with the family’s seamstress. Having worked with her for years, Upshaw was shocked by her response to the design. “I can’t make this for you,” she said. “It’s too complicated.”

Upshaw left the shop disappointed and angry, but determined to make it herself, despite a complete lack of sewing experience. Her mother was dubious, but quickly saw that her daughter’s ambition was more than just a teenager’s bravado. “I think I told my mother, ‘I’m going to do this, or I’m going to die,’” Upshaw says.

When they arrived home, Upshaw went straight to her bedroom, closed the door and spread the fabric on the floor, without a clue how to start. Using newspapers, she made the first set of patterns, then slogged her way through a book on patternmaking. Meanwhile, her parents purchased a Russian–made mechanical sewing machine.

With a clunky, hand–operated machine and a lot of perseverance, Upshaw completed her first project. “I was so happy that day because I learned whatever I can dream in my mind, I could actually make,” she says. She continued sewing all through high school, finding joy in creating her own designs and selecting fabrics, but by the time she graduated, the dream of being a fashion designer had disintegrated.

For starters, there were no fashion design schools in Bulgaria. She might have easily overcome that obstacle, but it was trumped by a factor beyond her control.

“During communism in Bulgaria, the state chose what you studied,” she says.

“They sent me to school to be a nurse.”

Afterwards, Upshaw was obligated to practice nursing for at least three years, which she did dutifully—and fashionably. Bored by the green scrubs she was expected to wear as an anesthesia nurse, Upshaw asked the hospital for bolts of fabric used for uniforms and created her own designs, loaded with the couture details she was learning through independent study. The fabric was free, and Upshaw seized the opportunity to create more elegant designs using her new skills.

While her clothes drew admiration at work, not everyone was pleased. “This is not a fashion show,” one of her bosses said. “It’s a working environment.” Another supervisor came to her defense, allowing Upshaw to wear whatever she wanted.

When Bulgaria’s communist rule ended in the early 1990s, Upshaw finally had the freedom to leave nursing. “That opened the opportunity for me to do whatever I wanted,” she says. “I wanted to connect with the world outside, so I signed up to study English and Greek.”

Eventually, she got a job as a translator, which required her to have professional clothes—all of which she designed and made herself. Co–workers hounded her to

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learn where she bought them, but Upshaw would never say. “This dream of becoming a fashion designer felt like a very closed part of me,” she says. “It was painful to acknowledge my true passion.”

The turning point in her career came in 2003. A friend living in New York persuaded Upshaw to visit the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), show her work and get a professional’s opinion of what she should do with her self–taught skills.

Upshaw packed several of her garments, booked a trip to the U.S. and met with a professor at FIT. “She couldn’t believe I had learned everything by myself,” Upshaw says. “She told me, ‘You do not need to go to school. You just need to keep doing what you are doing. Whatever you do, you must go forward.’”

Upshaw left the meeting in tears—so rattled that she forgot her purse and passport in the professor’s office. She returned to Bulgaria with a set of reading recommendations to help her acquire a few missing technical skills, such as drawing.

With renewed hope for a long–deferred dream, Upshaw absorbed herself in those books and forged ahead. Through her mother’s job as a manager of an upscale restaurant, Upshaw met performing artists who wanted custom–designs, fitted for their bodies, and suitable for the stage. “They started ordering clothes. I made them, and they just kept coming back,” she says. “My passion followed me, and my dream started to come true.”

After getting married in 2009, Upshaw moved to Indiana and set up a studio for her haute couture dressmaking company, DanielaStyle LLC, located in her Fortville home. “The first two years I was here, I didn’t know there was a fashion industry in Indianapolis,” she says. She learned about Pattern, and in 2012, started gaining visibility in area competitions and fashion shows, including Midwest Fashion Week, Unzip the Runway and the Art League affiliated with the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette.

Convincing a ready–to–wear world that custom–designed clothing is worth the money is tough, but not insurmountable for a woman who has mastered her art through sheer grit. “Not many people know there are couture designers here who can make custom clothing,” she says. “Of course, it’s more expensive, but it has to be.”

If you’ve ever watched someone stitch Swarovski beads on a wedding dress, you’ll understand why.

There’s no question that couture garments fitted to your body are not a practical everyday choice for many people, but Upshaw says they are appropriate when people want original clothes for significant life events and special occasions. Satisfying that niche is exactly how she expects to grow her business. “Everyone has some kind of doubt about their own body, and everyone wants to look beautiful,” she says.

“Most women are two different sizes, top to bottom. When you buy a ready–to–wear dress and put it on, it is not going to make your body look as beautiful as a design that’s made for your body, your hair, your eyes, your skin tone, using the fabrics and colors you like.”

Another special ingredient found only in custom design: the infinite love and care of someone who regards your body as a work of art. “I look at the human body as a sculpture,” Upshaw says. “I study a lady according to her features and what she likes, and I envision how a design can visually correct body proportions. I don’t just want to give her a new dress; I want to give her a new life and a new mood.”

Upshaw laments the fact that many young designers are graduating without knowing how to sew. “Sometimes the fabric talks to you and tells you how it wants to drape,” she says. “If you follow the fabric wherever it leads you, this is where art happens. To a designer, fabric is like the attachment a painter has to color. You can’t just draw the picture, give it to someone else and have them paint it. It’s not the same thing.”

Despite decades of self–study, Upshaw continues to hone her skills, drawing support from local organizations like the Indianapolis chapter of the American Sewing Guild, which has several groups that meet monthly in different locations around the city. At least one is a group of experienced garment sewers.

“If a person is seriously interested in couture sewing, you don’t want to underestimate these ladies,” she says. “They have an amazing connection with each other, and many of them have been sewing all their lives because they grew up at a time when every house in America had a sewing machine. When you need to know hand techniques, there is so much you can learn from them.”

Upshaw also credits Pattern with pioneering a network that keeps her motivated.

“There are so many people in Indianapolis who are drawn to work in fashion, but until Pattern started connecting us, we didn’t know about each other,” she says.

Upshaw has an unwavering belief that she is in the right place, at the right time, with the right set of skills to succeed. She doesn’t wonder whether she needs to live in one of the world’s leading fashion cities or whether Indiana is capable of adding a fashion industry to its economy.

“Everything in this world starts from zero, and if you are dedicated, I believe anything can be done,” she says. “I’ve had my challenges, but if you know that you do something well, you have to fight for it.” ✂ 75

STUFF ARRANGED PRECISELY Austin Radcliffe curates his favorite tool images There is a humble dedication among makers. It is a respect

care or importance is placed on these objects.

for time, tools, process, and product. Things Organized

Master craftsman’s tool cabinets, tightly orga-

Neatly demonstrates these values. In these photographs we

nized pegboards, or a carefully knolled workspace

can see deliberate placement of objects, and an inherent

demonstrates this respect.

CURATION AND TEXT BY AUSTIN RADCLIFFE DESIGN BY CODY THOMPSON

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(TOP LEFT) BROOKE SHANESY

(TOP RIGHT) THOMAS HIRSCHHORN

(BELOW RIGHT) MARK MAHENEY

(OPPOSITE) BROOKE SHANESY

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THE MAKERS PROCESS: A GAME OF CHANCE — Makers are having a moment. If you haven’t heard by this point, now you know.

Consumers are hearing that supporting local makers is important for the economy, among a list of other benefits. That’s fine. But why is it so expensive? We would all love to buy local shirts, jeans and shoes if budget allowed. Right?

What often gets lost in this conversation is the struggle that our makers go through. It’s a game of sorts. Starting with an idea, the path is anything but linear until the finish line (that is, if you even get to your projected goal).

So go ahead; pick up the dice. Play the odds that two of our local makers faced. Can you make your idea into profit? Or will you fall through the cracks?

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LAUNCH COMPANY

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THEY LOVE YOU Market research shows public support. Skip four spaces.

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OVERDRAWN Bank is skeptical of your business plan. Wait 3 turns.

3AM BUSINESS CALLS Nighttime here means daytime where your vendor is. Roll every other turn.

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GREAT MINDS You feel a connection with your manufacturer. Roll twice every turn.

PRIME SHIPPING Samples are shipped ahead of schedule. Skip ten spaces.

WHAT’S A WEBSITE? Your web designer greatly oversells his capabilities. Lose ten turns.

BANKRUPTCY Your overseas vendor is too to good be true. Return to square one.

SELL FIRST COLLECTION

DESIGN BY JON MCCLURE TEXT BY ERIC REES MAKER ONE PETER DENSBORN MAKER TWO CATHERINE FRITSCH

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Row 1 (top) L to R: Glass of Linnea’s Lights in Vanilla Orchid / Glass of Ambre Blends Ambre Skin Tonic / Get Lathered Conditioner that Rolls in Rosemary Mint; Row 2: Toast buttered with The Local Radish Bare Naked Butter; Row 3: Oatmeal topped with Bitchstix Citrus Orange Lip Balm and Cocoa Butter Moisture Stix / Get Lathered Shampoo that Rocks in Rosemary Mint / Bitchstix Cocoa Butter Moisture Stix and Citrus Orange Lip Balm / Tin of The Local Radish Bare Naked Butter; Row 4: Cup of Kodo Fragrances in Lanterns / Herbal Art Banana Crunch Soap frosted with The Local Radish Bare Naked Butter /Cup of James Dant The Explorer Beard Oil with a slice of lemon.

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[ Herbal Art soaps in Coffee Cake, Banana Crunch and Green Tea, frosted with The Local Radish Bare Naked Butter ]

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[ Oatmeal topped with chopped Bitchstix Citrus Orange Lip Balm and Cocoa Butter Moisture Stix ]

[ White toast buttered with The Local Radish Bare Naked Butter and cup of Kodo Fragrances in Lanterns ]

[ White toast topped with egg whites made from Linnea’s Lights in Silver Birch ]

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QUEEN CHOKER, QUIL JEWELRY

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GREEN IS GOLD, QUIL JEWELRY

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Lovely Bones PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELESE KETURAH ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN BY STACEY MCCLURE

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STARDUST CUFF, OCÉANNE JEWELRY DESIGN

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SOLEIL, OCÉANNE JEWELRY DESIGN

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QUARTZ SWING EARRINGS, OCÉANNE JEWELRY DESIGN

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BONE & CHAIN HANG, WORN

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IT ALL STARTS WITH A SKETCH. SHOW US YOURS.

DATE

#PIVOTSKETCHES

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pivotmarketing.com

©GUIGAAMARTINS/SHUTTERSTOCK

INDXNYC

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MODEL: NINA HAGG (ANOMALY MODEL MANAGEMENT)

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ESTHER BOSTON STYLE BY STEVIE GATEZ HAIR BY PHILIP SALMON MAKEUP BY KATHY MOBERLY DESIGN BY LINDSAY HADLEY

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DRESS, MARY MEYER, INTERNATIONAL PLAYGROUND JACKET, TRIPP NYC BELT,TOPSHOP BOOTS, ASOS

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TOP, MARY MEYER, INTERNATIONAL PLAYGROUND

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PANT, ZANG TOI SNEAKERS, ADIDAS

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PANT, BLOUSE, & JACKET, MARY MEYER, INTERNATIONAL PLAYGROUND

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LEATHER JACKET, TOPSHOP

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VEST, H. FREDRICKSON, INTERNATIONAL PLAYGROUND BRA TOP, TOPSHOP

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SHIRT, TOPSHOP SWEATER, ZARA SKIRT, ASOS

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DRESS, H. FREDRICKSON, INTERNATIONAL PLAYGROUND JACKET, TOPSHOP HEADWEAR, STYLIST’S OWN BOOTS, STYLIST’S OWN

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©F11PHOTO/SHUTTERSTOCK/ QUOTE FROM FRANK SINATRA’S “MY WAY”

I WANT TO WAKE UP IN A C I T Y T H AT NEVER SLEEPS

Young Hoosiers doing it their way in New York City.

“

TEXT BY ASHLEY MINYARD + PHOTOGRAPHY BY ESTHER BOSTON, POLINA OSHEROV, AND KEVIN ARANIBAR + DESIGN BY KATHY DAVIS

I loaded my car to the brim and made the grueling 12 hour drive from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Brooklyn, New York. With only a dream and a ridiculously lucky deal on an apartment awaiting me, I set off to begin my career as a hopeful magazine journalist, just weeks after graduating from Indiana University. Now living in the city, I’m reaching out to others who made the same risky move: Nikita M’Bouroukounda, designer for Diane Von Furstenberg; Nathan Hoeffel, art director for Trump Model Management; Tae Na, artist manager at DGI Management; and Travis James, furniture designer. All have drastically different stories, but we share similar roots as hometown Hoosiers.

”

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“It was a whirlwind. I couldn’t believe it worked.”

She started out as concept research assistant under the artistic director Michael Hearst. After about 10 months, she transitioned to her current position as ready-to-wear designer. Although her experience primarily lies in accessories, she takes on ready-towear as a learning position with the support of her coworkers at DVF, quickly catapulting her to a respected

piece of the DVF design team.

“It was really nerve wracking to move to New York City without a job. Time was ticking and I had to get things done. But everyone is here to build something so everyone is open to making a connection and networking. You need to adjust, but once it starts happening it’s like a snowball effect.”

©ESTHER BOSTON

NIKITA M’BOUROUKOUNDA AND I SIT TOGETHER IN BRYANT Park, munching on our lunches at little metal tables painted a deep green. Other midtown employees bustle around us, trying to squeeze in some fresh air and relaxation while on their short lunch breaks. M’Bouroukounda is tall and slender with a sweet smile. Dressed casually in a tank top and flats with her hair slicked back into a neat bun, she’s definitely fashion material.

M’Bouroukounda has lived in New York for about a year. After graduating from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), she lived at home for a short time, but much like me, decided to pack up and make the move despite her lack of solid job prospects. She is now working her dream job as a designer at Diane Von Furstenberg thanks to her courage to approach Diane one on one.

“I heard that Diane was doing a personal appearance at Bergdorf’s for her resort collection,” she says. “For a long time she had been one of the only designers for whom I really wanted to work.”

M’Bouroukounda wore a leather necklace she created as part of her collection at SCAD to the event—a green leather leaf cutout adorned with beaded beetles.

The necklace grabbed Diane’s attention and sparked a conversation that led to an invitation to her office.

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cheerful demeanor and self-motivation are helping him climb to the top.

“People always know I’m from the Midwest because I’m so nice. I think that’s a huge factor to my success.

Being approachable is important. You know someone is from the Midwest when they’re easy; you don’t have to crack them open to get a true answer. I’m just happy to be here, and I have everything to learn and grow from—I’m not jaded yet.”

IF I CAN MAKE IT THERE, I’M GONNA MAKE IT ANYWHERE.

©POLINA OSHEROV

IT TAKES ME QUITE A WHILE TO PIN DOWN NATHAN HOEFFEL, who is the embodiment of supercharged ambition. We speak on the phone as he hides in the archival closet at Trump Model Management, escaping from the action of his busy life for a quick interview. As art director he does everything revolving around the image of the company.

Trump Models website, social media, portfolio images, archive, digital videos, and photos for models are all Hoeffel’s responsibility. He is clearly overjoyed by the constant bustle.

Hoeffel was one of the lucky ones with a job upon his arrival, starting out in the art department of an agency specializing in male models, he used his connections there to earn his current position at Trump. But between scouting trips, working on weekends without pay and the typical work-week, he admits he may have let his job take over his personal life.

“I’ve been sharing a bed for a while, jumping from place to place. That was the most difficult thing, trying to make a normal life here while trying to work so hard to get up the ladder in the work force, too. You have to let go of things. Sometimes you have to buy some socks instead of doing your laundry just because it’s easier; there are a lot of personal sacrifices I was forced to make.”

After a year and four months in New York, he’s finally moving to Williamsburg, but in Hoeffel’s words he’s still “busting his ass” while keeping a positive attitude. His

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TRAVIS JAMES IS THE DESIGNER AND CRAFTER BEHIND May Furniture Co., his own company whose origins can be traced to various Indianapolis garages. His work began with custom orders, but when things weren’t quite paying off he made the transition to New York in order to grow his craft and expand his market. He’s now been living in New York for five years and his company thrives enough to allow the shift from customs to his own collection.

“Moving here was necessary to build myself up, to build the maturity of my line, and to build my understanding of how the industry works. I made a goal for myself for when I turned 30 to not be doing any more side jobs, just exclusively be working on May Collection, and I’ve been doing it ever since. Tomorrow if I had to close up shop for some reason, I would feel like I’ve won.

From here it’s just icing.”

Travis James has lived in New York the longest out of those to whom I spoke, but it wasn’t until his third year that he started to consider himself a true New Yorker. The transition took time to adjust and dedication to his goal, but now this is a place he considers his home.

“The first couple of years felt like I was slipping off the merry-go-round, just trying to hold on. Now things are really familiar. If I go home to Indiana and come back here, the city just feels really familiar. I feel like I’m home.”

©POLINA OSHEROV

IT’S UP TO YOU NEW YORK, NEW YORK

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©KEVIN ARANIBAR

TAE NA’S STORY BEGINS AS A ROCKY ONE. BORN IN South Korea, his family moved to Orlando, Florida based on a scam promising a job and citizenship. They were poor after draining their funds for the move, and spoke little English. After finding second cousins in Carmel, Indiana, they traveled north where they landed permanently. Na grew up watching his parents work their hardest to keep the family afloat, putting him through college at Indiana University with a degree in exercise science. He used that example of hard work and ambition to make the career transition toward his other passion, music management.

Na now sits across from me in an empty conference room; his office is bare, as dGi Management is soon making the move from midtown Manhattan to a new location. He humbly relays his story, expressing the gratitude he feels towards those who helped him reach his goals.

“I was working for a music festival on the side for fun. I asked the co-founder of the festival, Brandon Silverstein, if he thought I could make a career out of it. Brandon introduced me to my current boss at dGi management and I was offered a position,” says Na. “I deferred my acceptance to the IUPUI master’s program and moved to New York. I have so many people to thank.”

He manages artists and djs, taking their calls of crisis at 6 a.m. on a Saturday when they miss their plane, or making sure the club has the right equipment for a gig. He considers his colleagues his second family, and wishes nothing more than to grow within his current company.

“I’m lucky to be part of a team that manages such great artists, and I hope to make it in a very cutthroat industry. I would consider this as my dream job. I consider myself very blessed to be working in the music industry and making money.”

NEW YORK CITY IS A PLACE FOR DREAMERS. ACCORDING to the Harris Poll, New York was ranked as the U.S. city people would most likely want to live in or near from 1997 to 2013. On the other hand, it was also ranked the city U.S. adults would least like to live. There are certainly pros and cons to New York, and in many cases when comparing it to Indiana, some things just can’t be beat when it comes to the Hoosier state.

The four young Hoosier transplants I spoke to all mention the lack of leisure time as the most jarring change from Indiana to New York. With the constant action of the city and endless to-do lists, it’s easy to get caught up in the movement. Soon you wake up and realize you have been living through a seven-day workweek without any time dedicated to yourself. Not only that, but it is difficult to find a space that is quiet, solitary and comfortable outside of your own home.

“I always think about how your view is limited here,” says Hoeffel. “You can’t look past 50 feet without a building in the way, which is why when we get on a rooftop we’re so taken aback. In Indiana you can see that far all the time. Even in everyday life it’s hard to not get caught up in how you’re going to have time to get

everything done. In Indiana there is time to just breathe and look into the future without worrying if the train is down. You get so caught up in things here.”

The key is to set time aside from the busy life and remember your Indiana sensibilities. New York is an amazing city, and it’s important to take some time out to appreciate the surroundings, but when it comes down to it, Midwesterners do love to work. We prove our worth by dedicating ourselves fully to a cause, or just by offering help without expecting something in return.

Despite the wear and tear of the city, it’s important to remember those Hoosier lessons.

“If you’re coming from Indiana keep your wits about you and keep your roots down,” says Travis James.

“Work hard when you get here. Indiana people have great work ethic. If you apply that and an open mind about how to do business in New York, you can run circles around a lot of people. Be genuine and work hard.”

When I asked for advice on my own transition to the city, I was encouraged to stay approachable and keep learning. Work hard, network constantly, have guts, and make your own luck. The city can be harsh, and it’s important to stay strong and have something to work toward.

“Come here with a goal and at least an idea of how to make yourself happy,” says Hoeffel. “If you don’t know what you’re doing here, don’t come. Have a vision, and know what you want. It has to be for you.”

Although I’m fresh to New York, I certainly have a goal in mind. Despite my seven-day work week and bedroom with no windows, that dream sustains me and gives me drive to continue on. These four young talents are all achieving their dreams. They give me hope and inspiration to pull from my upbringing in Indiana and survive in New York. One thing I always know is that I have a home to return to, and this is something most Hoosiers maintain regardless of their New Yorker status.

“I’ll always be a Hoosier at heart,” admits Na. “I think if I lived here for the next 50 years I’d still consider Indiana my home.”

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A OSHEROV PHOTOGRAPHY BY POLIN STYLE BY STEVIE GATEZ RLY MAKEUP BY KATHY MOBE HAIR BY PHILIP SALMON PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT ESTHER BOSTON WARDROBE ASSISTANT DAVID MCLEOD MODELS TYE HOMMES & BARQUAIL (CHASE MODELS NY) ON

PS DESIGN BY CODY THOM

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Special Homes. Special Clients. Special Agents.

Joe Shoemaker, Principal Broker & Owner joe@macduffrealty.com 317 413.8501

MacDuff Realty Group Real Estate Services for Central Indiana MacDuffRealty.com Photographer: Esther Boston 路 Location: form + function

PatternAd5.indd 1

2/2/15 6:58 PM

SHEROV POLINA O Y TON B Y H P A THER BOS PHOTOGR ISTANT ES S S A Y H P A PHOTOGR RIC REES E Y RY B T X TE D EMILY F ANDY AN Y B N IG S DE

BARBER DOSSIER NAME: Matthew McMillan EXPERIENCE: 16 years SHOP: Fountain Square Barbership CHAIRS: 3 MODEL: Rob CLIENTELE: “We’ve seen an increase in young professionals and a lot of guys who have traditionally had their hair cut in salons.”

SHAVES: Yes TRENDS: “A lot of the younger guys are getting back to that old school, classic style.”

FAVORITE PRODUCTS: Gage

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BARBER DOSSIER NAME: Devan Conoscenti EXPERIENCE: 6 years SHOP: By appointment only (@Devanthehairtech) CHAIRS: House calls MODEL: Drew CLIENTELE: “I cut a lot of hair for the Pacers, Colts, and

other guys around town.”

SHAVES: Yes TRENDS: “You see a lot of actors and athletes using

blackout these days. Something I’ve

worked to master.”

FAVORITE PRODUCTS: Elegance Shave Gel

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BARBER DOSSIER NAME: Matthew Secuskie EXPERIENCE: 4 years SHOP: Red’s CHAIRS: 6 MODEL: Matt CLIENTELE: “We get everyone from downtown.

Pretty big mix.”

SHAVES: “Of course.”

TRENDS: “Everyone’s wanting the clean lines, straight shaves,

slicked-over stuff.”

FAVORITE PRODUCT: American Crew

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BARBER DOSSIER NAME: Cody Potter EXPERIENCE: 3 years SHOP: Warfleigh CHAIRS: 1 MODEL: Jordan CLIENTELE: “Mix of old regulars that I know

and new guys exploring

Broad Ripple.”

SHAVES: Yes TRENDS: “The sidepart is huge right now. A

lot of guys doing it right, and

a lot doing it wrong.”

FAVORITE PRODUCTS: Layrite

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BARBER DOSSIER NAME: Marc McKamey EXPERIENCE: 15 years SHOP: Fade to Win CHAIRS: 6 MODEL: Deshawn CLIENTELE: “We’re a multicultural barbershop that

serves all ages.”

SHAVES: Yes TRENDS: “Custom cuts and freehand designs are very popular

at our shop right now.”

FAVORITE PRODUCTS: Elegance Shave Gel

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BARBER DOSSIER NAME: Brenda Barrett EXPERIENCE: 31 years SHOP: Jack’s CHAIRS: 4 MODEL: Mark CLIENTELE: “Customers looking

for the classic look.

People on their lunch

breaks downtown.”

SHAVES: Yes TRENDS: “ 1 9 2 0 s a re b a c k i n

style. The gangster/

American haircuts.”

FAVORITE PRODUCTS: A m e r i c a n C re w

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HEATHER GIVANS. CRIMSON TATE. FABRIC CONCIERGE AND QUILTER–IN–CHIEF. TEXT BY KATE NEWMAN + PHOTOGRAPH BY ESTHER BOSTON

KN: What kinds of classes do you offer and who typically signs up for them?

KATE NEWMAN: How did Crimson Tate come to be?

HG: Classes we offer start with beginning sewing — a sort of “welcome to your sewing machine” course.

We call it Sewing 101. You learn the basics of the procedure of sewing. That class is great for someone who feels sort–of familiar with sewing but hasn’t done it in a while or is having issues that they can’t seem to solve. In two classes we give you a jump–start to get your sewing adventures going. We have a more in– depth beginning sewing course that we call Six Weeks of Sewing 101 which goes deeper in knowledge and skill.

Of course, we offer beginning and intermediate quilting classes, garment sewing sometimes centered around specific designer patterns but also we offer periodically a class on how to draft patterns, make a sloper, and various hemming, button, and zipper techniques.

We do craft sewing projects such as home decor items for your home, bags, etc. The classes are attended by enthusiastic sewers wanting to deepen their knowledge and also by complete novices who want to learn to make their own sewn goods.

HEATHER GIVANS: Somewhere after I graduated from college, my mother revealed to me her 30–year dream of learning to quilt. I was a camp counselor at a place that offered a quilt camp for adults. As a dutiful daughter, I took my mom to that camp thinking “Ugh! I don’t want to learn to quilt.”

And of course, I fell in love with the whole process.

Quilting, like printmaking (my concentration), is very abstract until the magic happens at the end of the process.

I made quilts for everyone I knew. In 2009, Silver in the City asked if I’d make a few quilts to sell in their store and from there, things took off. I created other sewn goods such as The Harriet Headband and the I LOVE Indiana Pillow, and a wholesale business was born.

Wholesale accounts were created along the East Coast and throughout the Midwest.

I was fully invested in creating my business, with a rep selling my goods and me hand making every item for years. Crimson Tate is rolling 10+ employees deep these days. I am overwhelmed often at the thought that through hard work and creativity, we have created so many jobs. It’s my proudest accomplishment.

KN: You not only create items for your own line, but you also teach others. How did that come about?

HG: When I opened the doors to my bricks–and–mortar store five years ago, it was a workshop space to continue my cottage industry sewing operation.

But I learned quickly that people wanted to learn to sew for themselves and were inspired by the fabrics we choose (all contemporary modern, well designed). As a former art teacher, I took on the task of teaching our community to sew.

KN: How else has your business expanded since you launched Crimson Tate?

HG: Two years after I opened my store and website, I was asked to design fabric for Windham Fabrics, an international fabric manufacturer. I created a line of fabric that has been distributed nationally, and I’m currently working on my second collection. This has given way to writing quilting patterns and other craft patterns under the Crimson Tate brand using fabrics I have designed.

KN: What route would you suggest to someone who wants to learn to sew from square one? Yes, that’s a quilting pun!

HG: Take sewing classes, or head down to the quilt shop or fabric store. It’s a great way to pick the brain of those who work there—they’re all experts in some type of creativity and sewing. I really don’t pooh–pooh

big box sewing centers. They have a lot of resources.

And as a small business, I need those guys to continue to stock things we just can’t possibly have. However, sometimes, in those places you can’t find the expert.

Typically, at alocally–owned store, you’ll find people at the ready to answer questions on your project. There are a lot of online resources, too, which I think works for some people. Sewing is procedural. It sometimes isn’t forgiving. But if you can learn the procedure well when you begin, it is very rewarding.

KN: What do you envision for yourself and your business five years from today?

HG: My vision for my personal path is to continue with designing and creating new patterns and fabrics.

To parlay that into other areas of surface design as well. Crimson Tate will continue to serve as a great resource for our community that wants to be inspired and learn to sew and create for themselves. It is a rare opportunity that adults can find a place to commune and create in a common space. It’s a pretty unique and thrilling place. I want to continue to foster the hopes and dreams of my employees whether it be skill building or blazing their own paths. It is always my hope that the creative environment that is Crimson Tate will support their visions as well.

KN: Last but not least, what’s the story behind the name of your business – Crimson Tate?

HG: The name Crimson Tate comes from my love of fine arts and art history. I graduated from Purdue University with three majors. I created a series of illustrations about a girl who took over the world and named her Crimson Tate. She’s a manifestation of my love of art and art history. Crimson comes from my favorite oil paint color alizarin crimson and Tate comes from my favorite art museum, The Tate Modern. She’s a synthesis of these two loves. I wanted to give my business a name that has life. And Crimson Tate is just that. ✂ 129

FUR HOODED VEST, DAY FURS LEATHER PANTS, VINTAGE CHI SILK BLOUSE, NICOLA LIME LEATHER BAG, BCBG MAX AZRIA

PHOTOGRAPHY AND SET DESIGN BY AL BRACKEN ART DIRECTION AND STYLE BY DANISHA GREENE MAKE UP BY SASHA STAR HAIR BY SYDNEE SMITH MODEL: HALEY TINSLEY (LMODELZ MODEL MANAGEMENT) DESIGN BY DOUG EADDY 130

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILL FOSTER (ROCK CANDY PHOTO) ART DIRECTION BY NATHAN HOY STYLE BY ELIZABETH MEDOVICH MAKEUP BY MANDI LUCAS HAIR BY JENNIFER ODOM RETOUCH BY WESLEY BENJAMIN CARTER ASSISTANT: LAWRENCE MIEN MODEL: AUDREY NAPOLEON DESIGN BY DOUG EADDY

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BOA ROBE - VINTAGE FREDERICKS OF HOLLYWOOD PANTS, JEWELRY, HEADSCARF, BELT & SUNGLASSES CAROLYNS CONSIGNMENTS LEOPARD BODYSUIT - STYLISTS OWN COLLECTION FRINGE BOOTS - STYLISTS OWN COLLECTION

MODELS: MICK JAGGER: GABRIELLE BRADLEY FREDDIE MERCURY: KRISTEN GRABLE KURT COBAIN: PAIGE LINDAHL AXL ROSE: LAUREN CROSIER STEVEN TYLER: MICHAELA ANNE STACY PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK SOUZA DESIGN BY AMY MCADAMS-GONZALES STYLE BY RACHEL LEDESMA HAIR BY ANTHONY PEREZ MAKEUP BY JACKS VON LIRIA | DANELLE FRENCH

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ETHERIC STYLE FOR AUTUMN'S CHILLY NIGHTS PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREG PEREZ STUDIO STYLE BY OLIVIA SMITH HAIR AND MAKEUP BY KIRALEE HUBBARD MODEL: MAGGIE EMERICK DESIGN BY ABIGAIL GODWIN

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PATTERN EVENTS

TRACK RECORD TEXT BY MARY G. BARR + PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL ANTHONY AND CHRIS JONES/IMS PHOTO

SPRING ARRIVED EARLY AS THE PATTERN COMMUNITY GATHERED TO celebrate our Volume 7 magazine launch at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Local fashion designers, stylists, athletes, photographers, contributors, artists, supporters, writers, and our readers graced the Pattern red carpet and then were transported to the two top floors of the Pagoda and its open patios to enjoy the unseasonably warm evening and take in the stunning 360 degree view of the track and our city at dusk.

We couldn’t think of a more appropriate destination to launch our Volume 7 magazine, which showcased the intersection of Indianapolis sports and the arts and Indy’s fan favorite Tony Kanaan gracing our spring cover. And the rave reviews are still coming in, as we received news that Volume 5 and 6, both won Silver ADDY awards at the national level!

The March 14 evening was memorable thanks to our gracious presenting sponsor felix + iris, IndyCar, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Riley Area Development Corporation, REV, SunKing, Millionaire Gallery and DJ Lockstar.

A special shoutout to Cathy Kightlinger of IndyCar. Cathy had a vision, and she made it happen.

Thank you to all of our Pattern supporters!

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OP ED

WE CAN PAVE THE WAY WITH AN EMPHASIS ON OPEN SOURCE INFORMATION EXCHANGE,TECHNOLogy, and greater reliance on local resources, making is creating opportunities for talent and ideas to emerge from people and places unimagined. For some, making is not new; it is simply moving from the fringes of society’s basements and private sketchpads to public places with shared access to tools, resources, and opportunities, wearing a new semantic overcoat. This new public prominence allows makers of all kinds-tinkerers to professionals, to continue breaking down industry-based silos in favor of co-creation and peer-supported discovery, eliminating secrecy and duplication of effort. These makers turn entrepreneurs by launching startups, creating jobs, expanding existing businesses.

They drive innovation by redefining how products are made, services delivered, and society advances.

To continue supporting the movement and its likely entrepreneurs, we must: engage and connect multiple partners that cross disciplines, communities and include local influencers, knowledge holders and bridge builders; decrease barriers to access and market entry; while, increasing support for businesses to scale through information, funding, and flexibility in infrastructure.

INFORMATION. Information is critical for the first-time entrepreneur looking for assistance throughout the criti-

cal phases of growth and market entry. To strengthen awareness of current information, organizations, and other support structures and can occur through a mapping of our neighborhood, city and state resources, and opportunities. There are numerous resources and opportunities, but often their intended audiences lack awareness on how to access and fully engage with the opportunities.

We must enhance the conversation and action by engaging all types of makers and entrepreneurs in the discussion, policy creation, and resource allocation of what’s needed for their success. Designing the resources with the intended beneficiary facilitates awareness and increased potential of use because it meets their needs, rather than being a cookie-cutter solution.

FUNDING. Accessible and affordable capital is essential to startup and sustainable success for the entrepreneurial minded

maker. Having traditional and non–traditional forms of funding such as loans, grants, or the increasingly popular crowdfunding campaigns are great for testing proof of concept and launching a business. Seed funding can also help to leverage funding at a later stage of growth. What happens after year two when a company has proven their concepts and are ready to scale or pivot, but can’t access financial resources available? Having additional systems for traditional and nontraditional funding mechanisms in place is important. The once thriving startup may find an untimely end.

It is widely documented that local businesses support local communities through job creation, charitable giving, and other economic and social indicators at a higher rate than those of big box retailers after tax considerations and other relocation incentives are accounted for. Patterning big business incentives to fit independent and microenterprises is another avenue to offer accessible and affordable capital.

FLEXIBILITY. Makers and entrepreneurs are not only transforming their ideas into tangible objects and business, they are also causing a shift in ideology on the way things can and should be for all. This positive shift can be sustained if we can develop an infrastructure to absorb the flexibility needed by entrepreneurs to adapt funding and resources to timely and emerging needs and risk as they happen. Open access and the interconnected making culture challenges the unforgiving dichotomous and infrastructure that serves to protect intellectual property and other proprietary tools as a source of competitive advantage.

Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts. –Albert Einstein.

Flexibility in the accountability and assessment are also necessary. When considering making and entrepreneurship, it is important to also focus beyond outputs–the stuff we make and is easy to count, to the outcomes–the overall impact being made on a person, community and/or business sector, instead of only traditional definitions of business success.

Entrepreneur makers are taking control, making ideas happen, and creating the future. It is necessary to have the infrastructure in place that will absorb and be mindful of the risk.

NASHARA MITCHELL

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More than 26 million people visit Indy annually. As an influential resident, you’re also a top ambassador. Invite your friends and family to our city. Take them to City Market for a bite to eat or a pint of local craft beer. Rent bikes at the Indy Bike Hub and take a spin on the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. Post about it. Tweet about it. Share the love.

Turn your friends into visitors, because a thriving city benefits us all.

For what to see, do, and eat, go to VisitIndy.com | BLOG: DoingIndy.com | FOLLOW US: @VisitIndy