You spend a lot of time helping people go through their closets. When you’re sorting through one, what tells you a piece still has life in it, even if the owner has stopped wearing it?
Camden: I’ve never encountered a closet that didn’t contain a few treasures. Treasures are, of course, in the eye of the beholder—a piece that is old and outdated to one person could be fresh and new to someone else. So even though my clients are moving on from a piece that they no longer need or like (or maybe it’s amazing, but it sadly doesn’t fit), I like to think about that item going on to a second life and being useful to someone else. Recently, I was working on a project with high schoolers, and I took them thrifting at Goodwill. They were all obsessed with finding jeans with tons of holes (most of the jeans at Goodwill were too nice and didn’t have enough holes for these teens); I think about that a lot whenever a client wants to throw away a pair of jeans that may be ripped or seem destroyed. Someone might be looking for that!
A lot of people feel like they need new clothes to feel refreshed for spring. What would you say to someone standing in front of their closet feeling bored with everything?
Camden: The change in season usually does bring up the urge to shop—and that’s great—but it’s always a good idea to audit what you currently own before you start adding more pieces. Often we don’t need new things as much as we need new ideas. A lot of the work I do with clients is about giving them ideas about how to pair things together in interesting ways. “Have you thought about wearing this color with that color?” Or “Have you worn this suit jacket with jeans?” That’s what LAYERED is all about. We’re going to bring so many new ideas and style concepts to life. The most sustainable outfit is an outfit you already own.
Last year’s show put fresh eyes on familiar pieces, built around Camden’s idea of “seeing what you already own in a new way.”
Photo courtesy of LAYERED
Fashion gets called one of the most wasteful industries out there. Do you think people are starting to think differently about clothing?
Camden: I hope so! Consumers have a lot of power, and I often remind my clients that they may not be able to single-handedly stop the fashion industry, but they can stop participating in the cycle of buying things, wearing them once (or never) and then getting rid of them. I encourage everyone to be thoughtful about what they bring into their closet. Before you buy something, ask yourself: “Will I wear this often?” “Do I know how to style this? Do I have the right pieces to go with it?” “Am I prepared to take care of this so I can enjoy it for a long time?”
Sometimes you see someone walking down the street and they just look great, even if nothing they’re wearing seems especially expensive or fancy. What makes someone truly stylish to you?
Camden: I always say that style is like tasting food. It’s not a coincidence in our language that the word “taste” is associated with style (i.e. “having good taste”). Style is personal and sensory; something that tastes delicious to one person might be disgusting to someone else. And just like how what you eat and put in your body is important nourishment, what you put on your body also has the power to make you feel energized and strong (or the opposite).
Putting daily care and effort into your style is not wasted time. A great outfit is one that you truly like. It is any combo of clothing that feels comfortable and carries you through your day with a little more energy, positivity and confidence, allowing you to show up for your family, your friends, your work, your community as the best version of yourself. In a very chaotic world, your style can be an act of resistance and a strong force for good. It’s no small thing.
At LAYERED: Style in Motion, previously owned clothes come back out to play.
Photo courtesy of LAYERED
When we try on clothes at home, we usually turn around, walk a little, and see how everything moves, not just stand still in front of the mirror. How does movement change the way we experience clothing?
Peterson: Movement changes the way we experience clothing, in the sense that the clothing can be stifling to your movement and make you want to change into something more freeing, or it can accentuate your movement and make you feel and look more confident.
Camden: Yes! I can always tell if someone likes an outfit by the way they hold themselves in it. When someone feels confident, they stand a little taller, they open up in the shoulders, they take up a little more space. If it’s uncomfortable or inauthentic in some way, they stiffen up and shrink.
When you were creating the choreography, what came first for you: the clothes, the music, or the feeling you wanted the audience to have?
Peterson: The first thing I thought about was the clothes—and that’s really different, because I would usually think about the music first when it comes to dance and choreography. However, this production is a fashion show first and foremost, and the movement should layer in to accentuate the garments and inspire the audience to think about their closet in a new light. Sometimes, you need to see a garment in motion to understand its full potential.
What do you hope people take away from seeing the show?
Peterson: I hope people feel reinvigorated and inspired about the clothes that have been sitting in the back of their closets. I also hope people feel excited to get up and move in those clothes, go out and have a good time in them. You have something great? Wear it! Don’t just let it sit there.
LAYERED: Style in Motion takes place April 22 from 6-8:30 p.m. at W Seattle. Get tickets here.