How would you describe your style?  
I would say my style is classic,  timeless,  and rocker chic. 

Are there any artists / designers that you particularly look up to? 
There are too many amazingly talented and inspiring Professionals to mention all that have had influence on me.  But,  here is a list of the ones who consistently hit a chord in chorus with my messaging and design aesthetic in no particular order: Vivienne Westwood,  Betsey Johnson,  Lee Alexander McQueen,  Ralph Lauren

What do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own? 
I have always had a great sense of style,  pattern,  and color story in regards to design.  My intention to be zero waste in design and production whenever/ wherever I can puts a unique fingerprint on Equillibrium designs and products...  from its story of inspiration to pattern design,  materials selection,  and production.  My background in Environmental Health,  Hazardous Waste Management,  and Green Building lends a lot to my design process and Executive decisions regarding my Company as a sustainable street brand.  Equillibrium is a brand to believe in,  trust,  and wear proudly for what is represents.

What sort of things inspire you?  
I'd say as a designer,  inspiration always comes from a feeling I am trying to express.  I commonly use messaging as print inspirations,  provoked by issues to grow awareness towards,  esp. with regards to sustainability. 

Where do you look for inspiration? 
Sources where I find inspiration vary,  but most commonly are:  All of nature,  music I love, the lifestyle I live and love,  my Heritage,  cultures I love,  animals I love,  science,  fashion I love...  things I love inspire me.

What is your creative process like?  
Starts with notes, as reference for concept...  then it is playing the vision to envoke the feeling and refine the concept to silhouette and color story,  to a soundtrack on the runway.  As my line is developed,  it is split into looks that are couture for retail/  custom orders and looks that are ready to wear for wholesale.  
 

What's the coolest artistic tip you've ever received?  I will have to quote Jane Hamill of Fashion Brain Academy,  "done is better than perfect".  As a cursed perfectionist creative Virgo,  this saying has helped me move forward in moments of paralysis.  It can apply to anything.  Whenever I feel stuck,  I literally hear that and get on with it.

Where can we learn more about you? 
 www.equillibrium.com

1. How did you get your start in the handmade community?

I have been an artist since I can remember, I knew at a young age that I wanted to make things with my hands. After graduating Stetson University with a degree in fine art I began showing my sculptural work with local galleries in the Washington DC metro area. After several years of working with these galleries I realized I wanted to reach a wider audience with a functional piece of art. I had plenty of scrap wood lying around my shop which otherwise would go to waste and decided to make bowties out of this material. With the success of the bow ties SwitchWood was born and I started creating other handcrafted men's fashion accessories.

2. What do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own? 

SwitchWood is the first interchangeable wooden bow tie that allows the wearer to remove the wooden wings and switch them with a different type of wood or wing shape. SwitchWood uses recycled and reclaimed materials such as whiskey barrels and skateboards to create a wide range of accessories from bow ties to sunglasses.  

3. What or Who Inspires you? 

I started my career as a graffiti artist and have always been inspired by low brow / street art. It has allowed me to think abstractly especially with subverting materials and using them in unique interesting ways.  

4. What is your creative process like?

I like to jump into ideas and get my hands dirty right off the bat. I find that ideas build off each other and morph into unforeseen directions organically. Final products are not always intentional and can grow from a primitive idea. Doors open and new possibilities arise that wouldn't happen if you sit around waiting for an epiphany.   

5. What is the coolest artistic tip you have ever received?

"Inspiration is for amateurs — the rest of us just show up and get to work" - Chuck Close

6. What can we expect to see from you at Jackalope?

 I will have a wide range of fashion accessories to include wooden bowties, cuff links, tie clips, earrings and sunglasses. I will also have collection of wooden bar accessories to include flasks, bottle stoppers and bottle openers.  

7. Where can we learn more about you? 

To lean more about SwitchWood and to see our product line visit www.switchwood.com  also check out my artist website www.drewstormgraham.com

Editor in Chief & Co-founder of Denver Style Magazine

1. How did you get your start in the Denver fashion community?

By attending local fashion events and getting involved. I met local fashion icons that have created a foundation for a thriving community, helped with fashion shows, markets, and boutique openings, and started shopping local. When you surround yourself with people that are creating, you begin to create your own work. Community is the circle of creative life.

2. How is Denver’s fashion scene evolving?

Every apartment building filled with new residents, office tower filled with new commuters, and community workspace that invites creativity comes the experiences, travels, and style of new inhabitants. The inspiration of style between residents new and old changes the demand of products offered and creates opportunity for new trends.

3. What/Who is your biggest inspiration?

Denver. I am in constant awe of the support of the people in this city. Whether you’re starting a business, adventure, or new life path, you’ll be supported. The spirit of community and involvement is alive and well and I love seeing people believing in people.

4. Tell us a few favorites of yours (animal, tv show, weekend activity, food etc)?

School supplies. Side dishes. Dateline. Sundresses and wedges. Dinner dates with myself and a stack of new magazines. News anchors. Appropriate pockets. La Croix. Cooking more than I can eat. Documentaries. Puns.

5. What do you love most about the handmade movement?

It’s actually made. Most of us have grand ideas of projects we’re going to do and things we’re going to make with no follow up. These artists go beyond just the idea and make it happen. They take the time to create a product, build a brand, but most importantly put themselves out there.

6. What is the most important feature in an artist's application for you?

Passion for product. I love to be sold through a story. I enjoy knowing that an artist is creating a product that they believe in and want to share with others.

7. What are you looking forward to the most in joining the jury panel with Jackalope?

Shopping. I’ve attended quite a few Jackalope experiences and always walk away with finds from new vendors. Jackalope is full of treasures for friends and family, but it’s also the best place to find that ‘I’ve been meaning to...’ item. You know, the new candle for the bathroom or guest bedroom, Colorado tee you’ve been meaning to replace because the wine stain is just too obvious, or tote bag to carry all your goods. Find me shopping with my ‘I’ve been meaning to’ list.

Learn more about Denver Style Magazine at: www.denverstylemagazine.com

I describe my design style as earthy chic with a rustic glamorous vibe. I am naturally drawn to very raw stones and I think that is attributed to the fact that my husband and I have a daughter, Mo, who graduated with a Geology degree. We were always collecting rocks when she was growing up! She gave me the love of "earthy" gems and each piece of jewelry that I make comes with the history and metaphysical properties of the elements used in the design. 

Megan, my oldest daughter, is my source of all things "color" and texture! She is a self-taught, and very accomplished acrylic artist, who paints with an extremely cheerful and vibrant style. She pushes me to get out of my comfort zone by mixing metals, textures and colors together in ways that I would not have thought of on my own. 

I'm certainly inspired by my family, but nature also gives me a boost to the creative process. Whether I'm on a walk with my dog, or a marathon course with Megan (we've completed 7), I find ideas and think about new designs. I want each piece to be meaningful. For example, I've just recently produced some hammered metal necklaces called "Stepping Stones" that were inspired by polished river rocks along a mountain stream. The name Stepping Stones" can symbolize a way to move forward, or heal, or reach our goals. I like to solder three beads onto the metal cutout to represent mind, body and spirit, but some people have customized them for number of children, anniversary dates, numerology, and so on.

I've also started hammering some new rings in Brass, Copper, and Sterling Silver. They are a wide band with a simple, yet dramatic, diagonal cutout and they are named "Pathway" rings. Megan and I were on a marathon course in Couer d'Alene, Idaho when we started talking about letting go of control and letting the path choose us, instead of the other way around. I think a lot of people can relate to jewelry with meaning. It makes a piece very special and can be a fantastic gift for someone. 

You can find other examples of my work on my website at www.StorytellingStrands.com and there is a link to my Etsy shop on that site, as well. Not everything is listed because I'd rather spend time making things that I can show at events like the Jackalope Art Fair!!!

Shop Storytelling Strands at Jackalope Art & Craft Fair on July 25th & 26th at EXDO Event Center.

How would you describe your style?  Are there any artists / designers that you particularly look up to?
Contemporary style, vintage construction. Our style really comes from the artistic side of our personalities. I'm an artist by trade, so I always match our fabrics based on a lot of color theory and pattern complements. Chris is a ceramicist, so he's always striving for better construction and paying attention to those little tiny details.

We combine the two to make an incredibly unique, but contemporary fashioned product.  Our favorite aspect, however, is our vintage construction. We make everything on a pair of 1950s Singer Featherweight sewing machines that were hand-me-downs from my great-grandmother. Beyond that, we spent an entire year studying tie making, making sure we do it how old world tailors do. Of course we add a bit of our own personality, but we like to think we combine the old and the new world of men's accessories.

As far as inspiration goes, I've been really drawn to the craft movement, not even just with clothing, but everywhere. There's a rebirth and renaissance of everything from food and liquor to painting and clothing. I've drawn inspiration from local companies like
Leopold Bros to other accessory companies like Shwood Eyewear.

What do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own?
It has to be the machines. They each weigh around 11 lbs and are probably some of the smallest machines anyone has ever seen. They're old, but they're little workhorses. Our primary machine made it through hundreds of hours of work before it needed any maintenance. People always ask why we still use them because newer machines are so much easier and faster. I just tell them that that's all I've ever known. We take pride in the fact that that's all we use.

When do you feel the most creative?
Whenever Chris and I start looking for materials or go fabric shopping, we start to get a lot of ideas. Looking at different patterns and colors gives us that little spark we need to make something new. We also like to go around to different thrift shops and vintage stores in town and get inspiration. We see how older things were made and we get a lot of ideas for how to incorporate their design into what we already make. We actually modeled our tie packaging on an old '40s tie that we found in a vintage store down on Broadway.

What is your creative process like?
The entire process is pretty methodical and detailed. To make a tie, there are five essential steps: cutting, stitching, forming, hand sewing, and, what we like to call, 'the details.' We try to work in waves for larger orders, doing one step at a time, but if we need to work fast, we'll do an assembly line style process. I'll cut and then Chris will stitch, so on and so forth. We end up getting a good enough groove that we can knock out a lot of product in a pretty small amount of time. After that, we package everything in our hand cut packaging that we make and design in house.

When we're working, we'll either watch a cooking show marathon or listen to hours of stand-up comedy, coupled with what we call 'tie beers.'  If we have a late night of working, we'll get a six pack and just enjoy it while we work together. We've been best friends since we were five years old, so it reminds us that we're not just working, but we're hanging out and having fun too.

What's the coolest artistic tip you've ever received?
My lithography professor in college always had a mantra that I loved: "I look good. I feel good. I am successful." It isn't exactly an artistic tip, but what it told me was to make sure I'm in the right mood to start working and creating. Whenever I paint or draw, I always have music on that I can zone out to. The same is true for Chris and I when we work.

As any artist knows it is very easy to look at your own work and only see the flaws, while others either don't notice them or even think they add something to the piece. Sometimes little imperfections can be what attract you to an object; you might be looking through a stack
of identical shirts and you end up choosing the one with a random extra strip
of color.

We have a desire to be unique and different which is part of why handmade products are so popular. In an episode of *Parks and Recreation*, Ron Swanson is making wooden chairs and abruptly smashes one because, "It was too perfect. It looked machine-made." We're both perfectionists so Chris likes to reference this any time we find a defect, because otherwise we would obsess over it.

Where can we learn more about you?
You can learn more about our work and our story on our website at himclothing.com.

Shop HIM Clothing at Jackalope Art & Craft Fair on July 25th & 26th at EXDO Event Center.