One of my goals for 2025 is to carve out a new direction for my small business, La Réunion, which has been my livelihood for the past 4 years. I had a hero product that went viral online, a moment I will now and always associate with the demise of the company in its original form. The dresses I was making, out of vintage and deadstock materials, became a trend of the moment, which is an unstable growth model for any company, as it’s fueled by impulsive consumption. I felt it happening before I saw the internet's attention span shift to the next hot thing in sustainable fashion. By the time the shift really happened, the dress didn't feel like it was mine anymore anyway. I see a special wisdom in those who know when it's time to let something go. It was time to find a new path for La Réunion and I was ready.
At the end of 2023, I attended a workshop hosted by a hero of mine, Susan Cianciolo. She's a legend in the fashion and art world and has been a prolific textile artist in both spaces since the early 90s. She's also a single mother who has beautiful wisdom from her time navigating her career in tandem with the lifelong journey of growing as a mother. Towards the end of the workshop, Susan shared with me that she was going to Jaipur, India to teach a course with an organization called Wonderful Workshops. She was a bit nervous about the trip. I'd been to Mumbai in my 20's and shared my affection for India along with similarities I found between Mumbai and NYC. After she returned from India, Susan texted me a note of gratitude for my reassurance and shared how wonderful her trip had been. She then connected me with Stella Bekofsky the director of Wonderful Workshops, and asked her if there was any potential for a scholarship or grant for me to go and experience the same kind of inspiration and growth that she had. I'll forever be touched by this gesture. I knew I would come back with a refined point of view and important new questions for my life and my brand. I also knew that my good friend Arsh had plans to be in Jaipur visiting family around the same time as the workshop would convene. These synchronicities helped me commit to making the trip and facing the emotional heartbreak of being away from my daughter for the longest I'd ever gone without seeing her.
Wonderful Workshops host courses specializing in craft conservation and cross-cultural conversation, ranging from Dabu printing to miniature painting. The workshop I attended was hosted by the owners of Anokhi, a textile company founded in the 1970s that has always been dedicated to supporting traditional craftsmanship. One of the founders, Faith Singh, was there to greet us on our first day. Her warmth and generosity set the tone for our time there. The property where we worked every day was an oasis. There were two sewing machines set up for the women who would be teaching us and beyond that was the most idyllic courtyard of tables and chairs, all dressed with Anokhi block printed designs and perfectly mismatched. We worked in the sun most days, which I found incredibly nourishing. There was always a break for chai, then for lunch, then chai again, and then for cake. These built-in moments for enjoyment and rest are something I will be punctuating my life with moving forward.
For seven days we worked alongside expert artists who taught us any embroidery skill that we wanted to learn. They could make anything. My experience working alongside and learning from these incredible and talented Rajasthani women was transformative for my practice. I learned what consistency and patience mean in a new way. I learned to let go of my own agenda, because what naturally flows out of you in any given moment is an invaluable connection to the self. In the process of making a quilt, dress, sewing bag, and napkin set — I also embroidered little mittens for my daughter — I felt like my time there evaporated. I was definitely in my head a bit, thinking about how to make the most of the experience and come back with tangible evidence of growth. But I was able to let go in the last few days, and some of my favorite ideas came from that energy. I will be applying the embroidery and mending techniques I learned in Jaipur to the work in my solo show that will open at Sibyl Gallery in New Orleans at the end of May.
The feeling I have when reflecting on my time in Jaipur, is that we can do a lot with a little and that anything is possible. I feel a deep sense of gratitude for the sacred work that Stella and her team at Wonderful Workshops are doing to preserve these dying art forms, providing a space for curiosity and exploration to people like me on their creative journeys. I hope that one day my young daughter can be a participant and experience the delight of learning, craftsmanship, and abundant creativity that I found at Wonderful Workshops.
