In 2011, Sally hopped on a plane and came to Vancouver to enrol in the Fashion Business & Creative Arts Program at JCI Institute. During the program, Sally used her passion for knitting, to specialize in hand knits as well as creating fabrics using repurposed garments and interesting textiles. Since graduating, Sally has featured various collections in different shows and has successfully become a recognized designer in the community. We’re starting this interview with where her passion for fashion started, and what her two upcoming collections with Raw Artists & The Story of Fashion Magazine have in store for us.

When did your passion for fashion start?

My story of Fashion began when I was 12. I was introduced to a young brash modelling agent who later became someone I looked up to as a mentor, penpal and friend. Growing up in a small town in Central Alberta, it felt like the World of Fashion was worlds away. Growing up as a Pastor’s Kid, it seemed like there were many people who tried to label me into who they wanted me to be or become. Working in Fashion wasn’t one of those labels. I guess I felt like I connected with Kel, I wasn’t the coolest, prettiest, or most confident girl in High School, yet I had this powerhouse behind me who was a modelling agent, and scout who was busy making his way in the world of fashion, but no matter what always took time for me regardless of what I had going on in my life. I look back now and realize how much of a gift that was. I think that I thought back then that my path was to work in the modelling industry, but it didn’t work out. It wasn’t meant to. I needed to discover and follow my own path. I ended up back in Sylvan Lake, where my Mom taught me the beat of knitting, and I instantly fell in love.

Did you always know you wanted to focus on knitwear?

Yes, and No. When I first started to learn knitting I would walk up to the local two /four store in the middle of the night, and browse through the magazines looking for knitwear. I also watched every fashion show online to see any signs of knitted pieces or scarfs. It was through this – I felt so ALIVE. That is when I started branching off from just knitting scarfs. I would look at the shapes of garments and would work out my own patterns. It was a very exciting, scary, and satisfactory ( when something worked out) time for me.

*Alfonso Arnold – Repurposed Jeans and T-shirt*

Have you always been passionate about the repurposing of fabric?

One of the first times I repurposed fabric was for a school project with JCI. The project was to turn a white T-shirt into something else. My roommate gave me some of his old t-shirts and I cut them up and knit a scarf from them. That is what came naturally for me. For my end of the year Fashion Show. I was asked to design a small knitwear collection instead of styling for my segment. I literally couldn’t afford food, let alone materials. So once again I took to repurposing garments. It was later that year where I was a volunteer at Eco Fashion Week, where I was inspired by the concept of the 68-pound challenge, where you take 68 pounds of wasted materials and recreate a collection. I thought to myself, ” you are already doing that.” I approached Eco Fashion Week, showed them my Eco Knitwear, and showcased with them later that year.

Soon people were donating “special things for me to recreate things from.” I was asked to create another scarf from the T-shirts of a friend’s Dad who had passed away. I was able to create a fur vest, two scarfs, and some fur key chains from someone else’s fur coat. I was given doilies that were made from a lady named Dagmar who was 93 years old and loved to crochet. I was able to sew some of them into my sweaters. Tom gave me his wife’s wedding dress that I was able to repurpose into a knitted creation.

These are my PASSION Pieces because I feel like it is my responsibility to make something special because I know their story. When someone donates something to me, they are trusting me to create something that makes their loved one live on. Also, I love this thought of how God can use the broken, ugly pieces of our lives, and create something beautiful from them.

I started my journey into Fashion at an older age. I was actually in Health Care first, I thought my dream of working in Fashion was dead, but one day I just hopped on a plane to attend JCI, and then things started to happen from there.

Sally will be featuring a collection in Toronto later in November with The Story of Fashion Magazine. What can we expect from this collection?

There are two shows upcoming One is the Story of Fashion showcase, which is connected with The Story of Fashion Magazine, that will be held in Toronto later in November. For this collection, I will be designing more gowns, and dresses, that will be created by repurposing materials. It will have more of a lighter feel. My hope is to also create new silhouettes that I haven’t personally used in creating knitwear. Maybe Avant-garde looking knitwear. The other collection is with Raw Artists. The two shows will have two different looks and feelings.

The Story of Fashion focuses on each person’s particular touch and connection they have with their industry- what is your particular touch and what part will you play in this year’s The Story of Fashion?

I definitely have my own unique look, and style which I am not sure that the industry knows what to do with yet. It has helped open up opportunities for me that I am not sure would have opened up otherwise. I have been scouted for a TV show, and different fashion shows around the world, one I am working towards is in London, England next year. I just keep working and learning what I can and I never take this journey for granted. It is a gift. I would say I am passionate about breaking boundaries in knitwear. Currently, everything I do is handmade.

Last year’s inspiration for the Raw Artists Vancouver Collection was “selcouth,” meaning both strange and beautiful, what will this year’s inspiration be?

I am really excited about this upcoming showcase. I love showing with Raw Artists because they give me the creative freedom to realize my own vision with no strings attached. The name of this showcase is Steller. I didn’t want to stray too far from that. I want to create something that is magical. This collection will be dark, and glittery. Something out of this world. One of my favourite things to do is to lay on the grass and stare up at the stars at night. To me, it looks beautiful and magical. It allows me space to breathe and think. This collection has a little Rock and Roll edge to it as well. Since music to me is everything. I am hoping to team up with a drummer, and possibly a young singer to perform the soundtrack to the show. I also look forward to teaming up with my cousin Nick who will be filming at the show and taking pictures with his team.

I then have the option to showcase another show in Vancouver later this year ( or anywhere in Mexico, Canada, US, or Australia), but Vancouver always has my heart, and I love my fashion family there. Thank you JCI for your love and continued support. Attending school there definitely was life-changing for me. Thank you for being apart of my journey.

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