A few weeks ago I was walking down the end of East Main Street when I realized that I had yet to interview Ms. Gwenno James or even step into her Beacon clothing boutique for a quick hello. This would have to be remedied I thought to myself.
The first thing I noticed when I entered Ms. James store was the vibrancy of the colors of her clothes. Playful woodland greens and deep floral blues seemed to inhabit every usable inch of space within the studio creating, giving the impression of being lost outside, perhaps in a Welsh meadow which Ms. James used to delight in as a child. The entire space just exudes a wonderfully inviting and enticing aura; and the clothes ain't half bad either. But I digress.
Keenan Boyd: First of all I wanted to congratulate you on your store’s two year anniversary! Tell our readers a little bit about yourself. Are you a native Beaconite? How did you come to Beacon originally?
Gwenno James: Thank you! I was delighted to celebrate the store’s 2 year anniversary in July.
I am happy to consider myself a Beaconite, having now lived here for about seven years. I am originally from Wales. I studied fashion design in London and later traveled from London to New York, where I worked as a textile designer for American brands such as Calvin Klein, Victoria Secret and West Elm.
My husband and I met in NYC and after a few years we were looking to buy our own place. During our home search we came across a Beacon house listing within the Brooklyn real estate section online. We drove to Beacon that weekend, and during our visit we both felt that Beacon would be a good fit for us.
KB: How did you first become interested in fashion and creating clothing?
GJ: During high school, I had a passionate and thorough sewing teacher who voluntarily held a sewing club during lunch break. She taught me how to sew and encouraged me as I explored making and designing my own clothes. I am very grateful for her instruction and mentorship. I was also sponsored by the Laura Ashley company during my college fashion degree and during that time I learned a lot about textiles and manufacturing, which was very inspirational.
KB: All of your clothes are made from your own designs and then hand dyed and hand printed; this seems to be a wonderfully antiquated way to create clothing but one that seems to be sorely needed in the fashion landscape today. Do you ever feel that you could produce clothing in the industrial sense or is that completely out of the question?
GJ: I have often explored this question myself and in the past I have used more industrial methods to produce my designs. However, what I have discovered over time is that I enjoy working with traditional and historic textile techniques such as silk screening, hand dyeing and marbling and my customers are responding well to this unique, one of a kind quality in the designs. Vibrant colors can be produced by mixing dyes and printing /painting fabric by hand and this method allows for spontaneity and artistic flow. With this approach, I can offer custom fabrics and colors at the store to complement the individual, as well as custom fitting and garment design.
KB: During your July 12th event Uniquely You, you touched on how nature continues to be a recurring source of inspiration for your artwork and your clothing. I love the vibrancy and life that your clothes bring and their imagery conjures pictures of radiant fields of flowers and lush vegetation. Have your clothes always retained this aesthetic quality or have you transitioned into this current style over time?
GJ: Thank you – it’s great to hear your feedback! Nature continues to inspire me, especially since I moved to the Hudson Valley. As I walk my dog along the river path I notice the beauty and changes in nature season after season and I often pick up leaves and feathers as I go, which later become silk screen images for my fabric patterns. The artistic community in Beacon also inspires me. I started painting canvases when I moved to Beacon and I now translate some of these painting techniques onto fabric. So I am continually learning and exploring...
KB: So what’s next and your store Ms.James?
GJ: I am working on Fall designs and colors….orange, plum, chocolate, royal blue and turquoise…on fabrics such as velvet – for scarves as well as clothing. I created many custom garments for weddings over the summer, for mother of the bride, bride and wedding guests so I will continue to offer custom designs for special occasions such as these. I recently joined a group of professionals in the Hudson Valley who offer boutique, artisanal services for events and weddings called the Hive Event Collective.
Thanks so much for coming by Keenan!
Gwenno James is the founder, owner, and operator of Gwenno James Fashion and Fabric Designs here in our own Beacon, NY. Everyone at Beaconstreets.com wishes her the best in her endeavors and her dreams.
Something Else: A Free Jazz Jam kicks off tonight at Quinn's!
Like most Monday's these days there will be jazz at Quinn's...
Tonight however, breaking with the usual jazz fare, there will be a Free Jazz Jam starting at 8 PM that will be curated, hosted, and star local jazz musician and educator Chris Kelsey.
Focusing on improvisation and spontaneous creativity Kelsey's Something Else Jam is hoping to make Quinn's the center of the Jazz universe and we couldn't be happier.
More details about this now weekly event can be found at the link below on Quinn's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1485634558322230/
The Beacon Pantry’s grand opening is going to occur all day on Saturday, the 22nd!
In addition to a wine tasting in the late afternoon, Beacon Pantry is offering raffle tickets to anyone with a purchase above $10 dollars. The raffle will conclude at some point in the evening and winners will be contacted to collect their prizes; anything from fig-spread to their excellent cheeses or a medley of everything in between!
They are also excited to announce the creation of their frequent cheese buyer’s club: a punch card system where every ten purchases of their fine cheeses yields a free cheese purchase!
So come on down to Beacon Pantry on Saturday, the 22nd and experience the meaty, nutty, dairy-filled bliss that Beacon Pantry is more than equipped to provide!
