Sustainable Baddie of The Week: Muse
Meet Muse! The coolest DIY angel behind the @foreverurmuse Instagram account. Here’s her story for how she creates her own pieces, her biggest inspirations, and some insight into her creative process.
1. Tell us about yourself! Where you are from, what you do, and what your favorite article of clothing is!
My name is Muse and I am an artist from Chula Vista who creates fashion and art pieces that have an emphasis on interconnectivity and emotional awareness. To put it simply, I create art that makes people feel. My favorite article of clothing is well, anything laying around that seems to be conventional, and using it unconventionally. I don’t have a singular piece that is my favorite but I do go through finding a piece I own and seeing how many ways I can use it in different aspects of my closet (for example, taking a sweater and turning it into a different style of top, then using it as a skirt, then a wrap, then gloves)
2. How did you start creating your own pieces?
I created my own pieces from a “make do with what I have” standpoint. I was infatuated with fashion from a young age, but the only access I had to it came from thrift shops and discount stores. In order to express myself through fashion, I had to actually create the pieces I was wanting.
This taught me that fashion isn’t solely for rich people, and as cheesy as it sounds, to really understand “where there’s a will, there’s a way”.
I also saw the value and time it takes to create clothing because I was directly experiencing it, and so I learned to consume fashion slowly; carefully curating each piece to extend its longevity not only physically but also emotionally and spiritually. If I have an emotional connection with my art, I will value it and therefore consume less.
3. Who or what inspires your style the most? How have you and your style developed over the years?
My style is most inspired by DIY culture and experimental fashion as a whole, also the boundless constructs of my mind. Ideas that sometimes feel like they’re not even my own pop into my brain and then it sort of feels like “well how can I do this? How can I create this?” And I go from there.
My style throughout the years has remained pretty out of the box or experimental, but it really revolves around my emotional well-being.
You can really tell how I’m doing by what I create. As emotions are free-flowing, so is my style. I definitely lean towards punk/grunge aesthetics but I wouldn’t necessarily categorize my art as that. Even now I’m still refining my taste, and every time I think I’m close to the finish line, it moves again. It’s really a never-ending journey.
4. Walk us through your creative process. Where do you start, how do you finish up your initial vision?
It starts with a thought, a vision. I can picture something in my head, and then challenge myself to bring that thought into fruition, into the physical realm. I map it out onto paper, create a shot list and material list; I’ve gotten pretty good about creating the pieces from memory but I’m still working on perfectly photographing each piece. Photography and videography play a huge role in bringing the pieces I create to life, and I’m very grateful to have talented friends to help me create and to guide me in learning about these mediums.
5. Where do you see your knack for upcycling taking you in the future? Do you have any career goals?
I am currently re-envisioning how I approach my presentation to my art. I want to create timeless art, and attention to detail in every aspect. From the actual piece, to the graphic design, to the photography, I want every step of the way to truly emulate the feeling I was attempting to create. This process also allows me to slow down and become present with my art. I would like to sell my one-of-a-kind pieces but not necessarily always to wear, I would like to create fine art as well.
My career goals are to revolutionize the way we see high fashion and to encourage people of all social classes to explore the fashion world in a way that slows them down and allows them to feel.
From a sustainability standpoint, less clothing will be bought because more thought is going into each piece being worn. I want to use my platform to encourage others to really think for themselves and create a safe space for people to feel their emotions.
