We Are Stardust

Fall/Winter 2016

2016 - 2017 "We Are Golden" Companion Collection   

The We Are Stardust Fall/Winter Collection began as an interpretation of the intersection of design + lifestyle that dominates the current zeitgeist. 

I was asking myself– how are so many people deriving so much meaning out of so many objects? I can't help but think of Lawrence Weiner's "Bits & Pieces Put Together to Present a Semblance of a Whole" (1991). The conceptual quandary of that work has only been amplified over the past two decades as the internet has facilitated a process of sharing our bits & pieces as a performative act of self-expression.

However, as Schiaparelli famously said "In difficult times, fashion is always outrageous." In the face of so much tragedy and loss here in our home town, across the nation, and across the globe I was no longer sure that self-expression was enough. So I thought, what if I create hats to serve their bearer? Hats to serve as talismans and shields against darkness, and to serve as prisms and beacons to the light. What started as a study of how people live today became an important lesson in how I want to live and create. 

We Are Stardust is inspired by astrology and myth, healing and magic. It considers the ways we seek meaning and reconciliation, and the ways self-expression can be political. Many pieces contain symbolic hand-embroidery intended to be customized for its wearer. Some hats are soft and warm for when we need a hug, some hats are edgy and tough for when we need to rant. This new body of work is deeply personal but the process of creating hats to heal others has been tremendously therapeutic for myself. I can't wait to share these pieces with you.

– CK 

Photography: Lauren Krysti | Model: Abby Ashbacher | Hair / Makeup: Fatima Olive | Art Direction/Styling: Ilse Haugen | Hats / Styling: Celina Kane