My late grandmother used to tell wonderful stories about growing up on a rock quarry in East Helena, Montana in the 1930s and ‘40s … fishing for trout in the pond next door, riding a horse to school, and learning to drive her dad’s truck at age 12.

 

I was born and raised in Seattle, and the closest I ever came to being a horse girl was a pony ride in the park on my 7th birthday. 

 

Horses aside, my grandmother’s grit and spirit – on full display when she exited a difficult marriage in the face of stares in her Catholic community – fueled a family of daughters and granddaughters who blaze trails with conviction and heart. 

 

The name of this collection, “Bruised Denim,” was born in steps. While working as an artisan, wearing denim overalls and soaking up paint stains and stories, thoughts drifted to my grandmother’s rustic youth. So when upcycling a pair of those paint-covered overalls, I took a deep dive into the sepia-tinted world of my grandma’s old family photos for vintage ideas. The color palette for Bruised Denim is dictated in broad terms by the various hues of a bruise, symbolizing my grandmother’s journey from adventurous youngster to difficult married years to middle-aged dynamism. Upon exiting her marriage, she had her wedding ring fused into a necklace that I always admired.  This 6-look collection draws inspiration from outfits she wore growing up in Montana, and her unmatched resilience.