Mallory of Missmalaprop.com
June 16, 2009 | By
They say that youth is wasted on the young and that you need time before you can figure out what you want to do in life, but luckily there’s an exception to every adage just as there are exceptions to every rule.
Mallory knew what she wanted to do for a living when most of us were trying to land that first entry level position. Missmalaprop.com is a site focusing on independent artists who believe in sustaining the planet with a special focus on New Orleans and Gulf Coast based artists.
Her passion for her work was instilled at a young age and her first hand experience of Hurricane Katrina reinforced her passion to create a better, sustainable way of life. The young clothing maker’s passionate convictions are clear in her interview. Visit her site for more about Mallory and also for information on how we can follow her lead to a better planet.
Loving the site, girl! I remember being 25 and not knowing a thing about where I was headed. How did you come to the decision that this was your direction in life? Were you a rebel with a cause before Katrina?
I grew up in a family of small business owners, so I think it was always in my blood. In college I had teachers encouraging me to sell my reconstructed clothing, which I eventually started doing at age 21. I've moved on to other entrepreneurial projects (the blog now and a boutique for the future), but I think it's something I'll always be passionate about.
Eco-friendly and indie: Is it an obvious connection between the two or do you sometimes have a struggle making them work together?
For the most part I find that the two go hand in hand. A lot of crafters are recyclers by nature -- they take trash as a challenge to turn it into something new and useful. And a lot of the eco-friendly and fair trade goods on the market are made by small collectives of people from around the world who are being paid to put their local craft traditions to good use. I love anything that can help keep craftsmanship alive within communities.
Tell me about the New Orleans Craft Mafia and how/why you became a member of the organization.
I'm one of the founding members who has been there since the beginning, in June 2005. A few of us had heard about what the ladies with the Austin Craft Mafia had started there, and we wanted to see a similar crafty business networking group in New Orleans, so we made it happen. We were actually planning a big launch party and craft event for September 2005, when Hurricane Katrina spoiled that plan. We weathered the storm as a group though, and many of our original members are still around, though a few have come and gone since then as well. We've sponsored a monthly indie craft market, held some successful holiday craft events and we're currently planning our 4 year anniversary party.
Does Katrina still have an impact on what you do? How can crafting help with the rebuilding process?
Honestly, I think most of us down here are finally at the point of wanting to move on and just start living our lives again. We've spent the last four years dealing the aftermath of Katrina, and all of the issues that surfaced because of the storm. I think we've all done our best to rebuild our homes and lives, and support the local businesses in this city. But I think that at some point the best thing you can do for recovery is to move on and just start living in the present instead of dwelling on what could have happened. Change happens by moving forward, not back. I think having something to focus on, with goals and ambitions, like all of our own craft-related businesses, helps us to keep focusing on the present and the future instead of what might have been. There are still a LOT of "what should be" questions to be answered around this city and this region, but I think the best way we can answer them is just to keep going, and doing the best we can day by day.
What’s your process for finding people/places/things for you to feature? You said you’ve gotten more careful about reading labels and such? How do you investigate something before it can get on your site?
I get a lot of submissions from shops, designers, and PR people -- many more than I possibly have time to feature, unfortunately. I take a look at every site that's sent my way though, and I keep them bookmarked for when I'm looking for something to write about. I generally just post about whatever catches my eye on that particular day. Sometimes I seek out a particular type of product, either to fill a personal need or if a reader asks for my help in finding something.
I always read about pages and bios on websites, and try to get a feel for the individual designer or store, and what goes into their work. When you're shopping online, you kind of have to trust what the person says about how sustainable their materials are, but when they are really open about themselves and their work, I find it easier to believe that they mean what they say. The human connection is what's so special about shopping handmade -- I don't get it when artists don't include a bio or don't make it very personal.
As far as reading labels, I've tried to educate myself about what chemicals and ingredients to stay away from, and I always try carefully read ingredient labels on things now. I find that most indie designers and crafters are pretty good about staying away from really toxic ingredients in their work -- after all, who wants to be around that stuff all day?
You mention taking baby steps in being more responsible to the environment. Can you specifically talk to crafters, say, jewelry makers, knitters, etc. about some of the things we can do to be more conscious of our footprint?
There are so many ways to reinvent materials; I think crafters should look at finding new ways to recycle materials as a creative challenge. I've seen people take plastic grocery bags and use them for crochet projects. Old sweaters can be taken apart, and the yarn can be used again for knitting. You can find tons of old broken jewelry components at thrift stores and flea markets that will make for much more interesting and unique jewelry than something made from new pieces manufactured overseas. Whenever I'm sewing, I'm always trying to figure out some new use for every last bit of scrap fabric.
Is the current economy working for or against the eco-friendly, green, handmade movements? Is it a little of both?
I think that in a way we needed this current recession to make us take a step back from our consumer culture and really think about the things we buy, and why we buy them. I think people have started to realize that we don't NEED everything and that when we do buy things they should be things that are made to last, things that don't harm ourselves, our planet, or other people. Right now, I think when people do make purchases, they're more inclined to buy something they can feel good about in the long term, and I think both handmade and eco-friendly products fit that bill.
I've already heard certain economists saying that this current economic climate is likely to have the same kind of lasting impact on people's behavior that the Great Depression did on people who came of age during that time. Personally, I think that's probably true. I think that for some people, sure, "green" is trendy, but those are the types of people who will always follow any trend that comes their way. I think a lot of people are starting to change both their behavior and the way they think about things in lasting ways though. I think many of us have woken up to the fact that our society's behavior during the last 50 years or so is unsustainable, both economically and environmentally. There will always be naysayers, of course, but I think most people generally want to do good, and I think once we realize what an impact we can have today on our children and our children's children, we'll work to make long-lasting change.
Mallory’s website is http://missmalaprop.com. There you will find a links page to resources and sites to products, services and people to lead you through the indie, eco-friendly movement.
Photos are courtesy of Mallory and Missmalaprop.com
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