Slow n Steady

The origin story of Slow n Steady began in 1999 when, at the age of 11, I started drawing my first fashion designs and illustrations. Ever since then, I've been pursuing some version of that dream to design and create.

Later in the early 2000s, around the age of 15, I was attending concerts and festivals that had a pretty wild counter culture found in the parking lot scenes and shakedown streets of the shows. This period had a profound influence on me. Everyone was making, trading, or selling something, and I loved the open market culture. Inspired by the handmade clothes people were selling, I started recreating my own versions at home and returning to the shows to sell and trade. This was the beginning of my journey into making and selling my own handmade clothes.

During that same period, I began working at a vintage store called ¨Decades,¨ where I was introduced to the incredible world of vintage clothing. I was fascinated by the psychedelia of the 1960s-1970s. This is when I started collecting vintage clothing, and today I still have pieces from that shop I have yet to cut into.  As my sewing skills advanced, I experimented with cutting and sewing the vintage pieces I acquired from the shop. Back then, I wasn't familiar with the term "upcycling," but I knew that it was far more interesting and fun for me to discover these one-of-a-kind treasures than to simply buy fabric off the roll in stores.

Fast forward to today, and I can honestly say that not much has changed from that same spirit I had as a young person discovering my creativity. I continued on to study fashion design, intern, and work in the fashion industry. However, I eventually realized that the fast pace of city and the structure of the industry were not for me. I am currently based out of Baja California Sur, where I work out of my home studio, and spend my summers at home in coastal New Jersey. I cherish time spent in the ocean and try to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Though Slow n Steady may move at a slug's pace at times, I've come to embrace it. I enjoy the freedom I have to create what feels good for me, just like when I first started. Its been such a gift making so many friendships and connections over the years through this creative work and I feel really fortunate to continue doing it today.

With much love and appreciation for your support,

- Christine