Today we’d like to introduce you to Ezra Kettersmith
Hi Ezra, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Though artistically exposed throughout my life, I never considered fashion an art form until high school. It was there that I met friends who would help me learn about the history of fashion and grow my personal style.
After years of forming a unique taste and aesthetic, I began to have thoughts of creating my own clothing. Initially, this started more as a utility to fill a void in my wardrobe that I couldn’t seem to satisfy elsewhere.
Soon after on a tropical getaway, I discovered the full potential of what clothing could be by wearing ‘Holiday’ clothing on a holiday. It was there I understood that clothing could be designed in a way to elicit specific feelings or emotions. The gravity of this realization is what ultimately pushed me in the direction of designing clothing more intentionally.
Before I purchased my first sewing machine, I sat down to think about what I wanted my clothing to accomplish. Hailing from Minnesota, I felt constantly at odds with the cold, harsh, and often unforgiving environment. As a reaction to this and the greater state of the world, I decided that I wanted to make clothes that felt weightless, warm, and hopeful: Like wearing a deep breath.
With this foundation and design ethos, I began making clothes by hand, one after the other. For the first 2 years, I did so while working part-time at an orthopedic rehab clinic. I am now proud to say that through consistent hard work and the support I have received over the years, I plan to transition to fashion design full-time at the end of March.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
This journey has been a whirlwind of new experiences and emotions, but to describe it as ‘smooth’ would be far from the truth. To this point, all of the knowledge I have about garment design and construction is completely self-taught. A look back at the last few years tallies a strong list of botched projects, missed deadlines, and frustration. It is important for me to take these challenges with grace and know that they are what add up to progress eventually.
One thing that I have dealt with more recently is the constant battle with social media. In an ideal world, I wouldn’t have any social media in any capacity, but that isn’t the reality for modern-day artisits. I have spent the last 3 years of my life investing countless hours into creating intentional garments, and countless more hours making content surrounding those garments. This has led to slow and steady growth on platforms like Instagram, allowing me to carve out a niche audience in the fashion scene.
Over the last 6 months, it seems like these platforms have changed course and are now solely focused on pushing content that focuses on large creators, viral marketing, and posts that make money for the platform. As a result of this, my content in all its forms has hit a brick wall and is no longer being shown to my followers, let alone new users. Though I know the validity of my work has no correlation to reach on social media, it is truly disheartening to see my efforts get swept under the rug of visibility day after day.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
It is my goal to create wearable deep breaths.
This is achieved through a combination of form, fabric, and color. Loose undefined silhouettes, and details like tassels and aprons accent motion. Lighter more natural fabrics instill a sense of comfort and ease. Color choices vary, but I tend to favor softer more muted colors that are easy on the eye.
Emphasizing design, all of these choices inform my language which tends to focus on conceptual avant-grade garments that seek to evoke emotion. This is my priority and the result tends to provide unique garments that live in their own world, separated from the sphere of influence and trends.
Since I began this process 3 years ago, I have designed patterned, cut, and sewn, every garment for both myself and my customers.
Community is a pillar of ‘Ezra Ketter Smith’, and this is reflected in the clothes I make. Rather than creating a garment and grading it for specific sizing, I tend to pattern pieces with the idea of ‘one size fits most’ to foster a feeling of inclusivity.
In the short time I have been a fashion designer I have accomplished many things that I perceived as ‘longshots’ just a few years ago. Most notably I held my NYFW debut last September, which was truly a dream come true. I have also started discussing collaboration with artists and creators which led to Glaive, an artist I truly appreciate, wearing my work for his show at Fine Line recently. These milestones serve as a reminder of how far I have come, and as a reason to keep pushing.
I am looking to the wide horizon before me, as most of my time and effort up to this point has been spent on PAW*. PAW* (Piece A Week) is a series that I started a year ago with the intention to design, pattern, cut, and sew, a new piece of clothing every week for a year. This project serves as a creative challenge, but also as a way to realize my creative vision more fully. As I reach the last 2 pieces of the project, I can take more time to focus on the next steps of the brand.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
The greatest risk is that which stands before me now: Betting on yourself.
I touched on some of the obstacles I have faced within my own operation and social media. Up until this point I have struggled with a variety of issues, but ultimately felt safe as I was working a day job as my primary source of income. This dynamic of working during the day, and filling my free time with the brand provided a sense of comfort but was ultimately too much for me to handle.
For the time being, I could juggle 60-hour work weeks, but as I felt myself burning out I knew I had to make a decision for the sake of the brand. Starting in April, I will be taking the risk of pursuing fashion full-time. This is the first major transition period I have experienced in my life since college, and it is nothing short of nerve-wracking. I am leaving behind a schedule of comfort, consistent pay, and all of the things that go along with it to allow myself a chance at my dreams. This is because I know that if I give my work the time that it demands, it will rise to the heights I have only imagined.
Pricing:
- Basic shirts: $60-$120
- Bags and Accessories $120-$400
- Hats: $45-$140
- Tops: $200-$450
- Bottoms: $250-$550
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ezrakettersmith.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ezra_ketter_smith/
