Gallery

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2011 is the year I started working solely in the studio. My first collection launched, I opened a shop online, and a following of print loving customers quickly grew. This lead to new opportunities. Relationships with a range of stores developed and large retailers like Anthropologie, to smaller brick and mortar clothing boutiques, started carrying RR. 

All work begins as a hand painted or dyed piece of fabric. Most of my work is on silk, and I am always experimenting with new materials. My favorite silk paints are Sennelier Tinfix (which is now discontinued) and Jacquard Silk Paints. These are acid based dyes which require steam setting at above 250 degrees F to become permanently bonded to the fabric. I love using these particular silk paints because unique techniques can be achieved. They produce vibrant colors and little water is needed.

When creating hand painted clothing, usually items like silk tees or dresses are constructed first, painted second. Other times, fabric panels will be painted and then cut and sewn into a garment. When large yards of fabric are needed, an original hand painted design will be scanned  and created into a repeat using Photoshop. The design is then either screen or digitally printed into fabric yardage. 

In 2021 the shop closed  to make time to paint and explore new ideas. Print and color is the core of my work, and how to create clothing and textiles in an environmentally responsible way is an important part of the process. While work that is hand painted or dyed in my studio can be very controlled, larger scale production of textile dying and printing is especially intriguing to me. I love to research and learn more about what new developments are coming out of the sustainable fashion industry. Incorporating that into what I do next is the goal.