We recently connected with Hyde Ebright and have shared our conversation below.

Hyde, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

As a designer who focuses on adaptive wear, creating clothing for people who are differently abled, I have been able to create these meaningful garments for people. When doing custom garments for people with specific needs, I am able to communicate in a one on one setting, getting to know each person differently. Now I have recently worked on a 4 look up-cycled collection for a non-profit called NC4K. This organization focuses on helping families who have a child with cancer. Their vision is no kid fights cancer alone. I have known many people with cancer in my life but importantly my grandmother. As a child I know what it is like witnessing a loved one deal with cancer. Up to the age I am now, seeing my mom, my aunt and many other family members help my grandma with doctor visits and more in the past speaks to the volume that NO person fights cancer alone. I cannot image what a child could be going through at a young age, so being apart of an organization that uplifts this community is special to me. I am a community focused designer, and being able to see the spirit of the youth continue to put on a smile is something I foster deep with me. I design a lot of garments with a deep amount of technicality, but sometimes its the simpler ones that hold the most meaning!

Hyde, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Hyde Vesna Ebright, and I am a fashion designer, textile artist, and owner of DARA Apparel Studio. My career as a designer began my senior year of high school when I decided to apply to art school last minute, due to me wanting to pursue something I wanted to do. I have always been a multidisciplinary artist, but it was not until that moment I decided my pass time would be a career. In my brand DARA, I focus on creating inclusive, accessible, and clothing that unites communities. I design garments one on one with clients to meet their needs, especially focusing on people who are differently abled. I also only use second hand fabrics and textile waste for my projects and more. My goal is to close the gaps in fashion when it comes to who can wear it and how we get it. Community is the center of the brand and I continue to make 1 of 1 pieces that people can buy. I also focus on eco-dyeing, sun-dyeing techniques to create art on these fabrics and garments. I have worked on many projects such as my senior thesis “HYTCH HKR” which was showcased at the Passport2Fashion show in 2023, a collaboration between DARA and Circular thrift, two events at the Columbus Museum of art, one where I collaborated with my friend, local artist, and dancer, Aya, and a collection for a non-profit called NC4K. Clothing is meant to be worn for everyone and communities are what keep us connecting together and allow for our individuality to be together in similarity. DARA comes from the language Khmer, the tongue of my family from Cambodia, and it means star. A star is a symbol of unity and a representation of what we look up to, and the uniqueness yet vastness of what our world holds.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

In order to support artists and creatives you need to think small! There is a small business alternative to everything we consume, now it does not you need to change your entire life, but think of instead of buying coffee from a chain, go to your local coffee shop, instead of buying clothes from the mall, check out the local shops or buy from local designers. Even if it is one time, that support is beneficial. Talking and spreading the word about these artists and creatives is very important too! Tell your family, friends, make a post about it, share to your story. Artists and creatives are apart of our society and our ecosystem, we all play a role in creating a community. Support an artist or creative that fits your life the most sustainably. Showing that support is practical and sustainable to your everyday life will only encourage others to do the same.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My career is nothing but resilience. I grew up in a relatively small town, where art and being an artist is not a normal thing. However I am forever grateful that I was surrounded by people who support me. Entering art school was a choice not many get, and it was going to cost me. In order to attend college I had to work full time and be a full time student. There were many points where I was working two jobs, and even on top of that an internship. I knew I would have to sacrifice my free time and push to go forward in life. I also dealt with the covid pandemic the spring semester of my freshman year and sophomore year. I was paying for college to learn hands on BUT online. This was a barrier where I thought to myself, is this really worth it? Should I continue to go to college? I remembered the whole reason I wanted to do this. To create change. Thanks to amazing professors specifically Celeste Malvar-Stewart, and Audrey Nicolas I understood that I have to stay and I have to learn to grow. Now not all need to pursue art school but for me, I learned more than just the curriculum, I was diving deep into the industry, other art forms, the meaning of relationships and more. My experience was worth the price and worth the sleepless nights, the grind to finish a garment, the full time jobs, because in the end, I set myself up for a future where I wouldn’t have to pay as much, have to worry as much, and for a plan to change the landscape of what it means to be a designer and to impact lives. Our resilience in our lives is what keeps us going further, no matter how little or how big, the action is what earns the outcome.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @dara.apparel @firehyderant
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/hydeebright
• Other: https://linktr.ee/daraapparelstudio

Image Credits

Ayame King