We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Karim Orange a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Karim , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I’ve worked on many meaningful projects, but none compare to my current company, Garden of Kicks. My journey began decades ago with a career in makeup artistry, working with celebrities such as Mary J. Blige and Matt Damon. For this, I received two Emmy nominations for my work on the ABC Television talk show The View. Then, a severe allergic reaction to my everyday lipstick redirected my career toward eco-friendly beauty in 2001, long before ‘clean beauty’ was a trend. I loved working with brands that prioritized removing harsh chemicals and was I was dubbed a ‘Green Star’ by Elle magazine. However, the clean beauty industry felt unwelcoming for women of color; clean beauty was often exclusive, with few shades for us and few opportunities to influence brand decisions. This lack of inclusivity was a driving force behind my mission to make eco-friendly beauty accessible to all. Despite being an early pioneer, I was barely scraping by financially.
During this time, I began writing for publications like HuffPost, Organic Spa Magazine, and Hello Giggles keeping my voice alive, but I still felt a deep need for change. In February 2022, I left for Moab, Utah, taking a four-day train journey to clear my mind. The desert became my sanctuary—raw, honest, and unfiltered. During my four-month stay, I hiked, reflected, and faced life’s dangers head-on, returning home renewed.

One day, I stumbled upon a sneaker artist on YouTube, drawing like Picasso on a pair of kicks, and thought, ‘I could do that.’ As an NYC Farm School alum, I’d already experimented with using boots as planters. Sneakers felt like the perfect canvas for sparking curiosity and conversations about repurposing and recycling an item they use daily. Sneaker culture is at an all-time high, starting with young kids who see sneakers as more than just shoes. Sneakers have become symbols of identity, influenced by sports, music, and digital media. Most people don’t realize that the average pair of sneakers takes over 15 years to biodegrade back into the environment. Garden of Kicks creates a unique way to plant your style with something you already own.

To date, Garden of Kicks is my most significant project. It blends art, nature, and a little urban farming in a way that inspires wonder and connection.
My latest collection is called Kika Kool. This collection is all about those chill vibes, rooted in dots and inspired by the rhythmic flow of creativity—a meditation in movement. I mixed the iconic energy of 1960s pop artist Yayoi Kusama, the vibrant African dot art of Kika Ona (In Yoruba, “Kika” means “dot,” and “Ona” means “path,” linking dots to the origins of life—seeds, fresh starts, and moments of awareness). Each dot becomes part of a meditative journey, a rhythm in movement that lets you pause, breathe, and vibe with the interconnectedness of everything around you. A garden kick with these patterns in your environment can uplift your spirit, creating a sense of harmony and connection. They bring the beauty of nature into your space, reminding you to nurture your growth and embrace life’s journey.

Karim , 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 passion is art, growing plants in small spaces, and teaching others how to do so. This passion has helped me create my current company, Garden of Kicks. I use sneakers to make art and use them as a unique vessel to grow plants. Garden of Kicks is eco-conscious, and I use recycled sneakers in my Repurpose, Recycle, and Grow collection. The collection features sterilized upcycled sneakers that I repurpose as a work of art and a vessel to grow plants. One of the problems I solve for my clients is showing them what to do with sneakers they no longer use. I also show them a creative way to grow small house plants creatively, turning a potential waste into a beautiful, functional piece of art.

I would love to work with sports players or anyone with an extensive collection of sneakers they no longer use and build sneaker walls in schools and children’s hospitals. I also love doing window installations, and I currently have one in Ben & Jerry’s. I’m exploring botanical art within Garden of Kicks with my first introduction: Rose Walks. This collection utilizes rose petals as part of the sneaker design. I also teach this technique to everyone ages 6 to 100.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My entire journey has been about pivoting and reinventing, adapting to new paths, and discovering new dimensions of myself. From makeup artistry to clean beauty, journalism, urban farming, and sneaker art, I’ve embraced the unexpected turns that have allowed my creativity to evolve and thrive. Early in my life, I learned that art is my core identity—it flows through every part of me. Reinvention is my process and power; it’s how I stay true to myself and make an impact. As an artist, each pivot has been a chance to leave my unique mark on the world, and I’ll keep transforming.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

The main thing I wish I’d known earlier in my creative journey is the importance of understanding money: how to earn, save, and build upon it. I would gladly create art for free if I had wealth, but that’s not my reality. Like Andy Warhol, who often discussed the marriage between art and commerce, I’ve seen that understanding the business side of creativity is essential for sustaining a career. Making art is only one piece of the puzzle; knowing how to value, monetize, and manage that art is just as crucial to surviving as an artist. Financial literacy is essential! If I had known this sooner, my journey might have looked different. I see now that art and commerce aren’t at odds; they can empower each other.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gardenofkicks.com
• Instagram: @thatgirlorange @gardenofkicks
• Facebook: Garden of Kicks
• Linkedin: Karim Orange
• Twitter: @thatgirlorange
• Youtube: Garden of Kicks

Image Credits

Images by Karim Orange

The Image of me doing makeup on Mary J. Blige is by Carl Pose