We were lucky to catch up with Iz Scheerer recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Iz thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I think I’ve always known that I wanted to have a career in the arts professionally. I’ve always been very creative, and I’ve always wanted to express myself through art. I don’t think there’s ever been a time in my life that I wanted to have an “ordinary” job, and that’s not to say those jobs don’t matter or aren’t of value, but I just could never see myself doing them. Everything I do—The way in which I think, process things, see the world, dream—They all relate to being an artist, so it just makes sense for me to do that full-time. It’s always been a very natural thought for me, honestly.

Ever since I was a child, I would lock myself away in my room creating things from essentially nothing—Paintings, patterns, little sculptures, drawings, gifts for others. It really didn’t matter to me what the outcome of the project was, I just wanted to create something. And I think that’s still the joy of being an artist today.

Growing up, I never really heard of anyone being an artist professionally—Other than the famous artists we all learn about. Besides that, you only really hear of people enjoying art as a passion. Due to that, I’m not sure why or how I knew I could do it full time, I just always saw it in my future. I took art classes all through primary school, and when life got really hard, I always found myself relying on art to help me through it. And I think that was when it kind of clicked: I honestly couldn’t do anything but art as a career. I continued taking art classes all through school, and looked for any opportunity to make art. At 14 years old, I opened a cake business where I made custom cakes for various events and occasions. That experience was a large part in what helped me to realize that I really could create art from anything—And I could make money from it. I eventually graduated and was accepted into the number one public art school in the country, which was the largest stepping stone to where I am now. As time went on, I think I basically lived and breathed art. Art school helped me to push my own creative boundaries, learn about and meet real artists, and ultimately, to become who I am. From here, I studied abroad, released my first clothing line, graduated early from art school, and started Bad Apple Studio.

I think people have endless opportunity and paths they could take in life. Every decision creates a new outcome, a new opportunity, or a new lesson. So I’m sure, in another life, I could be many things. In fact, I love pushing my own boundaries and doing new things, so I never want to become stagnant or bored. But in all of the small and big milestones so far in my life, I found confirmation time and time again that I am who I’m supposed to be: An artist. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else at this point.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Iz, and I am the owner of Bad Apple Studio. I am a whirlwind of things, but most of all, I would consider myself an Artist, Graphic Designer, Fashion Designer, and Activist. I am a 23 year old queer artist from Richmond, Virginia. I aim to create a more equal world, a better life for myself and others, and I hope to help people cope with their trauma through the use of design, fashion, textiles, and art. I am a world traveler and often seek inspiration through the lens of culture, modern society, and lived experiences. Through my travels, I aim to learn and expand my knowledge of culture, language, food, religion, and mindset, all of which I embed into my future art. Personally, I love deep conversations and am a psychology fanatic and huge fan of conspiracy theories and true crime documentaries, which also tend to show up in my clothing designs.

As a queer person, I have always felt that it was important that Bad Apple Studio be a completely gender neutral brand. I wanted anyone and everyone to be able to wear my apparel and feel comfortable in it because, for me, clothing has no gender. So in the creation of Bad Apple Studio, it was immensely important to me that every piece I go on to create feels relatable and inviting. And as time goes on, I’m working to push that boundary and break the gender binary our society is structured around. No matter what the garment is, it exists for you to wear. And that is exactly what my brand speaks to. As a streetwear brand, most of the clothing revolves around the idea of being oversized or having the capability to be layered on top of one another. I want my pieces to exist both by themselves as well as paired together. The final layered pieces, the accessories, the fitting of the clothing all are up to you. I believe that fashion is an expression of your beliefs, interests, curiosities, and ever-growing personality. I want the world to feel free to express themselves openly through my art.

The story of how Bad Apple Studio was born is a long but short, complicated but simple story, really. It is the result a longtime love of clothing and creativity, a deep need to tell my personal story, a hope to create a better world someday, and an urgency for people to feel seen and heard. In order to fully explain what Bad Apple Studio is as a brand, you need to understand who I am as well, as we are deeply intertwined.

I wouldn’t know where to begin if you asked me what first got me into art. Ever since I was young, I’ve always been an artist, drawing and creating whenever I could. Over time, that interest grew and grew until it became a large part of who I am. At the age of 14, I opened a cake business, creating custom cakes for hundreds of people. I was accepted into the number one art and design school in the country at 17, where I went on to continue my love for art. It is here that my interest in design and fashion skyrocketed. During my time in art school, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Italy and South Korea, which still are some of my favorite experiences. My time abroad really helped me to further understand the world around me, and pushed me to question the reality of the world we live in. I find happiness in traveling the world, embracing and learning about other cultures, all of which influence the art I create today. In my final semester of art school, I released my first clothing line which I designed, crafted, produced, and photographed by myself in the matter of months. The clothing line was titled Eleutheromania—Which means a great desire for freedom—As it spoke to a series of important topics, such as abuse, the LGBTQIA+ community, the loss of innocence, and mental health. Eleutheromania was the start of Bad Apple Studio—The brand, the message, and my healing. Following its release, I graduated early from art school, eager pursue my art career further.

At this point, I think art and I are deeply connected in a way that it would be hard to separate them from each other. A large reason for that would be because of my life experiences. The last 23 years of my life have been a whirlwind full up ups and downs….”. From hardships of my mental health, enduring abuse and assaults, facing homophobia and the corruption of the modern world we live in; to the highs of living without fear of who I am, using art to find closure, and exploring the world in new ways. All of the moments, both good and bad, have left deep imprints for which I use in my art today. During the really difficult times in my life, I found myself relying on art to help me cope with it. Art has always been my best friend, in a way, which is why I feel so passionate about the art I create.

Due to my lived experiences and personal hardship, I have always been very upfront about the purpose of what I create and what I aim to achieve from it. My art is very conceptual and deep. I have never wanted to just create something that was beautiful. In fact, I’ve always wanted to do the opposite, really. I have no desire to sugarcoat or glorify the ugly truths of the world, which is why I tell the story about my life so honestly. I don’t believe in having the perfect life or the biggest smile in the room, but I do believe in living my life honestly and living a life in a way that leaves me happy. I don’t think hiding behind a mask or erasing the gory details of our experiences help us to heal—And we need more healing and kindness in this world. I believe the only way to grow and to cope is to be honest about what has happened to you and how it made you feel. I have always found peace in confronting things head on, and that is exactly what you’ll see in my clothing: Honesty, pain, growth, and acceptance. My hope is to push others to realize their trauma, to encourage them to accept and heal from it, and for them to eventually love who they are. My desire is to leave the world better than when I entered it, and that starts with turning over every rock, every broken system, and to give a platform to everyone who’s voice needs to be heard.

The apparel I create is more than just aesthetics, cool designs, streetwear, or clothing. It has meaning and there is a story behind every piece. My practice involves shedding light on controversial topics—such as trauma, mental health, LGTBQAI+, abuse, feminism, and the oppression of minority communities. Through fashion, I intend to question these social issues, while breaking their stereotypes and promoting the normalization of their conversation. Bad Apple Studio will continue to design with purpose and with the hope that it may help others to cope with their own experiences, too.

Bad Apple Studio currently releases monthly collections, which consist of a series of garments that each speak to unique and powerful topics.. The intent of each collection is to bring people together by promoting love and equality, while simultaneously empowering people to be themselves. Bad Apple Studio also produces one-of-a-kind apparel and custom clothing orders that combine illustrations, bold prints, textiles, and streetwear fashion together.

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

I love this question because I honestly think my existence is an illustration of resilience. I have endured a lot over of the course of my life so far. And that’s not said with the intent of getting sympathy, but to explain that I truly live life with the very mindset of staying strong and being resilient.

Most of my life, I have battled with depression, which has been a very long and challenging journey. Depression is hands down one of the most difficult things I have ever had to deal with in my life, and I don’t think we as a society talk about that enough. In our society, we tend to put on masks and plaster smiles on our faces, which result in this endless cycle of toxicity and misunderstanding because everyone walks away feeling like they’re the only ones who are sad. Growing up, I think I always felt very misunderstood and alone because it felt like I was battling depression alone. But what I didn’t realize is that a lot of other people also feel this way. That’s not to say everyone has the same experiences because that is far from true, but rather we all face this idea that we’re the only one struggling. This very concept is a huge part of why I design clothing that speaks on these “sensitive” topics, because I want people to feel heard, seen, and understood. That very idea—Being understood—Can save a lot of people’s lives.

For me, resilience is holding on a little longer, getting up in the morning when you don’t want to, having someone smile or care, and having a moment of feeling understood. It’s very rewarding to look back on your life and see your evolution of how far you’ve come. The things I used to dream about are now my reality, and the things I used to think were impossible to get through, I am getting through. It’s minor, but it means everything. Resilience is continuing to fight and survive, and pushing your dreams a little farther away over and over again. I think mental health is very important and having a good support system matters, without it, life is very lonely.” let’s adjust it to be, “I think mental health is very important and having a good support system matters. Without it, life is very lonely.. My goal through my clothing is to provide that sense of support and understanding to people who don’t feel understood. I want people to know that I see them and their life matters to me and to others. To everyone who struggles, I hope that one day life get easier and that you’re around to enjoy that peace and happiness. But until then, it helps me to get through the day knowing that we’re all battling something no one knows about, and we’re all a lot stronger than we care to admit.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the entire process of being an artist has so many rewarding moments that it’s hard to pick the best one. For one, it’s always been very rewarding to take an idea and turn it into something visual. I’ve always had a huge passion for psychology and the way the mind works. It’s fascinating to me that a split second smell, action, thought, or word could spark an idea and become something tangible for others to see. Whether it’s a direct correlation to the thought or something loosely tied to it, it’s cool to see how a thought unfolds and becomes something entirely new. I think it’s really rewarding to see how your work affects other people and how it may help them, even if that’s just a smile on their face. It’s a moment of “Wow, they get it,” even if they don’t necessarily relate to the piece in the same way you do. That’s the beauty in art—We all see what we need to see and take away what we need to take away in that moment.

The longer I produce art and put it out into the world, the more I accept the negative reactions as well. You know, when most of your work deals with socially-deemed controversial topics, you learn that the negative reviews are sometimes just as powerful because for a split second, someone who disagrees with the your beliefs, or your existence, is forced to see things from your perspective. Maybe they still don’t agree with it, but now a small piece of you is out in the world. Perhaps in a week they’ll think back on it and question their own perspective, or have a conversation about it with someone else. And that’s all you can really hope for: To start that conversation.

Another largely rewarding moment is in the actual process of creating the work. I think as a professional artist, we’re taught to obsess with the outcome of the project—Will the audience like it? Will it be good? Will I make money from it?—But at the end of the day, I don’t necessarily think the end result is important. It doesn’t matter to me. I find the process more rewarding than the actual outcome because the process is calming. I tend to just tune out the rest of the world and focus on what I’m creating in that moment. You start to go off in different directions, try new things, expand your initial idea. And that’s kind of the beauty in it: What you once started with no longer exists and a new, evolved idea has taken place. It’s in those moments that I can really understand my own headspace, what I’m feeling, and where I need to go. You lose sight of what the world wants you to say, and you find your own voice. And I like to believe that then once your art is out in the world, the people who need to hear it, will find it.

I could go on forever about the rewarding aspects of being a creative individual, but the final rewarding moment is knowing that my work helps people. No, maybe not in the same sense that a doctor helps a patient, but artists help people to feel understood, loved, and healed. Art and fashion can give people a sense of purpose, identity, and connection. And to me, that’s kind of the same thing. I enjoy knowing that I use my platform for good, to give others a voice, to speak my truth, and to make the world a better, more fair place. When my life ends, if I have helped one person to cope with their trauma, made someone critically think about my art for more than a second, or put a smile on someone’s face, then I’ll have done my job as an artist successfully.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.badapplestudiodesign.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badapple.studio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/badapplestudio.design
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabellescheerer/
• Other: Email: [email protected]