We were lucky to catch up with Ann Tilley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ann, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I’m sure I could never be happy in a career that didn’t allow me to be creative or exploratory… however, I do think you can strive for a dream job that turns out not to be so dreamy when you get there. I thought it was my dream to run my own clothing company, where I am the lead designer and overseeing the development and production of ready-to-wear clothing. So that is what I pursued, twice, in my late twenties. Certainly there were aspects that I loved, but understanding the scope of what kind of business you’re building, and what kind of workload/lifestyle that comes with it, is so so important. I found I was doing more marketing, sales, and supervising others, and having to delegate or put to aside a lot of the creative components that I actually wanted to be doing. Creative careers and working for yourself can look a lot of different ways, but really honing in on details about what you want your day-to-day to look like, can help your curate the scale of business you want to create.

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

I am a clothing designer that specializes in pattern-making and sample-making -the engineering of garments- focusing on everyday clothing. I have worked in production for other independent designers, as well as freelance for various clients, who have an idea but need help actually building the garment or soft product. After starting and closing a couple of my own ready-to-wear clothing lines, I got into teaching home sewists how to make their own clothes which moved me away from production entirely. Through the influence of that community, I have started taking my original garment designs, under the name Ann Tilley Handmade, and packaging them for home sewists to purchase to make the garment for themselves. I have been doing that for a year now, and it has exceeded my expectations.
I also have maintained a studio art practice, mostly 2-D, wall-hung work made using color knitting and other textile processes, for over a decade. I mostly show in group and solo shows regionally around the southeast USA, and have had success regularly selling my work. I have never tried to do this kind of work full-time because I’ve always been drawn back to the fashion industry but it is hugely therapeutic, creative work for me, and I always want to be making the work, even when I don’t have the time for it!

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

It is so crucial for us to support artists so we can continue to benefit from the work they do. Can you imagine a world without great, new music?? On the individual level, doing your best to put your dollars directly in the hands of creatives that you respect and want to see thrive. Even as simple as finding a maker on Etsy, but then taking the time to find their direct website in which to make a purchase. Or visiting makers’ markets and paying in cash. On a state level, funding programs like artist grants or creating affordable artist studios directly nurtures creatives to explore and build on their endeavors. We need to create space for artists to thrive with resources to do what they do, so that we can all benefit from their contributions.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My creative and career journey has definitely been built upon a desire to live by my values. The fashion industry is dirty business, in terms of fair treatment to workers and its impact on the environment. As soon as I graduated from fashion school, I knew I wanted to work for companies that addressed these inequalities or attempted to be part of the solution in some way. My perspective on what kind of career that looks like has changed as I’ve learned more in this field and worked for different kinds of businesses. Working directly with sewists, teaching them to make for themselves, is perhaps less glamorous than saying I run my own clothing company, but the rewards I get in feeling like I’m contributing to my community, helping folks be self-sufficent and contributing to clothing made with intention is worth everything to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.anntilleyhandmade.com
• Instagram: @anntilley.patterns @anntilleyhandmade
• Youtube: @anntilleyhandmade

Image Credits

ATH_029 photo by Joel Seawell. All other photos by me. The first photo annheadshots2024-42_websize is by Daniel White.