We recently connected with Isaac Couch and have shared our conversation below.
Isaac, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I am self taught. Everything I technically know how to do, I taught myself through videos online and the occasional book recommendation. I spent a lot of time in the costume shop on the University of Kentucky’s campus. I would spend hours there before and after class just learning the ins and outs of apparel construction. I would make my own clothes from scratch, I would design myself capsule collections for trips, and I would dress friends and models. I did end up meeting a couple of professors that would help me. After doing it on my own for a year or two, I met Nelson Fields who invited me to take a costume construction course where a lot of the material I had taught myself was reiterated and confirmed, giving me the confidence to land an internship with local designer Spears Hinkle. Towards the end of my undergraduate experience, I met Crystal Gregory, the director of the fiber program at UK, who let me do whatever I wanted in her advanced fiber course. This gave me the freedom to design my first collection, and apply to graduate schools for fashion design.
One of the biggest obstacles I faced was going to a traditional university. UK doesn’t offer a fashion design program. The closest you can get is a costume design minor, an art studio degree with a focus in fiber art, or fashion merchandising. I did my best to turn these obstacles into strengths. I used to run track and my favorite event was the hurdles. I thrive when there are things in the way! I embraced the structure of the school and more or less created my own degree program that spanned across three different schools on campus; the department of retail, tourism and merchandising, the school of the arts and visual studies, and the theater department. In the end I finished with a fashion merchandising degree with business and art studio minors.
Looking back, I wouldn’t have done it any other way. I spent about 2 years just practicing. I was making things technically correct. Fashion involves a lot of rules and I took the time to learn them. Now it’s time to break them!
Isaac, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Isaac Couch. I am a fashion designer, and fiber artist currently exploring the intersection between fashion and fine art. I am a recent graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, recipient of the 2021 Fashion Council Graduate Fellowship, recipient of the 2021 Luminarts Fashion Graduate Fellowship, and current fellow of the Arts Club of Chicago.
At this present moment I feel as though I am rebuilding my understanding of the country I call home after a turbulent 2020. My most current work aims to redefine my conflicting identity of African American. I am looking deeper into what it means and how it feels to be a Black citizen from the South. I am reaching back into my own personal past as well as the past of the country to grab the symbols and materials that surround me, question them, and reimagine them.
Due to my upbringing in rural Western KY, where hard work is valued in its most traditional sense, I am drawn to working garment silhouettes and heavy materials. I always try to find opportunities to work with my hands versus my fingers. That may manifest in heavy handed strokes, visible stitches and unorthodox finishes rather than the fine, seamless, and invisible techniques of traditional haute couture.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Ha! It seems like an art career is one of the least rewarding endeavors you can embark on! Its more like torture!
No, seriously, being an artist isn’t for everyone. In school, my professor Nick Cave said something to my class that I’ll never forget. I’m paraphrasing, but it went something like this: “This (art making) is something that you just do. It’s something that you can’t help to do. You MUST do it to survive.” After hearing these words I looked back at my own life and realize he’s right. My whole life I’ve been making things as a form of self expression; as a way to get it out of me and into the world just for the satisfaction. It’s not about money, or fame, or recognition. Art making is simply something the artist cannot help but to do.
Truthfully, this society is not set up for artists to be artists I don’t think. You always have to sell something or find a job to support your art practice or give up on it entirely to support a family or other responsibilities you may encounter. Unless you are a superstar, being a full time artist is quite punishing. The constant stream of rejection notifications, the lack of inspiration, the constant pressure to produce despite the lack of sales, the lack of funds for your next project… There’s always a hurdle in the way. The reward comes when everything finally lines up and you hit your stride. One of my favorite feelings has been the show opening where you have the opportunity to finally share your hard work with the community. It’s all about meeting those like-minded individuals who see you, who understand you, and appreciate you for doing what you must do to survive.
Being an artist has its ups and its down, but having the privilege to communicate what is most important to me in creative and fun ways has been a true blessing. I’m beyond excited to continue this lifelong journey of self fulfillment and friendship.
How did you build your audience on social media?
The only social media platform I use religiously is Instagram. Instagram has been a place for me to share my interests and my art for years. I can remember posting photos of my new customized shoes, or a new craft I finished up to 10+ years ago. To this day Instagram is my favorite gallery space! Its a space where I feel like I can be myself and connect with like-minded individuals.
So who is my main audience, and how did I build it? My audience tends to be individuals that I know personally, or at least have met in person. I use Instagram almost as a living rolodex where everyone I meet is just a few clicks away. I not only have their name and a way to contact them, but I also see their interests and what’s important to them.
More recently I’m finding that individuals whom I have never met are following me. That’s a good sign, right? My artwork is reaching people and they are reaching back. It’s a good feeling. Admittedly I don’t know how some people have found me, but I am always grateful for those who choose to follow my journey!
I have never been interested in playing the followers game. I do not strive to have a ton of followers. Everything goes back to learning how to be myself unapologetically especially if that means losing followers. Social media is a fun tool for self expression. You can always turn it off if you’re not feeling it in the moment, but it is always there as a place to create a digital version of yourself. That leads me to my advice for anyone who uses social media professionally: Don’t be so serious. I went through a period where I took every post very seriously and I had to make sure every tile on my page flowed into the next seamlessly. It felt good to curate the space, but I would find myself being paralyzed with posting. What if I posted the wrong picture, or messed up the caption? The digital embarrassment was mortifying for awhile. Once you realize no one cares, it’s freeing. That’s when the journey really begins!
Have fun with it. It feels like everything you post is important, but truthfully, its not. This is a space for you. This is an empty gallery space for you to fill however you can. Be creative.
Contact Info:
- Website: Icouch.work
- Instagram: Icouch.work
Image Credits
Paul Martin Photography Lisa Lindvay Isaac Couch