We were lucky to catch up with Scatha G. Allison recently and have shared our conversation below.
Scatha G., looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
My journey as a clothing artist and designer has been anything but conventional. I’ve never had formal training in fashion—instead, my path began with a passion for clothing as a means of expression.
My background in fine art—drawing, painting, and curating—provided a solid foundation for my creative exploration. It wasn’t until I started experimenting with reclaimed fabrics and reconstructing garments that I found my passion and discipline.
When the economic downturn of 2008 hit, I faced challenges like many creatives, prompting a move to Sacramento for stability while continuing to nurture and pursue my artistic vision.
Balancing motherhood with my career has been my greatest challenge and joy. As my children grow, so does my dedication to both family and art. I practice creative freedom and collaboration, and advocate for a community that understands every artist’s success uplifts others.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
miss velvet cream Neocouture is ultrafemme clothing made by hand, one piece at a time. These one of a kind pieces are cut, upcycled, remade and constructed from vintage, deadstock and offcut fabrics. I started sewing in 2003 in San Francisco, and am a self-taught clothing designer.
San Francisco in the early 2000s was a world of open doors to a thriving community of makers and artists, where pop-up fashion shows and indie designer markets were part of the city’s culture.
Institutions like YBAC, The Crucible, and Burning Man became stages for my theatrical runway performances, where I showcased my unique blend of punk aesthetics and meticulous construction techniques.
In 2008 I published “Jean Therapy,” a pioneering book on denim upcycling, and ventured to Paris to collaborate on Fashion Week presentations.
Over the years, I’ve presented collections at prestigious venues like the Crocker Art Museum and showcased at events ranging from Sacramento Fashion Week to outdoor runways in San Jose and SF.
MVC aesthetics—dubbed Neocouture—embraces visible stitches, intentional closures, and raw edges, drawing inspiration from historical European fashion and visionary artists like Vivienne Westwood and Lee McQueen. Sustainability is at the core of my practice, influenced by solarpunk ideals and a commitment to crafting beautiful, future-ready, Time-bending wearable clothing pieces.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Culture is how we view our world, ourselves, how we connect and see each other. I think that individual shifts in ideas, life choices, attitudes and values create shifts in the broader culture. At the same time, systems need to shift to open pathways for new or alternative ways of being and dreaming. Creativity and freedom of expression, practice and living- equity in education and opportunities need to be evenly distributed throughout society instead of resources being locked into existing patterns and processes. Sustainable futures require exploration and experimentation for creative ideas to thrive.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
For myself, research and exploring new ideas, concepts and technologies. Even though I work in clothing, and specifically upcycling vintage fabrics and pieces- my personal study and research explores technology, contemporary art, science fiction, cultural history and is immersed in music. For example- while I’m working on collections- I create albums of images that aren’t particularly clothing, playlists, and study ideas of transforming systems, or dive deep into stories that inspire a different world view, a new perspective. I recommend reading works from Mindy Seu, RF Kuang, Legacy Russel, Ursula LeGuinn, Lena Nguyen, and Adrian Tchaikovsky. I particularly love art books- my current favorites are An Indigenous Present, Chloe Wise and Jenna Gribbon. Finally, I recommend the short film ANTIFASHION: Fashion in the 90s (find it in English on YouTube), Sophia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, the original Ghost in the Shell animation, and Ridley Scott’s BLADERUNNER.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.missvelvetcream.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missvelvetcream
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/missvelvetcream
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@missvelvetcream
- Other: GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH missvelvetcream
Image Credits
Charles Schoenberger
Zorat Photography
Lizzie Rose Media
Foreign Flavas Photography
Joe Geyer Photography
Mark Thomas Dillon
Will Bucquoy
Lance Miller
Chris Otrebla Photography