At The Gold Trout, we have a passion for handmade everything, and goods made with the finest, eco-ingredients on the market. You won't be surprised to learn that this Thursday, we're hosting Katrina Tyler, Owner/Designer/Maker at Egg Street Studio, at the shop for a made-to-order Summer apparel event.
Clothing is so personal, right -- you want to experience and feel the fabrics, choose the colors, and know that the fit will be right. A classic example of what we don't want to bring more of into the world, is the 69.99 polyester blouse available at any name brand store or outlet. So disposable and intangible, without a quality that allows it to be long-lasting. Do you really need 47 of them in your wardrobe? How about a few quality staples that you can work through across seasons and accessories. One of the reasons we admire Katrina, have become friends, and why we want to showcase her work here at The Gold Trout, is that we agree on the need to bring quality hard-goods into the world, reduce waste, and the impact our decisions and behaviors have on the planet.
Katrina's creative path was inspired in part by her grandparent's entourage of friends hosted at their home, as well as their exquisite taste. Truth be told, Katrina's skillset goes well beyond working with textiles. We've carried her jewelry here, and she's hosted weaving workshops in her own Studio in West Pawlet. Katrina has worked in the cheese business, too, over at Consider Bardwell Farm. When the farm was built by its namesake during the 19th Century, "Consider Bardwell" (great name, right?!), the farm grew flax on the acreage as well. Why's this important? Because flax is used to make linen, and that's exactly the textile that Katrina will be using for her Summer line.
Excuse the side tangent, but the Slate Valley Museum just across the footbridge behind our store in Granville just opened its latest exhibit last Friday entitled "Glory Days: An Era of Industry", which portrays the growth of industry along the Battenkill, the Mettowee and the Indian rivers from the mid-19th century until the present. The rivers powered the mills and factories which flourished along their shores from as far back as the 1700s. The exhibit is curated by Salem historian, Judy Flagg, Sally Brillon, research assistant, Washington County Historical Society and Elizabeth Cockey, artist and author of Untold Stories of the Battenkill and on display until September 17. Can anyone say DAY TRIP? Many of the mills you'll learn about in the exhibit produced textiles such as linen and wool (in Eagleville) and cotton, and paper goods like toilet paper. Bet you didn't know that. Other mills processed lumber, wheat, and plaster.
As someone who is personally heavily invested in the identity of this area, and, dare I say, staying here FOREVER, I would love to see some enterprising couple bring to life a flax farm & mill. I might be spoiling for myself what could be a very promising future by sharing this idea, but honestly if you can put the dream into motion, please go right ahead. We have our own very immediate dreams that we're bringing to life. Maybe you can leave me some remnant fabrics each year as a kind gesture?
Katrina will be here on Thursday from 6 - 8:30pm. Go ahead and RSVP HERE. We'll see you then!