Pre-Loved Podcast with Emily Stochl S9 Ep32 JRAT: artist and designer, Janelle Abbott - on growing up in her parents' Seattle clothing factory, and choosing a zero-waste path into fashion design.
On today's show, we're chatting with Janelle Abbott, the artist and designer behind JRAT. Raised in her parents' Seattle clothing factory, Janelle grew up with an early respect for the labor that goes into making clothing.
After graduating from Parsons, she rejected corporate fashion, choosing a radically sustainable, zero-waste path.
Through her brand JRAT, she transforms discarded and found materials into one-of a-kind garments – her work merges activism, art, and performance—as she exposes fast fashion's farce through garment reclamation, reminding us that all garments are human artifacts.
In this conversation, we're diving into Janelle's journey from growing up surrounded by sewing machines to her own craft in zero-waste design. We'll talk about how her design education shaped her view of the fashion industry, her creative process for sourcing and transforming discarded textiles, and what it really means to practice zero-waste pattern making.
Plus, Janelle shares stories about her favorite finds, and why she wants people to be in love with clothes that already exist.
Plus so much more. Let's dive right in!
DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:
- [2:06] Janelle loved fashion from a young age, growing up in her parents' Seattle clothing factory.
- [8:14] How thrifting with her mom at St. Vincent de Paul became their bonding time
- [10:08] Learning to sew at age seven and the freedom to experiment with reworking clothes
- [12:31] Why she decided to pursue fashion at Parsons despite knowing firsthand how hard the industry is
- [18:34] Learning zero-waste pattern drafting
- [24:04] Taking a seven-year detour to avoid monetizing her creative work
- [28:15] Her creative process for sourcing and transforming discarded textiles
- [33:23] Her special upcycling techniques
- [39:45] JRAT's latest NYFW show, Pretty Ugly Princess, inspired by the 1990s board game
- [53:09] Personal style, and the pieces that make it into her own closet.
EPISODE MENTIONS:
- JRAT
- Alyza DelPan-Monley
- Sustainable Style Seattle
- JeLisa Marshall
- T Parent
- Path with Art
- Adult Human Females
- Avery Trufleman
- Doc's Cake Shop
- Nick of Time
- Sheerly Touch Ya
- Heavy Duty Vintage
- Shop Berriez
- Down to Clown
LET'S CONNECT:
- 📸Instagram: @emilymstochl
- 🐦Threads: @emilymstochl
- 🎥TikTok: @emilymstochl
- 📧 Substack: https://prelovedpod.substack.com/
- 🎧Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/prelovedpod
SPECIAL THANKS:
A special thanks goes out to my Patron Insiders – your support makes Pre-Loved Podcast possible!
- Patty Weber
- Kathy Brand
- Lisa of Queenie & Pearl
- KT
- Lydia Welp
- Michael A.
- Megan Morris
- Jennifer
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- Jerrica Yasumura