I met Tracy at VALT, a few years ago at Vancouver's VALT 2016 and was delighted to reconnect with her, through Fashion Splash at the beginning of 2020. Dianna and I went to Victoria to follow the steps in creating this show, and shared the initial photography sessions on Clothes Line Finds. Tracy is a creative and unique Designer. I have to thank Marilyn R Wilson for her leadership in the COVID 19 Interviews and highlighting the ongoing accomplishments of our creative community. Thanks to Tracy Yerrell for her wonderful, thoughtful contribution.
1. Please tell us about your art/design/business, length of time, goals...
I’m Tracy Yerrell, founder, owner, and operator of Bat Fish Studio since its beginnings in 2011.
I have been a professional designer for all of my working life, with my first big job working on Expo '86 and designing the visuals for the Vintage car Show in BC Place. I had my own design business in Vancouver where my clients included UBC Alumni and Burnaby Arts Council. Inspiria Design Group was very involved with raising money for the 'Shadbolt Centre for the Arts' designing many of the events and auctions used to raise awareness. I also branded the Vancouver Maritime Museum with the logo that they use to date. Relocating to Vancouver Island for family reasons, I was hired by the Victoria Conservatory of Music to rebrand them and take care of their marketing, I then ended up as the Marketing Specialist at Saanich City Hall overseeing all advertising and marketing for four community centers. But I was frustrated in my efforts to do something that really made a difference. I left my last job seeking something more and when inspired by the birth of my new granddaughter, I created a line of children's clothing called Baby Boss Rules in 2011.
While selling at local markets on and around Vancouver Island, I had repeated requests to create a adult line of clothing using the same edgy, steampunk inspired aesthetics. But now with this new member of the family it seemed all the more important to go on to create a line of clothing and products that would address the way we deal with our textile waste. When I realized that over 85 pounds per person, per year, ends up in a landfill, I was horrified. This sparked a commitment and determination to make a difference.
I knew if individuals nurtured a connection with pieces in their wardrobe, they would be less likely to just cast them aside. I wanted to challenge people's perception of how fabrics can be used and reused. Just because it was created as a pair of curtains doesn't mean it can't be re-envisioned into a beautiful summer dress. Those incredible hand embroidered tablecloths our grandmothers took hours to complete, can now live on as stunning boho gypsy tops. I wanted to think outside the box by creating sustainable products but also by inspiring individuals to think about the clothes they choose to wear. Clothes are an extension of who we are and what we believe. Additionally, I included my original artwork by using the silk screened images as a way of altering existing outfits, creating an emotional connection, resulting in giving the garment a whole new lease on life.
So it has become my goal as an eco designer to create sustainable fashion by working with up-cycled, repurposed and reclaimed textiles. By using innovative design, unconventional materials such as bicycle tires and inner tubes, found objects, upholstery fabrics, seat-belts, and of course reclaimed textiles, the products go on to become wearable art.
Over time, I’ve developed 6 lines using waste as a creative source:
Bat-Fish Originals – These are pieces of clothing that are made from scratch using reclaimed textiles and repurposed fabrics i.e., bed linen, table clothes, curtains, dead stock, tapestry over cuts, fabric used in set design of local theatre productions or movie sets. They are cut from pattern pieces and sewn together to create a finished garment, and they even contain my screened artwork.
The Fused Line – These pieces are made by using already existing garments that have been altered or edited including my silk screened images and/or other forms of embellishment to create a new envisioned piece, giving it a whole new lease on life.
Molly Lee Vintage – Sourced vintage pieces, laundered, repaired, and restored to the original state. Rediscovering and wearing vintage clothing is a great way to keep them from ending up in the landfill. This line is named after my late mother who was a fashion designer in London in the late 1940's and early 1950's
Bat-Fish Accessories – This is a line of pieces that have be made from reclaimed and repurposed textiles and include belts, backpacks, fascinators, small silk screened drawstring bags, toques, and eye masks.
Tube*Bella - (beautiful tube in Italian) – This is a line of jewellery that is made from the inner tubes of bicycles tires and found objects. It includes earrings, pendants and green goddess chokers (statement pieces).
Baby Boss Rules – My first line of clothing for children and babies. I have been focusing on the adult lines over the past years, but I really want to revive this label and have it available from Bat-Fish Studio soon. Stay tuned.
2. How did you reach people before Covid19
Before Covid19, Bat-Fish Studio was a regular fixture at local Vancouver Island markets and events. I was a designer involved in taking part in fashion shows; I presented information sessions on up-cycling and repurposing textiles. I also conducted workshops and instigated and participated in regular pop up shops around Victoria.
3. How has Covid19 affected you and your staff/fellow artists
When Covid 19 first hit home at the beginning of March I stared in disbelief at my Facebook feed and email as all the markets I had booked into throughout 2020 were cancelled. At first, I really thought it was something temporary and we would be back to 'normal' perhaps by July? August? Those are some of my best months for summer markets. But as time passed and it became more and more clear that this was a long term situation that would affect every aspect of how I do business.
My interaction with customers is a fairly personal one with them trying on clothing and jewellery in a fairly small changing room, while I talk to them about fast fashion, textile waste etc, etc. With the cancellation of planned events and the resulting isolation Covid19 created, there were no more public venues to meet and interact with people and form connections. Without these personal relationships, there was not an opportunity to share the concept or products that Bat-Fish Studio produces.
As a result, Covid 19 has caused me to completely rethink about how to communicate and reach my market as well as to further hone in on what I want to achieve.
I’ve had to rely more upon the written word instead of conversations with people in the community. Opportunities have presented themselves to reach more people via the internet as well as the opportunity to provide personal shopping with a very customer oriented approach.
4. What strategies are you using to reach people now? new projects... websites....
I had to dig deep and take the time to rethink and reevaluate how I could keep my business going. I have been busy developing a lot of new strategies. I’m especially excited for my studio redesign. Instead of a working studio, I’m also incorporating space for personal shopping (including a nice changing room) as well as an improved space for hosting small workshops.
It has forced me to focus on having my website as a hub, for all things Bat-Fish. I had been thinking of taking it to a brick and mortar store at one point, after all, the pop up shops had always done well. But this is all about getting everything online in one place and sharing all sides of what Bat-Fish Studio does. By the end of the year, I plan to have a wonderful new website. It’s taking a bit of time, but I want to ensure that it tells the whole story, while profiling the wide variety of sustainable fashion created using reclaimed materials. But it's also important to include the ideology that is Bat-Fish Studio. And further down the road I plan to write a sustainable fashion blog. I’m also using Facebook to create more of a connection with clients by sharing works in progress, last week I demonstrated me silk screening.
So I'm taking this opportunity to really put time and thought into how to connect with my customers but also to educate myself on what is going on throughout the world in the Fashion Industry. I took a 6 week online course, 'Fashions’ Future and the Sustainable Development Goals created by Fashion Revolution. It was a great chance to add to my knowledge; connect with like-minded people, and be inspired.
5. Do you have a favourite quote, book, work of art, mentor, role model that moves you forward.
Hm, I love quotes. I’m always finding quotes that speak to me and inspire me. These are a few of my favourites:
C.S. Lewis - “you are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream”.
I love the simplicity and truth of this.
Scott Belsky - “nothing extraordinary is achieved by ordinary means”.
In order to make change in our society, we have to encourage individuals to think outside the box and to see textiles in a new light. To see the possibilities of a couch cushion as a purse; or a tablecloth as a dress, with fabrics having a sustainable future instead of being a disposable single-use item. Textiles can morph into many creations which are both useful and beautiful instead of ending up in the landfill.
“Magic is that little extra special quality in all of us that comes out when we just challenge ourselves a little more.” - Dan Scanlon
This reminds me that society's behaviour with fast fashion can be changed to create a better world by believing that if everyone takes small actions, together we can effect big change. And, isn’t that magic!
There is a slew of designers I find inspiring: Alexander McQueen, Betsy Johnson, Christian Siriano; environmentalist Greta Thunberg; scientist David Suzuki; ethical fashion designer and co-founder of Fashion Revolution, Orsola de Castro; podcaster of Wardrobe Crisis, and former Vogue sustainability editor, Claire Press; as well as Daniel Silverstein of Zero Waste Daniel, a designer from New York who uses offcuts from the fashion industry.
I find inspiration in so many places: blogs, podcasts, books, architecture, other designers, environmentalists, the textures in nature, and in the wide variety of fabrics and textiles that exist.
My mother, also a designer, has always been a role model, not only as an artist but in following your heart by being true to yourself. In addition she encouraged my creativity as a child as I brought home endless scraps and found objects of so called garbage that I thought were treasure and I would set about to transforming them into new creations! I have always been profoundly inspired by unconventional found objects and the potential to use them in unorthodox ways.
6. Next steps
I think I’ve already mentioned the changes I’m working on. Otherwise, I just hope to inspire more people to rethink how they can reuse textiles in their life and to create a better world through sustainable fashion.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tracy.yerrell.5
Facebook: www.instagram.com/batfishstudio
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