The first Fashion Fiber Festival, presented by local businesses Seams and Woven Art Yarn Shop, will be this Saturday, Oct. 16, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on 325A Grove Street in East Lansing.
Kitty Douglass-Harris, an employee at Seams, will not be working Saturday but will be attending the festival for fun.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the variety of vendors,” Douglass-Harris said. “I think we’re going to have artists from across the fiber spectrum (yarn, textiles, crafts, fashion). Fiber arts are really diverse, and there’s so much creativity and many things that can be done with yarn and fabric!”
Fiber art businesses that will be there Saturday include Downy Tree Art, which will be doing a rug tufting demo starting at 11 a.m. Another local business that will be Color Square Vintage.
Kamryn Whitfield, owner of Color Square Vintage, said she is thrilled East Lansing is hosting this event. Whitfield said she had never seen or been a part of any fashion-oriented festivals before.
“Through starting a business this year, I’ve gotten the chance to be immersed in the art space of Lansing. I’m looking forward to meeting other local creators this Saturday while sharing my colors with the city,” said Whitfield
This event is free and will provide community members with events throughout the day. Community Darkroom will host a photographic printing process, called cyanotypes, and teaching button making from 1-5 p.m.
Bricolage Studios is putting on a trial spinning demo at 4 p.m. Woven Art and Seams are co-hosting a sustainable dying demo throughout the day.
Community and Economic Development Specialist Ella Signs is excited for festival-goers to have the opportunity to support East Lansing’s textile district and purchase from the festival vendors.
Signs said, “Not only will this event benefit festival hosts, Seams Fabric and Woven Art Yarn Shop, but also the surrounding local businesses. I’m hopeful that this event draws down East Lansing residents and visitors alike for a fun way to connect over fiber and fashion,”
