Susan Cianciolo is an artist and clothing designer with extensive experience in design, production, and instruction. She studied fashion design in New York and Paris at Parsons School of Design and painting at Winchester School of Art. In her design career, she has acted as production director for Kim Gordon’s X-Girl clothing line and assistant collection designer at Badgley Mischka. Her RUN Collection, based upon the concept of collaboration, emphasized a certain skill or craft with each collection. She worked with Cone Denim on a full collection of pieces using their archives. The collaboration included shows in New York and Los Angeles and coincided with the release of her book, The Woman of The Crowd. Susan has also showcased her work in film with “1960’s Butterfly Girl.” She has also taught at Parsons School of Design in the Integrated Fashion Design Curriculum. She continues to show regularly on the New York fashion calendar and maintains a strong base of private and retail clients. An accomplished illustrator, Susan’s work is exhibited in museums around the world. 

We had the best intentions of posting lots of pictures and stories from our Makeshift event yesterday and the day just got away from us. There IS so much more to come and to write about, but for the meantime, here some great pictures of the making process at The Standard East Village on Tuesday night.  More to come soon… xoNatalie

Join us for our Crafted Fashion pop-up shop tonight at the Billy Reid store from 6pm-until at 54 Bond Street in New York City, with a performance by Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Tift Merritt at 8pm.

The beautiful Maria Cornejo talked about making as a way to build a brand.

Beads from Heath Ceramics were given to each of the Makeshift guests to incorporate into their “making.”

The sweet- and amazing designer- Tina Lutz who came into New York for the event. (Come to Alabama soon Tina!)

Photographer: Peter Stanglmyr

(More MAKESHIFT 2012 originally posted on the Alabama Chanin Journal)

Songwriter Tift Merritt is a North Carolina native who wanted to be a writer until her father taught her guitar chords and Percy Sledge songs. Over the course of four studio albums, she has built a unique, uncompromising and critically acclaimed road of audio short stories.  Emmylou Harris calls her a diamond in a coal mine.  She has toured with Iron and Wine, Nick Lowe, Andrew Bird  & Gregg Allman, appeared on "Austin City Limits" & "Late Night with David Letterman," been Grammy nominated for Country Album of the Year, and nominated for four Americana Music Awards. Currently at work on her fifth studio record, Traveling Alone, Tift also produces a handmade radio show, The Spark, which is a monthly conversation about process, integrity, and making things for Marfa, Texas Public Radio.

Tift lives in New York City with her husband who is also a musician. If you can't find her, she has probably rented an apartment with a piano in a town where she doesn't know anyone and will be back before too long.

tiftmerritt.com