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Blake Abbie: Where does your brand stand right now?

Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen: My brand is at a place where I have the help of wonderful mentors and outsourced assistance. I’m starting to make samples in the Garment District, and the bags we produce are all from there as well, so I don’t need to sew everything myself. This allows me to focus more on development and bringing people in. Timothy Gibbons, a friend and fellow designer, is helping with production sewing, which allows us to diversify the product. The more income I generate from these sales, the more I can create.

BA: So, the business is working. How do you see it growing in the future?

ZGAW: In order to grow, I need to produce more and for that an investment is necessary. I’m really happy with the route I took, even though it makes the journey longer, it is the right one for me. I’m confident in my ability to not just scale to meet demand, but actually maintain the intention behind each piece, and to use this integrity to find partners who share that value system, so the outcome remains aligned with my vision.

BA: Have you developed special bonds with partners over the years?

ZGAW: Because some of my garments are made with hand-sewn elements, and they ask for a level of intricacy and care, I had to nourish relationships that understand my product. I met my sewing partner after years of working in the industry across multiple jobs, and we’ve developed a personal bond that goes beyond formality; she even came to my show in the fall. I truly appreciate the time, resources and the sewing team she continues to invest in my brand. Her support system was established before we even launched samples together, which has only been for one season.

BA: What was it like working together for the first time?

ZGAW: Our first time working together was last season on the spring pieces that are being produced and sold now; they are that well-made that most have already sold out. There are countless options in New York’s Garment District, but I’ll continue working with her because she and her team bring such integrity to the garments. She’s not trying to scale rapidly; she’s incredibly intentional about whom she partners with, and I truly believe her sewers are the best in the city.

BA: What is special about her way of working?

ZGAW: She knows how to work with the right people and carefully matches her sewers to the garments. It creates an environment where her team transfers their good energy and knowledge into the products being made. I genuinely believe that what happens with garments in the creation process is magical.

BA: What makes a garment magical?

ZGAW: When you go to a thrift store and find something handmade, it has a palpable energy that feels different. Or if you’re cleaning out your grandmother’s closet and find a hand-sewn piece or a coat, it has a longevity that standard cut-and-sew ready-to-wear pieces don’t necessarily have — unless the owner had an emotional attachment to it, or it’s a designer piece with a story behind it. With handmade garments in particular, seeing the intentionality and the thought process of the maker in something you physically touch creates a different emotional and bodily reaction. Customers have messaged me to say my garments appeared in their dreams after trying them on, or they’ve shared magical experiences they’ve had while wearing them. A girl once stopped me on the subway to tell me about a day she was wearing a piece I made. I don’t know exactly why it works, I just know that it does.

BA: Can you share a bit more on your encounter with the girl?

ZGAW: About two years ago, before I was really established, she recognised me; I think she had worn my piece to a friend’s wedding. She told me about a series of events that happened to her while wearing it, and I was just so grateful to hear it.

BA: What is the value of handmade garments?

ZGAW: Each human choice made along the way to that final product leaves an immaterial imprint. In forming a ready-to-wear business, I think we can create positive change by making more objects that possess that powerful energy simply by slowing down and growing with intention. Being highly intentional about what materials are used, who is sewing the garment, and who is making the pattern, every step of intentionality creates a final result that deeply affects people.

BA: Why is the notion of magic ever-present in you and your work?

ZGAW: I just think there is a lot of energy that can be harnessed if we aren’t afraid to confront the unknown. There are many things in the world connecting us that are unknowable, and I’m just going to play it out. I’m not afraid to work with it. I don’t claim to have the answers or know exactly why things work this way, but I just know that it’s true.