By Gina McCauley |


I must admit, I’m a wee bit star-struck, and, thrilled to introduce you to our newest Ocean Shores neighbor, Jenn Charkow of Stone Crow Designs. I first met Jenn, and her mom, when they visited my booth at the Art Splash Studio Tour last year. Jenn was interested in moving to Ocean Shores from Belltown, Seattle, and asked me about the LGBQ+ community here in Shores. Her folks own a house and property here, so she was familiar with the basics. I encouraged her to make the move, and, now she lives just up the street from me!

Why am I a wee bit star-struck? Jenn was on season 18 of Project Runway! But, more about that later. I asked Jenn for a little history, and she explained that she’s always wanted to be in fashion. She started sewing at age 12 and hasn’t stopped. She moved from California in the ‘90s, and studied at the Art Institute in Seattle. Jenn worked for Nordstrom Private Label for 3 years, then started her own business, Stone Crow Designs, in 2010 when she couldn’t find the clothing she wanted to wear – sustainable, upcycled and ‘modern goth’. We talked about ‘sustainability’. Jenn’s philosophy is to avoid bringing more ‘stuff’ into the world. But that can be challenging. The price points for sustainable fabrics are higher than traditionally produced fabrics, which in turn makes the end product more expensive for the consumer. Sticking to her mission, Jenn tries to use more ‘dead stock’ and ‘seconds’ from other designers so that fabric doesn’t end up in the landfill. That can present its own concerns – when she reaches the ‘big name’ level of fashion design will she be producing her own dead stock? Also, that yardage may be one of a kind and of limited supply, so not suitable for production runs, just custom work. Production run, aka ‘hamburger sweater’ is the bread ‘n butter of a fashion designers house; often subsidizing the custom, one-of-a-kind work. Jenn prefers the custom arena. As a vegan, she prefers to work in cottons, linens, bamboo and Tencel.

I asked Jenn why she chose to move to Ocean Shores. She replied that Seattle was getting too expensive, and unsafe. She has always wanted to live by the coast, and this area was most affordable. She also heard there was a community of creatives here. Her biggest surprise is that there is so much to do in our area, and, that the drug store doesn’t open till 10:00. Jenn was pleased to learn we also have a strong and active LGBTQ+ community in Ocean Shores, and she plans to get involved as soon as the moving dust settles. She hopes to feel safer here than she did in Seattle.

Now that she’s here, Jenn likes to walk the beach to find her inner peace, and inspiration. She finds her inspiration just about everywhere – living and observing life. Then she disconnects by watching lots of YouTube and doing yoga. Jenn is currently studying 3D Pattern Making online with the goal of producing less wastage on samples to maintain her sustainability. Her next goal is to open a boutique here in Shores showcasing her OOAK and small batch production work. She’s looking at upscale, designer beachwear that will appeal to GenX or younger, creatives of any age, and the LGBTQ+ community. Right now she’s focusing on textile/fiber art and embroidered and embellished upcycled pieces, some abstract wire and beadwork, and, getting settled.

Back to Project Runway; I remember seeing her on Season 18 where she was working with upcycled parachutes and other unusual materials (unfortunately she was the first to go). She feels that she learned a lot from being on the show and will use that knowledge as she steps into the next chapter of her designer life. I asked her what advise she’d give someone thinking about entering this field. Her reply, “Not to take everything to heart. If you love it, keep going. You’ll have moments that are hard, but keep going.” She also advised to ‘take that corporate job, even if it’s temporary. You’ll learn a lot that you didn’t get in classes; you can make mistakes on someone else’s dime, and it’s all less risky. You’ll learn more about teamwork and the business side of business, and you’ll experience interactions that you wouldn’t get as a small business. You’ll learn how to work with suppliers, factories, buyers, customers, make contacts that you can take with you’.

I really enjoyed my visit with Jen Charkow, and Stone Crow Designs. Keep an eye out; she’s on the rise!


More on Stone Crow Designs: https://www.stonecrowdesigns.com


Gina McCauley lives in Ocean Shores, founded Snooter-doots and is very active promoting small businesses and bringing the LGBTQ community together.
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