Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicki Voss
Hi Nicki , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started Textilepop in 2021 as an artist’s studio and small batch manufacturing enterprise, with a focus on locally made, nature inspired, contemporary art textiles and quilts. I am passionate about the outdoors, and I wanted to use fabric to communicate my ideas about our stewardship of the environment. Initially launched as an e-commerce site, Textilepop has been located in a small brick-and-mortar in Santa Clarita’s arts and entertainment district, Old Town Newhall, since 2023. As I became aware of how many people were really curious to learn more about sewing, mending, and generally just making things, my original business model continued to positively evolve to include teaching and instruction. The absence of that type of hands-on practical instruction in current school curricula has left a noticeable void for people who gravitate towards the manual arts, and I’ve enjoyed working with kids, teenagers, and adults alike. I’d say that I now spend an equal time working on my own designs and teaching, and that balance feels right. There is absolutely room for growth, and I’m hoping to expand my classes in the near future with additional instructors, as the interest is definitely there. I’ve been gratified to be awarded several grants for Textilepop to support entrepreneurship, while simultaneously, growing interest in my creative textile work has led to commissions, sales, and invitations to show my work in galleries in LA and beyond.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Overall, the obstacles that I perceive are certainly ones that almost all small businesses and entrepreneurs face; working within your available resources while being wildly aspirational and passionate about what you do! In a perfect world I’d be able to do everything that I aspire to do on any given day, but there are only so many hours in a day. I’m grateful for what I have accomplished to date, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next year will hold for me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I don’t remember a time where I wasn’t involved in some form of creative work, as I feel like I was always drawing or assembling something. When I was five years old, my mom taught me the basics of sewing, and that marked the beginning of my lifelong interest in textile arts. At the same time, I was equally passionate about art, and because I felt that art school might be a bit more open to experimental work, I went to CalArts where I got my BFA and my MFA degrees with a focus on sculpture and mixed media.
My two interests merged in 2021, when I started Textilepop. I had previously been making paper collage work, and it occurred to me that quilt making was an extension of a type of assemblage, but in cloth form. I was intrigued by the idea of how, with a quilt, one could literally be enfolded in the work itself. Thinking about how to push this idea further led to my first landscape quilt, Downtown Los Angeles. The finished piece is striking, because it was clearly a quilt, while also not being a quilt. I loved the “is it this or is it that” dialogue that was initiated by the work. More quilts followed as I began to refine my technique. There is quite a bit of complexity in each quilt, and each part of the composition evolves in real time. Often, I will even disassemble entire sections that I’ve already stitched, because the color balance isn’t working for me, similar to the way a painter will paint over something and redo a section.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I love reading, and always have a stack of books nearby or in my bag. I especially enjoy non-fiction books about the history of clothing or textiles, especially ones that describe specific techniques. I have a book on the history of the Silk Road that I’m about to dive into as I’m also fascinated by early commerce, trade, and business. Given the limited resources that were available, in comparison to our own time, what was accomplished is super inspiring to me. Books that I’m especially fond of include “Threads of Life, A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle” by Clare Hunter (2019), “The Coat Route, Craft, Luxury, & Obsession on the Trail of a $50,000 Coat” by Meg Lukens Noonan (2013), and “The Golden Thread, How Fabric Changed History” by Kassia St. Clair (2018).
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.textilepop.com
- Instagram: @textilepop_studio
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/textilepop-santa-clarita
Image Credits
David Rosenboom
Jennifer Tanksley-Coss
