Life & Work with Adair Stephens of Fashion District

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adair Stephens.

Hi Adair, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
For as long as I can remember, creativity has played a significant role in how I process the world around me. Growing up in the suburbs of Houston, Texas, I would spend hours and hours alone in my bedroom, bringing stories to life through Legos and Star Wars action figures. I would also draw Pokémon on lined notebook paper and curate my own shows in the tiny hallway outside my bedroom for my parents and sister to see. The drawings were very affordably priced – only a quarter each! In middle school and high school, I moved on to music, creative writing, and art history. Once I entered college, I returned to art, with a strong interest in photography, printmaking, and textiles. Now, I have my own studio here in Los Angeles where I draw and create fiber art in the form of sewing and embroidery. But I find that everything I make connects back to the joyful world of my childhood imagination. The pieces are just priced a bit higher now.

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?
My journey from Texas to California has been anything but linear! I’ve learned to roll with whatever life throws at me as best as I can. And when I get too stressed out, I find it helpful to re-frame life as one big adventure. No matter what my circumstances are, there’s always something to be grateful for, whether it’s the opportunity to learn a lesson or to meet new friends along the way.

However, one thing I’m currently struggling with is managing my time. I’ve been finding it difficult to balance my studio work with my full-time job in the museum world. It takes a lot of energy and self-motivation to keep things going! I have to constantly remind myself that my goal is progress, not perfection.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I make art with the intention of bridging my imagination with the reality we see around us. It brings me so much joy to take all these strange, queer ideas out of my brain and into a physical, tangible form. Over the past several years, there are four main visual motifs (eyes, mouths, hands, and flowers) that have emerged in my work in various ways. I have cultivated a style of drawing with these motifs that started as doodles and evolved into a whole wiggly, wobbly world full of weirdness. I have learned to embrace my awkwardness and accept that my quirks are what make my work unique. In terms of my fiber art, the techniques I use on the sewing machine allow me to merge my drawing style with embroidery and quilting. This combination of materials and textures fascinates me, and I want to continue exploring this method of making in an even deeper and more meaningful way.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My grandmother’s house, the house my mom grew up in, held all of my best childhood memories. Every room was a different color: there was a blue room, a pink room, a yellow room. There were sleepovers with my cousin, giant Christmas celebrations with great mounds of gifts, and Mimi always had something delicious cooking on the stove in the kitchen. It had the most enormous backyard I’ve ever seen with the tallest trees imaginable. We played kickball, hunted for Easter eggs, let the cats and dogs run wild. That house was my safe haven, and although my family had to sell it a few years ago, a big part of my spirit will always live there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://adairstephens.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/adair_stephens