Photo courtesy of Peter Wochniak.
Alison Hyde loves yoga and sewing, and she found a way to combine her passions in Annamaya Clothing. The Edwardsville, Illinois-native started her small business about five years ago, drawing on skills honed during her time as a seamstress and later as a technical designer at May Merchandising Company. Now she teaches yoga and fitness classes and designs comfortable, eco-friendly clothing. Hyde talked with SLM about Annamaya Clothing and the philosophy that infuses her work.
How did you get started sewing?
I’ve always been a fanatic seamstress. I’ve been altering my own clothes since high school. Mom taught me to sew. At first, I followed the patterns. But after a while, I started making my own patterns. I considered going to fashion school, but my parents said, “You need a liberal arts education.” I ended up doing alterations because I needed money. I learned how to alter men’s suits. It was a real eye-opener taking apart suits and putting them back together again.
Why did you start Annamaya Clothing?
I started after I left May Merchandising Company, when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I just started making stuff. I did a show, and it went well. There’s a growing market for unique, handmade items that you can’t get anywhere else. Second, the whole idea of “slow fashion.” I know with the prices [companies were asking of factories], these seamstresses could not have been making much money. I think some of the people in Bangladesh got paid like a dollar a day. I don’t know if that’s right so we can buy stuff and throw it away in three months.
How does your clothing line represent the idea of annamaya?
I like the idea of transitional wear. You could wear it to work, wear it out, do some yoga in it, and you could go to sleep in it. I don’t like clothes that are too tight. It should be a part of your body, like a second skin. So that’s part of the concept behind my clothes. I also don’t like to have to specially wash something.
What inspires you?
Sometimes I’ll get inspiration from a unique piece of fabric. Often it’s the fabric or the hand-feel of the fabric that will inspire me to make something. I love trying to figure out what to do with scraps. Sometimes you can come up with the coolest stuff out of scraps.
Where does the material you use come from?
Pickering International goes around to the fabric conventions and gives lectures on being more aware of being kind to the environment, working with more sustainable fibers, etc. Hemp is probably the most eco-friendly. Bamboo is also sustainable, but not as eco-friendly in the processing. The quality of their fabric is really nice, and they do blend with organic cotton. I can’t guarantee that everything is going to be from Pickering, but I do try.
What’s your most popular item?
My pants. I have some slouch pants made from hemp and organic cotton that are very popular. They are lounge pants, but people like them.
What will you have at E’ville Indie?
I’ve got some pretty rad camo pants that have tassels on them. I love drawstrings. I think everything needs more drawstrings. I have mixed scraps of fabric in little camisoles and some men’s hemp tops. I will have quite a few slouch pants and leggings and some skirts. Some things on the sale rack are as low as $10. Most things are in the $55-75 price range. My slouch pants are a little more expensive. There’s a lot of work that goes into them, and I dye them myself, too.
You dye your own fabrics?
I was getting bolts of fabrics. There were a lot of really cool styles, but the fabric was one flat color. I started playing with over-dyeing some of the colored fabrics, and I got some neat effects. I didn’t realize I could do that. I strive for that irregular, mottled dye.
What makes your work different?
There are really not a lot of people that do what I do. It’s a dying art. It’s a little harder to sell stuff because it has to fit. I do carry extra-large sizes. I don’t have extra-large in everything, but I can make things.
Shop Hyde’s handmade clothing line this weekend at the E’ville Indie A Makers Market in Edwardsville or anytime at PuraVegan Café (307 Belt Ave.).
