S05 Episode 235 | Mikaela Clark of Hansel on balance in partnerships, welcoming the evolution of your creativity, and inclusivity in upcycling

<p class=""><img src= "https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/99761/MikaelaClark-ep235-libsyn.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="600" /></p> <p class="">In episode 235, Kestrel welcomes Mikaela Clark, a visual artist and designer, to the show. The founder of <a href= "https://www.hanselclothing.com" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">Hansel</a>, Mikaela makes handpainted, upcycled apparel in Brooklyn, New York.</p> <p><strong>“At the time, I was like hey, I’m gonna invite in whatever good is trying to worm its way into my life. And then, as we make these decisions, we grow, we learn, and we think — ok, how can I get even more nuanced, how can I make more decisions in the future that align even more with my personal ethos? What have I learned along the way that’s made me maybe want to shy away or maybe want to lean closer to the decisions I’ve made. It’s all a process and it just can’t be separated — it’s all intersectional, everything’s at play when we’re trying to have this discussion about ethical fashion.”</strong><br /> <strong>-Mikaela Clark</strong></p> <p class="">On this week’s show, Mikaela shares more on how she learned to sew from her mom at an early age, and how that nurtured her love of fashion and making clothing. After she pursued music in college, an infection led her to lose her ability to use her voice for a period of time — she started painting as an alternative creative outlet, and then eventually led her to painting garments.</p> <p class="">Kestrel and Mikaela also explore more about Hansel’s recent collaboration with Urban Renewal (a sub-sect of Urban Outfitters) called “Sacred Space”. Mikaela shares an array of thoughts around this partnership, the intentions she went into it with, how it has been meaningful for her and what she has learned from it.</p> <ul> <li> <p class="">“I think since I first learned to sew, I always knew that I wanted to have a fashion brand at some point — music was always the first love, but fashion was just something that I was so passionate about … I used to sketch litt