Vancouver Fashion Week SS23 Interview With Kjaer Neletia Pedersen of K-O.ME Clothing (North Vancouver)

KO-M.E. will be showing on the runway at Vancouver Fashion Week on Thurs. Oct. 20th, at 6:00 p.m. Tix can be purchased HERE!

Bio -

Kjaer Neletia Pedersen has always been an artist and she personally creates wearable art with intention. No two garments are identical and each one incorporates the playful artistic spirit of the artist.

She majored in Art at University, and then became a teacher of Art in both Secondary School and at the University Level. She has worked in various mediums over the years, including owning her own clay studio, but has now found a passion in creating with fabric.

Kjaer makes everything in her North Vancouver Studio/Boutique. The designer enjoys repurposing garments, and also receives pleasure in free hand cutting chosen natural fabrics and often dying, painting, bleaching, stamping and appliquéing her work. The KOME Clothing line chooses fabrics carefully, her line consists a joyous array of reimagined clothing, along with an abundance of natural fibres including silk, wool, cotton, tencel and linen.

Interview - 

How did you learn your skills? 

As an artist all of my life, I have never not created... charcoal portraits and clay creations were probably my favourite mediums. I am very much self taught in sewing, however, I studied Art in University and became a high school and university level art teacher. When I left teaching, we needed some money as a family, and I thought... I think I can sew! As an artist and a mathematician, along with having a father who was trained as a master tailor in Denmark and a mom who was a seamstress... well, I could. I always free hand cut my garments and sew them myself. Within a month of starting to sew, I found myself in a high-end boutique on South Granville and was accepted into the highly juried Circle Craft Art Market.  

Kjaer creates for every size woman so that everyone can look and FEEL fabulous every single day. She sells her line in her studio, online and at major local markets such as Circle Craft, Harmony Fashion Show, Filberg Festival, Edmonton Butterdome and Out Of Hand. Kjaer is represented locally at the Niche Art Gallery on Granville Island and the La Differencia in Gastown.

A feast for the eyes, and pleasure for the soul is in store for anyone visiting a KOME market, her studio and online too!

Who are you as a designer? Aesthetic? Customer? Brand?

Who am I as a designer? Good question because I just love to experiment and play. I paint, stencil, bleach, dye and I do more and more upcycling. I am ever evolving and love most that I am enjoyed by EVERY body... all sizes and ages... in my collection there is something for everyone.

What comes easiest for you as a designer? What is hardest?

What is the easiest for me? When I get into a relaxed meditative state in my studio all alone and everything clicks. I am always amazed that somehow my free hand cutting is giving me exactly the cuff or collar size I need... Just that state of knowing that it is all good.. nothing can go wrong because, as I often told my art students, that is when you get most creative and create masterpieces when you correct mistakes. The hardest is certainly like any artist, to price your finished pieces that are fair but still getting some profit especially when you have them in stores.

Where do you find inspiration for new collections? How important is colour to your design process?

My inspiration comes from the fabrics, and it also often comes from seeing something I like on the street, certainly if I am creating for something special such as a fashion show I become quite inspired. I love colour but, I, like most of us now, like our black clothing. I am sure that is why I am so popular, you can throw on a KOME over your black pieces...enjoy the colour but still be all in basic black otherwise.

Readers would love to know more about the current collection you showed at Vancouver Fashion Week.

This was so hard to choose. I have such an abundance of fabulous one of a kind garments, that, I admit, I took the opinion of others of what an experienced eye thought would be best on the runway. I am happy with my collection, but, because I am constantly playing, you can never think you know a KOME garment because, and especially now, with all of my upcycling that I do, I love changes and I am always learning and creating. I am an artist and only wish I had a few more months to prepare and play. This year, I met a designer, Darya A, she began by doing a bit of sewing for me as I had summer markets coming up and we ended up collaborated on some of the styles I will be showing.

VFW Support Team includes: Tyrone from La Differencia, Chi from Chi Creations, Addy and Jenna from Cappelleria Bertacchi, Jane from Golden Maple Modelling, design collaboration with Darya from Dazi Creations, music by Haig from Haig Armen and Janet Adrienne Ross.

Do you have a favorite look in this collection?

Yes, every garment when I see it on a human instead of hanging in my studio. I always say I am my biggest fan because I do LOVE my creations and especially on all size women. A favourite look you ask... I do think my silk grments are exceptionally beautiful, but, then I grew to love linens, I then began to work with vintage cotton in the form of Kanthas... and OMG... I love this so much... it is also so fabulous to know that these are old saris and that the women I buy from in Bagledesh are kept off the street and able to live well and feed their families with fair trade. So, along with the Kanthas, the recycled reimagined garments I do are becoming more exciting and women of all ages love them.

Where can readers purchase your designs?

My designs can be purchased online, in my studio in North Vancouver with an appointment, at the Niche Art Gallery on Granville Island and at the La Differencia Shoe and Clothing Boutique in Gastown.

What's next for you as a designer and your brand?

I plan to find another fabulous store or two to sell my one of a kind pieces and do fewer markets.

Links -

• Website  - www.komeclothing.ca
• Facebook - www.facebook.com/KOME.clothes/
• Instagram @komeclothing