Local female entrepreneurs feature at Bath pop-up shop

Kimberly Becker of K.Becker Designs photographs her at her home studio in Woolwich. Laura Sitterly / Times Record

A pop-up shop highlighting the work of female artists and designers will make its S debut.On Saturday, July 17, from 4-7pm, Kathleen James, Christine Peters and Kimberly Becker will be selling stationery, jewellery and clothing at Maine Street Design in Bath.

“Bring your friends over and stop by for a glass of wine,” said Becker, who will be unveiling a new clothing line at the event called the Slow Fashion Collection, available in sizes 2 to 24. “I think of it as a capsule collection; you only need six or seven pieces to mix and match. The idea is not to stuff your closet with clothes, but to invest in staple pieces that work for your body type… Shop more mindfully and waste less.”

Kimberly Becker has been collecting fabric samples for decades, some dating back to her days as a student at the Haute Couture Embroidery School in Paris. Laura Sitterly / Times Record

“As women, we need armor.”

Becker described her new collection as edgy and artsy, with pieces inspired by clothes she owned when she was younger but can no longer find.

“People who aren’t from Maine often don’t know what this is,” Becker said, pointing to an oyster. “They think it’s pink on the inside with a beautiful shiny pearl inside. But it’s not. This is the armor that women need to go out into the world equipped. We are constantly fighting to demand our rights. We have to be tough on the outside while being sensitive on the inside. We are being asked to embrace our scars: the oyster, the saltwater, the barnacles.”

Becker trained as a textile designer at the Rhode Island School of Design and after graduation, began her career in the fashion industry working at Liz Claiborne in New York’s Garment District before becoming a professional seamstress at the École Lesage haute couture embroidery school in Paris.

“Feeling out of the ordinary makes me feel more confident,” Becker says. “I wear taffeta skirts when I chop firewood in the winter because I love the sound they make as I walk. It would be a shame to have to wear only jeans when working in the yard.”

Face to face sessions are available at the K.Becker Design studio in Woolwich, see their website for more details. Laura Sitterly / Times Record

As she wanders the studio, she points out fabric samples that date back to the 1980s.

“I know a lot about fabrics from my experience working in cotton mills across the U.S.,” Becker says. “My designs are timeless, but they won’t and shouldn’t last on this planet for thousands of years, which is why I use biodegradable materials like Japanese cotton.”

K.Becker’s designs Spring StudioA family-run clothing factory in New York. Knitted products are made with 3D machines, and excess fabric scraps are collected and sent to fabric recyclers. The process from notepad to production is carried out with the utmost care to minimize waste.

“Fabrics change with the season,” Becker explains, “so in the summer we have linen, in the winter we have wool. Either way, these styles stay consistent so customers know what kind of fit to expect.”

Mission-Driven Fashion

Becker, a women’s rights advocate, began sewing one doll a day amid the sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh. After raising 1,000 dolls and $12,000, she donated the proceeds from her “Outrage Project” to Dreams of Tropical Youth Uganda (DROTY), which built toilet units for young women in rural schoolyards.

That was before K. Becker Designs was even born, and to this day, 5% of profits are still donated.

“When girls start menstruating, they often drop out of school because they don’t have designated toilets,” Becker said. “DROTY is changing people’s lives. The toilets at Misoto Primary School in Kyotera are now serving 357 young women. Families are moving into villages so their children can attend school.”

“These dresses amplify women’s voices,” said designer Kimberly Becker. “At a time when history tells the story of ‘his,’ this collection demands to be different.” Laura Sitterly / Times Record

Asked about her mission-driven approach to fashion, Becker said she sees empowering women as her most worthwhile cause, and she acknowledged an ongoing project she began in graduate school called “Home Dressing.”

Becker has travelled the world for decades, listening to women talk about their experiences of marginalisation, then embroidering their stories onto the backs of her couture dresses, with pictures of their hometowns on the front. The collection was initially displayed in a gallery, but is now available to anyone who wants to buy, with the remainder kept in her Woolwich studio.

“Many people don’t think of themselves as part of the Me Too movement, but we’ve all been disrespected in some way,” Becker said. “And these dresses really show that. They each have a story.” [She held up a gown] … This is the story of a Cuban woman who became pregnant with her eighth child by her abusive husband as a means of escape. She gave birth in the United States so that her child could be granted citizenship, and never looked back.”

Becker encourages people who want to share their stories or honor loved ones to scheduleShe also said that while most items can be shipped through the website, locals are also welcome to book style sessions in person.

As seen in the photo, a page from designer Kimberly Becker’s sketchbook, this tie-dye vest will be available for purchase soon. Laura Sitterly / Times Record

Women Entrepreneurship

Each designer taking part in the pop-up will bring something different to the table.

For example, James used to work for a corporation, and after becoming frustrated with the lack of options for stylish stationery — hot pink Post-it pads and Hello Kitty notebooks were all he had — he decided to make his own letterhead.

Becker and James met through a mutual friend at Café Creme and bonded over their shared struggles as female entrepreneurs.

“It was like magic,” Becker recalled. “She’s very meticulous. I’m a little more loose, but our artistic styles complement each other.”

The trio formed after the pair met Peters through a fateful coincidence at a New England fashion festival.

“We balance each other out,” Becker says. “The precision of Katherine’s stationery, the beauty of Christine’s jewelry, and the intent of my clothing line all blend together perfectly.”

Copy story link

” previous