Learn more about slow fashion sewist Olivia Jondle of the Rusty Bolt - like how she got started and her biggest creative influences in our Q + A below!

Tell me about how you got started sewing? How long have you been sewing? Are you self taught?

My interest in sewing began when I was rather young. I was forever playing dress up and creating costumes from whatever we had around the house. This was frustrating for my mother since I would cut up perfectly good clothes to fulfill my artistic visions- she began locking away the scissors and eventually enrolled me in a basic sewing class at the fabric store. I am a self taught seamstress. I became very comfortable with altering clothes & small DIY projects, then as a teen I began playing with store bought patterns. Eventually I taught myself how to draft patterns based off of measurements.

What advice would you have for anyone interested in making/designing clothes?

I highly recommend taking a class at a local store! You will be taught the basics machine skills needed, how to read a sewing pattern, and so much more. Once you’re comfortable with your machine and become familiar with how patterns work you can create whatever your heart desires! Don’t be afraid to fail -it’ll be A LOT of trial and error, but that’s just a part of learning a new skill. As my dad always says “there ain’t nothing wrong with being a lil rusty.”

What are your biggest style/creative influences?

I would say my biggest style influence is history. I’ve never been one to notice brands or name specific designers, but looking back at photos and seeing the fashions of everyday life really moves me. The way that fashions are shaped because of what’s going on in the world, and trends that are born in the face of adversity- its very fascinating. The Rusty Bolt got its start when I was recreating fashions from family photos, and so The Bolts aesthetic is heavily influenced by the 60’s and 70’s. It’s nostalgic and sentimental for me.

How would you describe slow fashion, and why is it important?

For me sustainable fashion, or slow fashion, is a movement that encourages consumers to be more mindful of their purchases. It’s understanding the impact each choice we make has on our communities and our planet. Our modern throwaway culture generates items in absurd quantities with terrible quality that are designed to be discarded after minimal use; the waste from this model is literally killing our planet. Sustainable fashion is the ethical clap back against the fast fashion model. It is fueled by a desire for a better word, a world that uplifts creativity, values good craftsmanship, understands quality over quantity, encourages us to reduce reuse and recycle, and is above all considerate of our communities and environment.

I hope the The Rusty Bolt can be an example of what sustainable fashion has to offer the world. Thoughtfully made one-of-a-kind garments that give secondhand materials a new life!