KRNL Lifestyle and Fashion Fall 2023 Magazine by Kentucky Kernel

KRNL LIFESTYLE + FASHION

VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 1 | FALL 2023

ON THE COVER “EMILY RIDINGS WEAVES HER OWN STORY” PG. 60 PHOTO BY LILY FOSTER

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KRNL OUR MISSION

The mission of KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion is to promote the individuality, creativity and uniqueness of storytelling by University of Kentucky’s students utilizing all of our publishing platforms. KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion strives to bring awareness to the stories that inspire us — through art, human interest, enterprise, investigative, health and well-being or recreation — on and around campus and throughout our community. Whether through words or pictures, our diverse staff invites, welcomes and embraces all perspectives, allowing us to bring to life a variety of stories that we want to tell. Produced and distributed in the fall and spring semesters on the campus of the University of Kentucky and throughout the city of Lexington, KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion aspires to be an important voice for our community.

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EDITOR’S NOTE A

few short months ago, when I first accepted the position of editor-in-chief of KRNL, my goals were to push our creative boundaries as a staff and create magazines that expand upon our publication’s already acclaimed history. My journey as editor began with a new era for KRNL, with nearly half of our staff being brand new to the magazine this year, and with so many new faces came the potential for fresh ideas and perspectives to help this issue take shape in an entirely unique way. This also marked my first issue as the leader of KRNL, which has presented its own set of challenges and triumphs that I have been glad to take on. I have dreamed of finding my place on staff with KRNL since my first college visit at UK in high school, when I aspired to be capable of creating something even remotely as powerful and eclectic as KRNL has been since the beginning. Now, in my third year with this publication, I am still just as awed by the creativity of our staff and everything we have been able to produce together. This issue is truly the collaboration of so many wonderful minds, and I am grateful that my voice is among the many that have helped mold it into what you see now, in your hands. In this issue, we explored stories that have never been told by our publication before in ways only KRNL can — by styling UK alumni from the 1970s in timeless clothing, marking the first time we have featured models who are not college-aged students in a KRNL photoshoot; reinventing corporate workwear for our latest graduating class in our senior shoot; documenting an Eastern Kentucky film workshop’s road to rebuilding art and creativity in Appalachia after devastating floods; showcasing art on campus through a designer’s eye; plus, our first lifestyle story featured on the cover since our very first issue six years ago, highlighting a story that weaves together both lifestyle and fashion. Each of these 100 pages is a product of months of creative discussion, careful selection and dedication from our whole staff. I believe we have done justice to the stories of our community shared in this issue, from our own campus to the city of Lexington to the state of Kentucky. As always, thank you to all of our readers for supporting our creative efforts and helping us share our vision with the world. With all the growth that comes with each new semester, I believe this issue has set us up to continue the evolution we always strive for as a staff.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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8 ON PAR A collection of models-turnedgolfers spends the day on the fairway at Greenbrier Golf & Country Club.

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16 A STORYTELLER’S PARADISE: FOSTERING CREATIVITY AT LEXINGTON WRITER’S ROOM The Lexington Writer’s Room is a creative work space that helps encourage writers and foster a comfortable writing environment.

34 SHE MEANS BUSINESS A group of budding businesswomen create their own corporate identities in our latest senior shoot, providing a fresh take on business attire for the modern workplace.

42 ‘IT’S WHO WE ARE:’ APPALSHOP REBUILDS THEIR COMMUNITY Appalshop, a government project turned nonprofit, rebuilds after floods in Eastern Kentucky devastated the region.

60 EMILY RIDINGS WEAVES HER OWN STORY From Kentucky to New York and back, designer Emily Ridings blends basket weaving expertise with artistic passion, reflecting on her creative growth journey.

92 IN OUR JEANS Examine the impact of sustainable fashion on the environment with a classic pair of jeans in this editorial shoot.

KRNL L+F

THE DEATH OF STATE STREET

State Street, known for its couchburning traditions, faces potential destruction due to the expansion of the Markey Cancer Center, leaving students nostalgic and uncertain about the future of the iconic street.

LOOKING GOOD AND FEELING BETTER ON CAMPUS

At the University of Kentucky, students showcase their diverse personal styles and talk about what dressing up means to them individually.

LIGHTS, CURTAINS, ACTIVISM

An arts and activism initiative in Lexington empowers underrepresented voices through theater, music and movementbased workshops.

THE ART AROUND US

The University of Kentucky campus is filled with artwork of all kinds. Learn about the histories of just a handful of those pieces.

BREWING FRIENDSHIPS AND BRIDGING CULTURES

The relationship between Georgetown, Kentucky, and its sister city Tahara, Japan, manifests itself through its official friendship garden at Yuko-En on the Elkhorn.

FIDDLES AND FAMILY: THE HEART OF KENTUCKY MUSIC

Kentucky has put itself on the map thanks to many prominent musicians hailing from the state, with many different subgenres of country music being played and appreciated by the Lexington community.

‘WORTH THE CHALLENGE:’ THE RISE OF BIKE POLO IN LEXINGTON

The Lexington bike polo community is somewhat of a hidden treasure in the city, but its members have surely found their chosen family because of it.

A PASSION FOR SUSTAINABILITY AT RIVER HILL RANCH

River Hill Ranch in Richmond, Kentucky, offers an experience of rural farm life, fostering a connection to nature and sustainability through alpaca farming, slow fashion and educational programs.

BACK IN MY DAY

University of Kentucky alumni who graduated in the 1970s return to campus for a KRNL-ified shoot while looking back on their college days in style.

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Par

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WRITTEN BY SYDNEY TURNER Step into a world where fairways transform into runways in our latest fashion spectacle, “On Par,” unfolding amid the manicured greens of a country club golf course. This editorial escapade draws inspiration from the opulence of vintage prints and checkered knits, infusing an air of eccentric refinement. Beneath the brooding skies of an overcast day, “On Par” remains a celebration of the audacious fusion of timeless styles, channeling the spirit of vintage elegance through a modern lens. The muted light and gentle breeze become essential characters, contributing to the moody atmosphere. Enjoy the marriage between traditional sophistication and delightful exaggeration. A special thank you to the staff over at the Greenbrier Golf & Country Club for allowing us into their space.

PHOTO BY SYDNEY TURNER

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STREET SCENE SWEATER PANTS SHOES

PHOTO BY LILY FOSTER

WEARHOUSE ROMPER STREET SCENE SHOES HAT GLOVES PHOTOS BY SYDNEY TURNER

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WEARHOUSE SWEATER STREET SCENE PANTS SHOES

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PHOTO BY SYDNEY TURNER

PHOTO BY GIANNA MANCINI

PHOTO BY CAITLIN DUFFY 12 | KRNL LIFESTYLE + FASHION

PHOTO BY CAITLIN DUFFY

PHOTO BY SYDNEY TURNER

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PHOTO BY LILY FOSTER

WEARHOUSE SKIRT STREET SCENE SWEATER SHOES BAG

STREET SCENE SWEATER SKIRT

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STREET SCENE SHORTS

PHOTO BY CAITLIN DUFFY

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The Lexington Writer’s Room front workspace on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in Lexington, Ky. 16 | KRNL LIFESTYLE + FASHION

A STORYTELLER'S PARADISE FOSTERING CREATIVITY AT THE LEXINGTON WRITER’S ROOM

WRITTEN BY CLAIRE OSTERFELD | PHOTOS BY SYDNEY TURNER

ords are a powerful medium, and the people who wield them have the potential to create great change. This is not a process that comes easily, and many writers could use a comforting environment where they can bring these words to life. Nestled on High Street in the heart of downtown Lexington is a small community where writers gather to help one another with this process. The Lexington Writer’s Room (LWR) is a nonprofit organization that provides members with colorful, eclectic workspaces and a place where writers come together to support each other and let their creativity prosper. Whether they are getting feedback, collaborating on projects or even just looking for a place to work in peace, the Writer’s Room community agrees that it is a welcoming and inclusive space for all kinds of writers. According to its website, open desk members of the Writer’s Room are granted a productive and collaborative work environment, as well as a variety of goods and services to help them advance their writing. They are provided with professional tools like headshots, networking events, printers and Wi-Fi. To keep the members fueled and focused, the Writer’s Room is always stocked with coffee, soda, snacks, and other foods and beverages. The idea for the Writer’s Room was born from founding board member and former Board Chair Lisa Haneberg in 2020. “I saw what an opportunity it was to have a collected group of people who were kind of working separately but together,” Haneberg said. When coming up with the idea, Haneberg and the other founders said they focused on two important questions: why does it need to be a nonprofit and why is it important?

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A whiteboard hangs in the Lexington Writer’s Room brainstorming space.

“

Storytelling is a very important part of our Kentucky culture, and we need to make sure our storytellers are able to get their work out there.” - LISA HANEBERG

WRITER’S ROOM MEMBER

They recognized that successful writers need to be able to meet and bounce ideas off one another. “The Lexington Writer’s Room was designed to create that environment in a way that was doable for most writers,” Haneberg said. She said the interior and overall vibe of the space was inspired by old salons of the 1800s. The founders wanted to pull from that energy and use it to further inspire creativity. While there is no alcohol involved, there is still a beatnik kind of collective. The space is taken care of by the Writer’s Room’s only official employee, Community Manager Samar Johnson. Johnson joined the LWR as a member in October 2022 after driving down High Street and noticing the building. By January 2023, they became community manager. “Writing is very important to me,” Johnson said. “I loved the way that I was automatically accepted.”

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Part of Johnson’s job is making sure that the Writer’s Room maintains a sense of community and that the writers feel connected to one another. They know that when writers come into the space, they should not be worried about anything except writing. “We really just created a world where they come in, they can write for however long,” Johnson said. “The only qualifications are that you are working on a project, are 18 years or older and are vaccinated.” Haneberg acknowledged the idea that writing is a solo activity and the LWR aims to change that. “Creatives deserve a space where they can work around other creatives, but it needs to be something that’s affordable because most writers don’t make a lot of money,” Haneberg said. The Lexington Writer’s Room offers two types of memberships on their website. The first, an “Open Desk Membership” priced at $50 a month, grants members unlimited access to the facilities and all of its perks. The other membership option, the “Virtual Membership,” is priced at $20 a month and is meant for regional writers who can’t physically access the workspace but would like to join the Writer’s Room community. Haneberg noted that part of the reason the Writer’s Room was founded was to cut down on some costs that creatives face that stop them from bringing their dreams to fruition. “Being a writer is not cheap,” Johnson said. While the founders know that the space encourages people to work with one another, it also leaves room for those who wish to work alone. Haneberg shared that, unlike a coffee shop, there is not a lot of chatter going on there. The goal of the Writer’s Room is to make people more productive. “We have actually heard from members that they get so much more done when they’re there because that’s what that space is for,” Haneberg said. “You go to the coworking space, you’re going to write.” Johnson and Haneberg agreed that while the coworking space is a big advantage of membership at the Writer’s Room, many members also benefit from the monthly write-ins. Write-ins are events where members get the opportunity to work on their pieces in a collaborative setting for a set amount of time. When they are done working, the writers have the chance to share their work with one another. The write-ins are just one example of the unique ways that the Writer’s Room allows for

Community Manager Samar Johnson poses for a portrait.

Magnets of historical and literary figures on the side of the lockers.

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Mugs for Lexington Writer’s Room members to use in the kitchen.

collaboration. It creates an open and honest environment where writers can critique one another without fear of judgment. “It is cool to see the different ways people engage with writing,” Johnson said. “Lisa always says we are writer agnostic, meaning there is no genre.” One member in particular, Lisa A. Brown, has been working with the Writer’s Room for about two years. “I like coming here to where it’s quiet and there’s no distractions. I like this community of writers and just being able to feed off of one another. It’s a great space,” Brown said. She has been writing for 10 years while also working through some intense hardships, including the death of both her parents and a traumatic brain injury. Despite her suffering, Brown is gearing up to release her first book. “I’m just hoping that people find joy and restoration, the same that I found in writing it and everything that I’ve gone through. You know healing does come forth and there is joy on the other side of all your pain,” Brown said.

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Haneberg knows that having a place like the Writer’s Room is truly beneficial, not only to writers, but Lexington as a whole. “The literary arts are very important to Kentucky,” Haneberg said. “Storytelling is a very important part of our Kentucky culture, and we need to make sure our storytellers are able to get their work out there.” •

“

I’m just hoping that people find joy and restoration, the same that I found in writing it and everything that I’ve gone through. You know healing does come forth and there is joy on the other side of all your pain.” - LISA A. BROWN

WRITER’S ROOM MEMBER

Lisa A. Brown works in the Lexington Writer’s Room salon.

Decor and materials for Lexington Writer’s Room members to use.

Plants fill the front room of the Lexington Writer’s Room.

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THE DEATH OF STATE STREET LIKE A COUCH AFTER A BIG WIN, WHAT ONCE WAS STATE STREET IS ABOUT TO BURN TO ASHES WRITTEN BY CARLEE HOGSTEN

or many University of Kentucky students, the smell of fire, the sound of cheering and the sight of burning couches in the street are part of a postwin tradition at UK that may soon turn to ashes. State Street, a focal point of celebration for the students of UK that includes partying after a big football win and car flipping, is set to undergo a transformation as the university expands the Markey Cancer Center. UK Spokesperson Jay Blanton said the expansion will take several years as the center is a part of a $2 billion new healthcare facility plan that is projected to be finished in 2030. Blanton said starting last December, UK started acquiring properties in the State Street, University Avenue and Elizabeth Street area. Primarily student housing, the properties were removed to make way for the expansion of the Cancer Center, transforming the street in the process. “It’s an ideal location to help advance cancer care in our state,” Blanton said. “It’s the best of care for the worst of diseases.” The university is in the design phase of the new healthcare facility, with 35 of the 40 properties purchased, and will start the construction phase soon after all properties are acquired, according to Blanton. State Street resident Zach Holloway said even though the center sounds impactful, he feels like as the houses are being removed, the street has already started to feel different.

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PHOTO BY MARIA RAUH

University of Kentucky students gather around a couch fire on State Street after a win against Florida on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022.

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PHOTO BY MARIA RAUH

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The flipped car on State Street after UK’s win against Florida on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022.

UK students gather around the flipped car on State Street after their win against Florida on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. PHOTO BY MARIA RAUH

“

With all of the construction that is happening, they’re definitely doing it to sway people away from State Street.” - ZACH PRESTON

UK STUDENT

Holloway said he’s scared what this expansion could mean for the street as the celebrations have been a tradition for decades and played a monumental part in student culture. “It makes me sad. I love this street and I love the atmosphere,” Holloway said. As a fifth-year mechanical engineering student, Holloway said that it’s very bittersweet knowing he was able to enjoy living there and others won’t get to experience it quite the same way. Although, senior Zach Preston’s experience with State Street wasn’t so positive. Last fall, Preston’s car was totaled during a post-game celebration after UK ‘s 26-16 win over Florida. “When I was there, I was having fun, but then realized my car was getting overturned and that definitely straightened me up,” Preston said. Preston said he watched the game in a house on State Street and, as he lived one street over, he thought his car would be fine parked there. “I noticed it started flattening and crashing down as people jumped on it,” Preston said. “They started to rip the numbers off and the headlights and taillights out.” To repair the damage, his dad started a GoFundMe campaign the next morning, which raised $5,637 for his son to get a new car.

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PHOTO BY ABBEY CUTRER

Cornhole boards rest on a lawn across the street from construction on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023, on State Street in Lexington, Ky.

After the incident, Preston said his dad discovered the Lexington Property Valuation Administrator website states the university owns State Street. Preston said when his family contacted UK about the car damages, UK told his parents that they don’t claim State Street as on-campus property and dismissed them. Preston said even after the events, he’s still a UK kid at heart and plans to continue going to the street for celebrations. He is scared of what will happen to the student culture if all of State Street is destroyed due to the new development. “With all of the construction that is happening, they’re definitely doing it to sway people away from State Street,” Preston said. Blanton said that last December, UK’s board approved the initiation of construction of the new $500 million advanced cancer building, leading UK to acquire the properties on State Street and other streets in the area to help facilitate the construction project. Blanton said the new center will expand its reach to serve even more patients in need as Kentucky leads the country in the incidence rates of many cancers. “Fortunately, we have one of the best cancer centers in the country, but we need more space to provide more outpatient advanced cancer care,” Blanton said. “A large number of cancer patients in the state come to Markey Cancer Center.” Julia Price, resident of State Street and graduate of UK, said that she believes what UK is doing is wonderful for the community 26 | KRNL LIFESTYLE + FASHION

“

If you take down this street, they’re [students] just going to move it [the celebrations] somewhere else.”

- JULIA PRICE

STATE STREET RESIDENT AND UK GRADUATE

PHOTO BY ABBEY CUTRER

Zach Holloway poses for a portrait in his front yard on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023, on State Street in Lexington, Ky.

but seemed intentional that they picked State Street and thought they might have purposely chosen it because of the name and reputation that it had. “I remember driving and thinking, ‘I’ve never even noticed that vacant lot before,’” Price said. “Then I remembered there was a house there that my friend had lived in and that wasn’t even there anymore.” Price said that when she moved last fall to her fourplex on the street, she was notified that her lease might not withstand the whole year due to her rental being surveyed for possible demolition. Price said that she knew it was a possibility that she would have to move out but doesn’t think the destruction of houses on the street would affect the traditions of the students. “If you take down this street, they’re [students] just going to move it [the celebrations] somewhere else,” Price said. Preston and Holloway agree that the traditions of State Street will simply move to a different site, even if it’s just a few streets over. Preston believes it’s up to the future generation of students to keep the State Street traditions and customs alive, even if the spirit has to move to a new street.

“

It’s quite sad that students literally lived in these houses that made many of the staple traditions at UK.” - ZACH HOLLOWAY

STATE STREET RESIDENT AND UK STUDENT

Holloway said the atmosphere of State Street on non-game days is what he loves most about the street, where everyone is outside on the lawn, throwing footballs and playing music. “It’s just a really fun place and it’s fun to be social,” Holloway said. “You get to make friends and it’s fun just to people-watch.” As it’s Holloway’s third year experiencing living on State Street, he has seen many of the houses and parts of the atmosphere vanish. “It’s quite sad that students literally lived in these houses that made many of the staple traditions at UK,” Holloway said. “Now the houses are gone and it’s upsetting.” •

PHOTO BY ABBEY CUTRER

A group of University of Kentucky seniors sit on their porch across the street from construction on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023, on State Street in Lexington, Ky. FALL 2023 | 27

The Art Around Us WRITTEN BY ALEXANDRIA LANDGRAF | PHOTOS BY SYDNEY TURNER

rom vibrant oil paintings and watercolors embellishing university building walls to thought-provoking sculptures students pass on the way to class, art installations not only decorate the academic landscape but also create an inspiring, culturally enriched campus environment. “Having art in people’s lives in general, whether it be a centerpiece in your common room or a painting in your classroom building, is so important because it helps the community that the organization is in be better represented and connect everyone together,” said Eman Robele, a sophomore arts administration and art studio double major.

“

Anything can be art ... The importance of art anywhere is for someone to express themselves in a way they wouldn’t be able to otherwise.” - NATHAN KRAEMER

FRESHMAN ARCHITECTURE MAJOR

STORM CAT One cannot enter William T. Young Library, located on the University of Kentucky’s central campus, without encountering William T. Young and his great stallion, Storm Cat. Near the circulation desk on the first floor, Young and his stallion are represented on the Overbrook tapestry. The tapestry is a 200-pound, 12-foot and 7-inch tall and 22-foot wide masterpiece with over 700 colors. According to UK Libraries, this grand artistic creation was designed at a loom by visionary Swedish textile artist Helena Hernmarck, known for her signature ability to translate real life images into the intricate medium of hand-woven yarn and wool tapestries. “Having art in our buildings like the library leaves students with the knowledge that someone put their hard work into that and there is a story behind the piece,” Robele said. Storm Cat serves as a reminder of businessman William T. Young, who gave the largest cash donation by an alumnus to the “Willy T.” library in the amount of $5 million.

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WADE HALL QUILT COLLECTION On the fifth floor of William T. Young Library, a grand display showcases a collection of 64 distinct quilts. The oldest of the collection is from 1860 and adorns the wall in the South Wing of the library. Over time, most of the quilts, of various sizes and designs, have aged with stains, rips and weathering, making each truly unique. These quilts were collected and purchased in the surrounding areas of Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois by author and professor Wade Hall, according to the UK Libraries website. Hall was an avid collector, sharing and contributing to the ever-growing historic art installations at the University of Kentucky.

SINGLETARY OUTDOOR SCULPTURE GARDEN The Otis A. Singletary Center for the Arts, located on north campus, contains the UK Art Museum and hosts artistic, cultural and educational events. Singletary is home to many artworks including an outdoor sculpture garden. The garden features two works by Peter Woytuk, one by Albert Paley and one by Tony Tasset. Woytuk uses traditional bronze casting techniques and lush patinas to create pieces such as his bronze sculptures “Raven Bench” and “The Pair.” “Raven Bench” depicts a raven perched atop an 11-foot long slab of weathered stone. “The Pair” focuses on a pair of distilled pears. “Sylvan,” Paley’s piece, is an 18-foot tall steel sculpture that incorporates weathered and colorful painted elements. Outside the entrance of the UK Art Museum, visitors can also find Tony Tasset’s “Mood Sculpture.” The sculpture features five different faces, each a 4-foot sphere with a different emotion on it. The expressions range from a yellow smiling face at the top to a blue frowning face at the bottom. “Even though this is an academic environment, it is good to be surrounded by art so that it is welcoming and warm for new and old students,” Robele said. •

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Mary Nell Sparks plays a round of bike polo on Sunday, Sept. 10, 30 | KRNL LIFESTYLE + FASHION

2023, at Coolavin Park in Lexington, Ky.

‘WORTH THE

CHALLENGE’ THE RISE OF BIKE POLO IN LEXINGTON WRITTEN BY KRISTEN ROBERTS | PHOTOS BY ABBEY CUTRER

hite letters spell out “Lexington Bike Polo” across the polo courts’ faded red walls. Three players line up against each rear court wall, sitting on their bikes, waiting for the joust. One side yells “Marco” and the other “Polo,” a player from each side of the court races to the middle, where a reddish-orange ball — a little larger than a softball — sits waiting for them. And the game begins. Each player gets a double-sided mallet, one end flat and the other a hollow circle, designed to help the player scoop the ball in their desired direction. They must balance on their bikes while attempting to hit the ball with the mallet and into a goal. Bike polo is a sport that’s been around for over a century but known in Lexington for about 14 years. Coolavin Park houses three dedicated courts with lights, specifically made for the close-knit community of driven yet carefree poloists that can be found there. Some Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings, these individuals meet on the courts to destress through a few rough games of bike polo. “Lexington is one of the places that breeds better players,” longtime Lexington Bike Polo club member Matthew Downey said. Downey, a Lexington native, is 35 and has been playing polo for about a decade now. He mentioned the importance of maintaining the club they’ve built over the years because Lexington is one of the better locations to play on the east side of the country. Downey said the club is inclusive to longtime athletes and beginners. The club’s slogan, which is plastered on their Instagram, polo court and merch, clearly states, “Anyone, Anytime.” “Any night that we play, we welcome people to come and try and learn,” Downey said. “Every night’s beginner night for Lexington Bike Polo.” Downey said their club is just for fun, a relaxed environment for newcomers to enjoy and learn in. But, for those interested in the more competitive aspects of the sport, many of the players on the Lexington team regularly participate in tournaments throughout the country.

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Two women from the club recently traveled to Philadelphia to play in a women-only tournament. Many members also went to Cincinnati in August 2023, and Downey said he will be competing in Texas and St. Louis very soon as well. “Wherever there’s a big city, there’s most likely a club, and the clubs will host tournaments,” Downey said. This past July, the club held a tournament in Lexington, where they included Nerf guns and a capture the flag element, creating a three-part series to the competition. In the recent trip to Cincinnati, some club members competed in a similar three-tier tournament, incorporating foosball and flip-cup. Downey said this sport has brought him lifelong friendships. “Some of the best people in the world are bike polo players,” he said. Many other players agree with Downey: that the overall community and friendships that come from the sport make it worth it. Most players said they heard about the sport through word of mouth and started showing up to play. Player Mary Nell Sparks, 29, said she moved 10 years ago from a small town in Tennessee to Lexington for school, but after she graduated she said she loved Kentucky too much to leave. She said one day she was hanging out at West Sixth — a brewery across the street from the polo courts — when she saw people playing. Sparks said she went over to watch, and people came up and asked her if she wanted to hop on a bike. “When I played, it seemed super intimidating, but everyone slowed down to my level,” Sparks said. She said the sport has allowed her to really get involved in Lexington, because before she didn’t feel like she had a community in the city.

Two bike polo players reach for the ball with their mallets.

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A member of Lexington Bike Polo plays a game.

“

Some of the best people in the world are bike polo players.” - MATTHEW DOWNEY

LEXINGTON BIKE POLO CLUB MEMBER

Members of Lexington Bike Polo play a game.

“

I’ve done a lot of things in my life, a lot of things, but there’s nothing in the world that feels like playing polo.” - BRUCE CARVER

LEXINGTON BIKE POLO CLUB MEMBER

“I really stuck around because everybody here was so cool,” Sparks said. She said everyone was kind and created a very open and judgment-free community that she has now been a part of for four years. Bruce Carver, 34, has been a bike polo player since 2009. He is from Indiana and said he drives down to Lexington to play polo as the community is amazing. “I can go anywhere in the entire world and have a place to sleep, and people to show me around, just because of this sport,” he said. He said bike polo is the most fun thing anyone could do, and that he has tried several other “normal” sports over the years, and this is what he decides to put his money and time into. Polo is not an expensive sport, especially for beginners. The necessary equipment includes a helmet, bike and mallet. The club also tries to provide new players with the equipment they

need until they are sure they are interested and can spend more money on upgrading gear and travel for the sport once they get more involved. “I’ve done a lot of things in my life, a lot of things, but there’s nothing in the world that feels like playing polo,” Carver said. He described the game as a full-body exercise and something that combines incredible skill, danger, fun and silliness. Carver said he would tell anyone interested in playing to go for it. “It’s worth the challenge, cause it is going to be a challenge,” he said. He said it takes lots of skill and control to even play, let alone be good at it, but “once you score a goal, you’ll be hooked.” “It’s so much more than a sport, and it’s so hard to describe,” Carver said. “The only way to describe it is to just get on a bike and try to score a goal, and then the rest is history.” •

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She

means

Business

Ashley 34 | KRNL LIFESTYLE + FASHION

PHOTO BY KATIE BROWN

WRITTEN BY SYDNEY WAGNER One should not lose their personal style in the office; rather, one should use it to their advantage. “She Means Business” was inspired by the Djerf Avenue photoshoot “Legally Djerf,” due to its elevated silhouettes, neutral color palette and sophisticated posing. We wanted this shoot to represent the strong and confident women that our graduating seniors are, ready to dominate the workforce and make a positive impact on society in our future careers. This shoot took place in Blazer Dining, the home of KRNL’s own office. The fashion team styled this shoot to make the seniors feel like the best and most powerful versions of themselves.

PHOTO BY SYDNEY TURNER

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PHOTO BY LILY FOSTER

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Sydney

PHOTO BY KATIE BROWN

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PHOTO BY LILY FOSTER

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Leanna

PHOTO BY SYDNEY TURNER

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PHOTO BY LILY FOSTER

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Hunter Grace

PHOTO BY LILY FOSTER

PHOTO BY SYDNEY TURNER

PHOTO BY KATIE BROWN

PHOTO BY LILY FOSTER

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‘It’s Who We Are:’ Appalshop Rebuilds their Community

Old photos and mementos on a bulletin board on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023, inside Appalshop in Whitesburg, Ky. 42 | KRNL LIFESTYLE + FASHION

AFTER FLOODING DEVASTATED EASTERN KENTUCKY IN 2022, ONE ORGANIZATION IS PUTTING IN THE WORK TO REBUILD THEIR COMMUNITY DESPITE BEING SEVERELY AFFECTED BY THE DISASTER THEMSELVES. NATALIA GARCIA SITS DOWN WITH THE APPALSHOP TEAM TO TALK ABOUT THEIR PROGRESS AND THE WORK THEY’RE DOING FOR THE COMMUNITY. PHOTOS BY SYDNEY TURNER.

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The exterior of Appalshop.

“

To me it’s so organic that it’s hard to say how the community impacts us because I think — I hope — that at our absolute best, we are the community.” - WILLA JOHNSON

DIRECTOR OF THE FILMS PROGRAM AT APPALSHOP

he first floor is completely scrapped. Bare. The skeleton of structural beams teases what once was Appalshop. A radio station, 150-seat theater and archive full of decades-old film and media are now memories, with a high waterline on the wall serving as a reminder of what is gone. Appalshop, a government project turned nonprofit, and the Appalachian community it serves had been washed away. According to the National Weather Service, relentless rain in combination with mountainous geography led to flash flooding that devastated Eastern Kentucky in late July 2022. Whitesburg, Kentucky, where Appalshop is based, saw the north fork of the Kentucky River flood to unprecedented heights. “I’m like, ‘Oh, I hope they understand why I’m not at work today,’ no idea that work is 7 feet underwater,” said Willa Johnson, director of the films program at Appalshop. Beginning as a film workshop in 1969 during the war on poverty, Appalshop has grown and developed into a nonprofit that focuses on telling the stories of the Appalachian community and training the people of Appalachia with different media skills. “I always explain Appalshop’s storytelling as ‘front porch storytelling’ or ‘kitchen table storytelling.’ We have a style of storytelling that is comfortable … and that is slow-paced and it reflects the way people talk and sound here and I never wanna get away from that,” Johnson said. Johnson, who had just stepped into the role of director of films the year before the flood, was working on finding a subject for a new film. Although she and a group of professional filmmakers had started on

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Willa Johnson and Jessica Shelton stand inside the Appalshop building.

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a project, the new subject of the film became obvious after the flood. “We spent the next year collecting interviews and stories and people’s footage from their phones,” Johnson said. “So on the one-year anniversary, we were able to have an event here where we showcased a new film that is made for our community. It is made with love for our community. I describe it as a love letter for people who went through the flood.” Johnson said the event was meant to follow the traditional Appalachian practice of having a celebratory dinner after a funeral in order to commemorate the passing of a loved one. “It’s sad, it’s bittersweet, but you’re getting to be with family that you don’t always get to be with and share conversation and just heal together,” Johnson said. Appalshop’s community cookout event included board games, food and a popcorn truck that gave out free popcorn for the documentary screening. Although the building was still closed, over 100 people gathered in over-90-degree heat at Appalshop’s outdoor pavilion to celebrate the occasion. “I think that event, for me, was sort of the closing of a chapter of the flood for us,” Johnson said. “We have been in so much survival mode. Now it’s time to figure out what’s next, and I think that’s the chapter we’re moving into now.” Appalshop has been working to restart the programs it lost since the flood. The

theater, archive that stores old projects and film, and the Community Media Initiative, which provides media training and technical assistance to organizations throughout the community, were all lost during the flood. “It felt so helpless because you can’t fight nature. It’s gonna do its thing, the waters are gonna rise, and then you have to clean up the mess,” said Jessica Shelton, director of the Appalachian Media Institute at Appalshop. Another program that was lost during the flood was WMMT, Appalshop’s radio station. Also referred to as “Possum Radio,” WMMT is a 24-hour radio station that broadcasts not only music, but also covers social issues facing Appalachian communities. According to their website, WMMT provides the people of Appalachia with a way to express their creativity and get involved in the community. Johnson said Appalshop worked as quickly as possible to find a way to continue WMMT’s broadcasting after the flood. After modifying an RV, WMMT was able to start broadcasting again out of their new mobile studio nicknamed the “Possum Den.” “We were just coming back from the pandemic, literally just like a couple of months getting to be back in a building together, and then we lost it again,” Johnson said. “That was a really hard thing to lose in the immediate disaster because when your internet and everything goes down, you turn to radio. Our radio station was underwater, so being able to

Salvaged Appalshop signage leaned against the building’s exterior. 46 | KRNL LIFESTYLE + FASHION

create community stories and have DJs coming back in … that’s been really instrumental.” Although the variety of work may be difficult to manage on some days, it’s this variety that has allowed Appalshop to increase its outreach and grow the relationship with its community, Johnson said. “The beauty of all of this happening in one place is that there’s so much room to collaborate,” Shelton said. “As Appalshop has grown … you feel the significance, just because of all the programming we do now.” Johnson agreed that while it may be easier to focus on one thing, she doesn’t think Appalshop’s impact “would be as grand or as overreaching as it is.” Appalshop’s connection with the community has allowed the nonprofit to continue doing a variety of work, specifically shifting to more community-focused work directly following the flood. From dropping food off to where it was needed to spreading information about where to donate, Appalshop’s connection with the community allowed for greater mutual aid work, according to Shelton. “I really love that I was able to pivot to community work after the flood,” Shelton said. She recalled running $200,000 through her Venmo account that went directly to people for things they needed like food, clothes and other supplies.

“

As Appalshop has grown … you feel the significance, just because of all the programming we do now.”

A gutted hallway on the ground floor of the workshop.

An empty office upstairs in the workshop.

- JESSICA SHELTON

DIRECTOR OF THE APPALACHIAN MEDIA INSTITUTE AT APPALSHOP “I wouldn’t have been able to do that if Appalshop didn’t have this community platform and broader community outreach that was already in place,” Shelton said. Although Appalshop was founded in Whitesburg, its outreach hasn’t been confined to just Eastern Kentucky. “We’ve had films screened globally … that’s always the thing that sort of shocks me is to hear those stories about an audience in Indonesia being like, ‘Oh, that’s similar to what we experience,’” Shelton said. When Appalshop (then known as the Appalachian Film Workshop) was founded, the original goal was for students to learn how to work with film so they could then leave and find work. As the war on poverty became more prominent and Appalachia became “a stereotypical poster child” for what poverty in America looked like, the students of Appalshop decided to stay in Appalachia in order to tell the stories of their own community, Johnson said. “Training young people from the region to get a camera in their hand and document their community, through their eyes, was a look at Appalachia no one else had taken before,” Johnson said. “They didn’t want to FALL 2023 | 47

Willa Johnson and Jessica Shelton discuss the space used for the radio station.

“

They didn’t want to leave and tell the story of another community; they saw the value of the story of their own community.” - WILLA JOHNSON

DIRECTOR OF THE FILMS PROGRAM AT APPALSHOP

leave and tell the story of another community; they saw the value of the story of their own community.” Since officially becoming Appalshop in 1974, the organization has continued to fight the stereotypes that have marred Appalachia while simultaneously growing its relationship with the Appalachian community. “I hope it feels like the community is who we are. Not just like we’re the voices all the time, but that we are embedded and know who those voices are to go to,” Johnson said. “To me it’s so organic that it’s hard to say how the community impacts us because I think — I hope — that at our absolute best, we are the community.” After three difficult years of dealing with the pandemic and the repercussions of the flood, Appalshop is still continuing the work that it started over 50 years ago. “I think I’m seeing so much hope and excitement and understanding of what Appalshop is regionally versus just locally that it makes me really excited about what we can do and who we can reach and who we impact,” Johnson said. •

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North Fork Kentucky River that runs next to the workshop.

The exterior of Appalshop.

“

It felt so helpless because you can’t fight nature. It’s gonna do its thing, the waters are gonna rise, and then you have to clean up the mess.” - JESSICA SHELTON

DIRECTOR OF THE APPALACHIAN MEDIA INSTITUTE AT APPALSHOP

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Looking

GOOD BETTER And Feeling

on Campus

WRITTEN BY KALEIGH HUNT | PHOTOS BY LILY FOSTER

he fall 2023 semester is in full swing at the University of Kentucky, and the campus is bustling with fresh faces excited to express themselves in their first year at college and seniors who are ready to take their experiences and embark into the “real world.” A new year calls for new styles and new trends, with each student eager to show off their unique identity. Throughout the first week of school, students showed up put together in their best outfits that made them feel good and prepared for the semester. From casual, baggy streetwear to colorful, eccentric ensembles, a common theme surrounding students’ style on campus often circled back to second-hand clothing. Thrifting is an especially popular form of shopping amongst Gen Z, and it is prominent on UK’s campus as well. “Goodwill” and “thrift stores” were stores students said they often frequent when shopping. Adorned in unconventional, chunky jewelry and a long, flowy midi skirt, freshman art studio major Paige Bright touched on their thrift shopping methods. “I go to the cheapest [thrift stores] I can find,” they said. “... I hate paying a lot of money for old people’s clothes.” Aesthetics on campus vary widely, ranging from casual athleticwear to distinctive, “nontraditional” clothing. Chloe Huettman, a sophomore theater major, said she considers her style as “experimental.” She said her style is “not bound by the male gaze or a specific body type or skin color.” “I’m from a small town, so going from that to a metro area, I was drawn to outsider art. I saw different people with different clothing,” Huettman said.

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From left: Bryson Fields, Kris Washington and Pierre Petit Frere pose outside the Martin Luther King Center on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, in the Gatton Student Center in Lexington, Ky.

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Being around different types of people and different art styles helped inspire and expand her horizons, and other students could relate to this. They referenced people in their personal lives. They look to those whose paths they’ve crossed: friendships, past relationships and their dads’ drawers of band tees. Personal influences help cultivate the personality in our style; however, celebrities and popular media icons also foster this sense of expression. Huettman, specifically, mentioned icons from the 90s, such as Mary J. Blige and Lauryn Hill, as style inspirations. Often when people take pieces of others’ styles to form their own, they’re introduced to others with similar tastes. Students like Bright talked about how fashion links individuals together through the way they present themselves. “I definitely think the way we dress and appear helps us connect to other people, especially those with the same interests and aesthetics,” Bright said. Not only does fashion connect students to each other, but it connects them to themselves, as well. “If I have a good outfit on, I feel good, and as silly as it sounds I’m nicer to people when I feel like I look good,” Huettman said. Feeling good about how they’re dressed even improves their performance in the classroom, some students said. Put together in a casual button-up and trousers, sophomore nursing major Levi Dickey said, “When I dress well, I feel good and I actually do better academically.” He talked about how he uses that for motivation to get schoolwork done. “Sometimes when I’m home and I know I need to get stuff done, I’ll get out of my pajamas and that alone puts me in the mindset to do work,” he said. UK students agreed that they show up for themselves more and connect with others when they’re dressed in a way that makes them feel confident and motivated. Bryson Fields, a senior political science major, tied this together with the motto he often goes by. “‘Look good, feel good, play good.’ If I look good, then my day is good,” he said. •

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“

I definitely think the way we dress and appear helps us connect to other people, especially those with the same interests and aesthetics.” - PAIGE BRIGHT

FRESHMAN, ART STUDIO MAJOR

Levi Matthews in a casual everyday outfit.

Rebecca Watts in a gothic outfit.

Isabella Salter in a vintage outfit. Chloe Huettman leans against a railing.

Paige Bright poses on the stairs of the UK SA/VS building.

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PHOTO BY GIANNA MANCINI

Brewing Friendships and Bridging Cultures: Yuko-En on the Elkhorn WRITTEN BY REAGHAN CHEN

he first car pulls into the gravel lot on a warm Tuesday evening. A couple gets out, shuts the doors and walks toward the two massive, wooden Tokugawa Gates. One stops and crouches down to read the plaque: “Official Kentucky Japanese Garden.” They take each other’s hands and wander in. The sound of gravel is heard again as a SUV pulls into the lot. The doors are opened. A yellow labrador jumps out of the back seat. The owners follow behind, glancing at each other before they enter the gates and start their walk. There’s a moment of serenity when nature is the only sound heard. A minute later, laughter rushes by as two teenagers joke with each other under the redbud trees until the sound of a waterfall masks their voices. The waterfall flows and falls to a koi pond. A red bridge stands in the distance, where another couple stops and takes a picture before continuing their stroll. This is not just a park. This is not just a garden. This is Yuko-En on the Elkhorn. Yuko-En on the Elkhorn lies 14 miles north of Lexington in Georgetown, Kentucky, and represents a lasting friendship between two cities on opposite sides of the world. What started as a garden to celebrate the relationship between Georgetown and Tahara, Japan, has become a pillar in the community. William Hamilton, the board director of Yuko-En, was one of the first people to push for this friendship and connection between the two cities dating back to 1988. “That was the year that Toyota opened up the plant, and two things happened that year that led to this park,” Hamilton said. Hamilton, former President of the Chamber of Yuko-En at the time, was invited to Japan alongside Georgetown’s

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The Villa at Yuko-En on the Elkhorn on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023, in Georgetown, Ky.

PHOTO BY GIANNA MANCINI

The roof of the Tokugawa Gates at Yuko-En on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023, in Georgetown, Ky. former Mayor Tom Prather, where they met with the former Chairman of Toyota, Shoichiro Toyoda, and toured the country. With that visit came the start of something bigger than the label of sister cities. “I’ll never forget. We’re in this meeting with the mayor of Tahara, Mayor Shibata. Our mayor looked at him after about 30 minutes and said, ‘Look, we don’t want just a tourism exchange. We want to come up with something really dynamic,’” Hamilton said. Shibata explained that Tahara needed English teachers, which is when Hamilton said he and Prather exchanged looks and happily agreed to be of assistance. After returning home, Hamilton and Prather approached Georgetown College and established an exchange program for English teachers to go to Tahara. Hamilton said in 1990, Georgetown College sent their first teachers, and over the years many stories have become well-known across Georgetown, including Daniel Harrison’s, or as locals know him, DH.

“

We’ve had a window to the world that not every city or county in Kentucky have had.” - KELLY MCEUEN

TEACHER

PHOTO BY GIANNA MANCINI Koi Pond at Yuko-En on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023, in Georgetown, Ky.

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Cerebral Dancer Sculpture at Yuko-En on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023, in Georgetown, Ky.

Harrison is a co-founder of Country Boy Brewing, a craft beer brewery with locations in Lexington, Louisville and Georgetown. In 2005, Harrison said he got the opportunity to go to Tahara and ended up extending his trip from one to three years, changing his life trajectory forever. Harrison described his experience overseas as “the Disney story.” Not only did he meet his wife in Tahara, but he also developed his passion for brewing. Harrison said Mayor Prather and Mayor Shibata’s vision laid a foundation for Country Boy Brewing, a creation they would not have even fathomed at the start of the sister-city relationship. “If you’d have told them in ’89 or ’88, ‘There’s going to be a craft brewery that has ties that wouldn’t exist here if it wasn’t for the guy that got to go to Japan, learn about beer, come back here, build a brewery in the shadow of Toyota,’ they’d be like, ‘You’re crazy. It’s never going to happen,’” Harrison said. Harrison gives credit to the people who took those first steps — including Hamilton — who “were forward thinking and progressive enough to invest in things that are going to celebrate the sister city relationship.” One of the biggest investments came when Toyota gifted Georgetown $1 million. The city could ultimately do whatever it desired with the money, but after multiple meetings, Hamilton said “the city took a leap of faith” and bought what is now Yuko-En on the Elkhorn. The garden has a contrast of Kentucky wildlife and Japanese flares throughout with box turtles sunbathing over the koi pond and a Tahara snow lantern perched in front of the maple tree. From the Japanese cherry blossoms sharing soil with the redbud trees to the traditional Maho-An Tea House surrounded by pine trees, every corner showcases a blend of the two cultures.

Daniel “DH” Harrison in the brew house on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, at Country Boy Brewing in Georgetown, Ky. 56 | KRNL LIFESTYLE + FASHION

Tokugawa Gates at Yuko-En on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023, in Georgetown, Ky.

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Opened in 2000, Yuko-En has hosted multiple mayors of Tahara, annual kite festivals — which is known as The Hamamatsu Festival in Japan — and more personal events including Mayor Prather’s retirement party. At the ribbon cutting of Yuko-En, Kelly McEuen, the first teacher sent to Japan from Georgetown, said he was the designated “bilingual MC.” McEuen smiled as he pointed to a picture of himself, local leaders, Japanese contingents and the beginnings of the foundation for the garden on the momentous day. On one side of the framed picture is an explosion of color. “These are the kite guys and their kite society, in their colorful happy coats that are festival wear, and these guys were flying kites in the middle of Main Street, between the buildings,” McEuen said. Since those first pictures, Yuko-En has become a common backdrop for photos and memories, and McEuen said he remembers the first time he saw people taking pictures at the garden in 2001. “There’s a couple of women that now have kids in the school system, but I remember them, while we were building this, coming and taking the first prom pictures here. I saw one of them at the football game Friday and thought, ‘She was one of those girls that came out in her prom dresses,’” McEuen said. McEuen’s family has also taken advantage of the picturesque landscape; he said his family spends

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“

Our mayor looked at him after about 30 minutes and said, ‘Look, we don’t want just a tourism exchange. We want to come up with something really dynamic.’” - DANIEL “DH” HARRISON

CO-FOUNDER OF COUNTRY BOY BREWING

every Father’s Day at Yuko-En and the garden has watched his family grow. “A couple of times when my kids were younger, we had a picnic or a surprise photo session here in the garden. We’ve got lots of photos at the waterfall with my kids. Liam is barely big enough to sit on the bench. He was a toddler, and now he’s 11 and [5 feet 5 inches tall],” McEuen said. Yuko-En also holds a special place in Harrison’s family as well. He said he and his wife took their engagement photos at the garden, bringing his experience full circle. Many Georgetown residents, including McEuen and Harrison, believe Yuko-En has given the community way more than just a beautiful landscape. “We’ve had a window to the world that not every city or county in Kentucky have had,” McEuen said. •

Shelves of product inside Country Boy Brewhouse on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, in Georgetown, Ky.

Packaging workstation at Country Boy Brewing on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, in Georgetown, Ky.

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Weaves Her Own Story HAILING FROM RICHMOND, KENTUCKY, 27-YEAR-OLD BASKET WEAVER AND FASHION DESIGNER EMILY RIDINGS SITS DOWN WITH LIFESTYLE EDITOR RANA ALSOUFI TO REFLECT ON HER CAREER SO FAR, HER TIME IN NEW YORK, WHERE SHE FINDS INSPIRATION AND WHAT LIES AHEAD. PHOTOS BY LILY FOSTER.

Vintage magazine clippings and a paper displaying Emily Ridings’ name is hung on the wall of her at-home studio on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023, in Lexington, Ky.

Emily her at-home work studio. Her piece she has made is Emily Ridings Ridings in holds two handmade baskets in favorite her living room. displaying over her head. Aug, 5th, 2023.

A shelf full of materials used to create baskets and a rack with different baskets hung on it are displayed in Emily Ridings’ at-home studio.

basketry [bas-ki-tree, bah-ski-] noun 1. baskets collectively; basketwork. 2. the art or process of making baskets.

lmost anywhere you look inside Emily Ridings’ Lexington home, you’ll find a basket. The 27-year-old designer’s house is decorated wall to wall with all kinds of artwork, from ceramic pieces her friends have made to framed sheets of paper with poetry written on them. But hung on every doorknob and perched on every mantle and shelf is an intricately-crafted basket made either by Ridings herself or her grandmother, who taught her the art of basket weaving when she was growing up. With big baskets filled with throw blankets and pillows, medium-sized baskets holding magazines and vintage fashion books and small baskets balanced on top of lampshades and hung on her walls, it would be easy to assume that basket weaving plays a crucial role in Ridings’ life. And then there’s her studio, a room in her house with shelves on every wall filled entirely with Ridings’ various creations and the materials she uses to construct them. There isn’t a bare surface in sight, yet everything in the studio seems to have been placed in their rightful spots with intention and thought. Ultimately, Ridings’ home is a reflection of the importance of sentimentality in everything that she does. Every piece of artwork displayed in her home has a meaning and a story behind it, such as the framed copy of the poem “Yes, Of Course It Hurts” by Karin Boye, which Ridings carried around with her for two years during college. “It’s my favorite poem,” she said. “It’s talking about nature, but it’s saying, ‘Yeah, it hurts, it’s change, but change always happens, and immutable things have to change, but you have to allow it to happen.’” Ridings grew up in Richmond, Kentucky, in an all-around creative family where she recalled she had been “making things forever.” Her first sewn creation, a purple pillow with a blue star, marked the beginning of a 62 | KRNL LIFESTYLE + FASHION

“

The pieces I have been the proudest of and the most invested in are the pieces that I’m talking about where it feels like there’s so much of me in it.”

- EMILY RIDINGS

DESIGNER AND ARTIST

at that year, because I was spending so much time lifetime dedicated to craftsmanship, and fashion has during the first three years wanting to be cool and played a significant role in her life for as long as she interesting and make things people would be can remember. excited about, including myself,” Ridings said. “I was always extremely particular about what I After changing her mentality during her design wore,” Ridings recalled. “When I was two, my mom process to prioritizing what kind of message she made me the smocked dresses, and they were super wanted her work to say, she said she started focusing frilly, and I told her I was not wearing it.” less on trying to be innovative “and more about the She started making her own clothes when she sentimentality of it and how I specifically relate to it was around the age of 14, leading her to decide without worrying what anyone else thinks.” that she wanted to go to school for fashion design. One piece that particularly Ridings chose to pursue her stands out from Ridings’ senior fashion education by attending showcase collection is a large Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New hoop skirt made out of a woven York, where she majored in basket material, the first real fashion design and minored in basket she said she ever made, sustainability. with help from her grandmother. She said what drew her to It was from that point on that Pratt was how the institution Ridings decided that she was prioritized both the conceptual drawn to the craft of basket and technical aspects of fashion weaving and how detaildesign, which allowed Ridings oriented the process is, making to really hone in on her design it the focal point of her brand skills and learn about what it even today. takes to create a brand. Ridings’ collection ended Despite what could appear up winning the Christopher glamorous, however, Ridings’ Hunte “On Point” award that experience at Pratt wasn’t much year, named in honor of the late different to that of a typical Pratt instructor, for her creative college student’s. designs. “I wanted it so much that I gave “I was kind of terrified because everything to it,” she said. “And there were so many emotions it wasn’t the most joyful time of going through me at the same my life because I also was just, time,” she said of the moment like, 18 to 21 and feeling a lot she won the award. “And it’s and not knowing how to name the culmination of this super anxiety. But it’s hard for me to Emily Ridings poses in her living room with personal body of work that I regret some of the isolation that her baskets. am now just putting out into the I had in that time because I was world. It’s vulnerable, super vulnerable.” not wasting that time … It was still me just trying to Ridings’ talent in basket weaving and design has get to the root of what I want to do and what I want to taken her as far as the 2019 Met Gala, where she had say and how do I do that.” the opportunity to design part of a look for Canadian Ridings graduated from Pratt in 2018, during which activist and fashion designer Aurora James, only one she revealed a collection of her own designs as part year after her graduation from Pratt. of her senior showcase during Pratt’s annual Fashion Ridings had been working at Anthropologie Runway Show. Ridings’ runway displayed numerous at the time in Philadelphia as a designer, a job clothing pieces made primarily using recycled and she described as “corporate and chaotic.” James’ second-hand materials, such as scrap pieces of fabric assistant had initially reached out to Ridings about her friends had given her. She chose to focus less on a month before the Met Gala was supposed to take creating a spectacle for her showcase and more on place about collaborating on James’ dress for the creating pieces that were personal to her and her event after James had discovered Ridings’ work own journey as a designer. through her Pratt senior showcase. “That was, I think, kind of the breakthrough point FALL 2023 | 63

“I mean, super exciting,” Ridings said. “That’s, in theory, exactly what I would want.” What was supposed to be an exciting, oncein-a-lifetime opportunity for Ridings to get her work showcased on the fashion industry’s largest stage as a young, up-and-coming designer, however, ended up being an incredibly stressful and complicated process. Spotty communication, vague descriptions of what James wanted and the pressure of a rapidly-approaching deadline all contributed to the chaotic experience that Ridings described. “She [James] had a vague idea of what she wanted; she wanted a woven corset, she wanted a raffia skirt, so I just went to work,” Ridings said. She recalled coming home from work at 6 p.m. and working on the look until the late hours of the night every day for a week. The entire design took 10 days for Ridings to finish constructing, after which she flew to New York City for the Met Gala to help James get ready for the event and to make some final adjustments, an experience Ridings greatly enjoyed getting to be a part of. Ridings had high hopes that this experience would be the key to getting her name out there as a designer and getting her foot in the door in the fashion industry, but unfortunately, the outcome of her 2019 Met Gala involvement wasn’t all she had wished it would be. “She [James] goes to the Met Gala and starts posting about it, and she’s not really crediting

“

I think a lot of the functionality and design versus just the expression of art…” - EMILY RIDINGS

DESIGNER AND ARTIST

me, like, at all,” Ridings said. The only article which mentions Ridings as a contributor to James’ 2019 Met Gala look was published on The Zoe Report, which Ridings said was only after she had brought up her concerns with James’ assistant of the lack of credit she was receiving for her work. “She’s connected with so many people that I would have loved to get connected with because of it, and some opportunities did come from it afterward, but not like they would have if she had been fully transparent,” Ridings said. “She’s done some nice things for me; I know she’s recommended me for other things, like people have told me that that’s how they heard of me.” The look that James wore for the 2019 Met Gala is currently on display at the Brooklyn Museum as part of the “Africa Fashion” exhibit, due to the inspiration James drew from African fashions and materials when conceptualizing her look with Ridings. The woven bodice and raffia skirt are on display at the museum with credit to Brother Vellies, James’ brand, as the designer.

Emily Ridings displays her basket creations on her arm.

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Handbaskets and basket-weaving materials hang on a rack in Emily Ridings’ at-home studio.

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“

Space is so important to me, physically and mentally. I don’t need New York for inspiration, ‘cause that just happens naturally.”

“The closure that I found around it was I’m doing what I want to do,” Ridings said of the entire experience. “I’ve grown a lot to know how to protect myself and I’m doing that now and moving forward. It’s still there, and I know I did that, and that’s okay.” Though she didn’t necessarily get exactly what she wanted out of the 2019 Met Gala experience, Ridings’ brand and career as a designer has surely grown as more exciting opportunities have been presented to her. Recently she has been working a lot with interior designers on designing bespoke home decor pieces such as lighting fixtures. Her work has been featured in a number of prestigious publications, such as Vogue, The New York Times and Harper’s Bazaar, which has driven a lot of attention toward her business. Ridings recalled an article published in Garden & Gun Magazine in 2022 that brought a significant influx of orders coming in for a consistent eight months. The basket products Ridings offers on her website range from typical picnic-style baskets, to “handbaskets” that resemble and function like handbags, to vases made of reed and cane, and so much more. Ridings also offers commissions for more custom and personalized pieces. Being a young basket weaver puts Ridings in a niche category which opens her up to more business from older generations who she said are more associated with the art of basket weaving. The clients she works with want products that are unique and special while at the same time having a personal connection with the artist, which is why they often gravitate toward her for their commissions as their “go-to” for basket products. “When you see a basket, then you’ll think of me, and that is sometimes bizarre,” she said. “At the beginning it was bizarre because it was not my focus and I kind of resisted it, but it has carved out a space for me to do what I want to do.” The products that Ridings loves to create the most, however, are the more abstract pieces where she focuses on making her work a reflection of herself, a callback to the process she implemented for her Pratt

- EMILY RIDINGS

DESIGNER AND ARTIST

senior showcase collection. These pieces aren’t necessarily about functionality, but about serving as artwork. “The pieces I have been the proudest of and the most invested in are the pieces that I’m talking about where it feels like there’s so much of me in it,” Ridings said. Though Ridings said she finds so much joy in getting to pursue her passion for a living, at the end of the day, she still has a business to run. Money has never been her motivation for working, but rather the curiosity she has for the process and exploring the range of what she’s capable of, she said. “I haven’t explored all I can in basketry partly because I’ve been telling myself that it needs to be functional in order to sell because people will understand that better,” she said. “That’s kind of true, but how can I know if I don’t do it?” As for the clothing, Ridings has not made a return to it since she graduated from Pratt. She said she can definitely see a future in which she comes back to designing clothes, especially as she continues to experiment with basket weaving and how she can incorporate other elements along with it, but for the time being she plans on continuing to focus on her baskets. Ridings said that she doesn’t think she would have been able to make as large of a dent in her industry that she has created today if she was designing clothing all this time. “What happened to the clothing has kind of broken my heart, but then around a year ago I was like, ‘That’s fine,’” she said. “That can come back around, it can be fluid.” Ridings has made a home for herself in Lexington, Kentucky, where she currently lives with her boyfriend of over 12 years, but she said there is no telling how long she plans on staying in the city. She moved back to Kentucky after a series of poor experiences and feeling burnt out; however, she still occasionally works with people in New York every now and then. “I’m not set on being here forever — at the end of

A shelf of vases and wooden bases in Emily Ridings’ at-home studio. 66 | KRNL LIFESTYLE + FASHION

Pieces of reed and cane are displayed in Emily Ridings’ at-home studio.

A collection of tools used to make Emily Ridings’ basket creations are displayed in her at-home studio.

Emily Ridings weaves a basket in her home studio.

last year, I was convinced I was going back to New York City,” she said. “... Space is so important to me, physically and mentally. I don’t need New York for inspiration, ‘cause that just happens naturally.” “Also, Lexington is cooler than I thought,” she said. “... It’s kind of easier to meet people sometimes than it is in New York because there’s such a saturation of creativity … like, I’ve worked with the same photographer for five years and we have this really special dynamic … I kind of like the intimacy of what’s going on creatively here.” Ridings’ proximity to easily-accessible natural and sustainable materials from local businesses is another factor that keeps her in Lexington. For example, the wooden bases she uses for her baskets are scraps locally-sourced from carpenters in rural parts of the country. Ridings continues to make sustainability a priority in her work, which primarily means using recycled materials and trying not to produce any waste. “The main aspect of sustainability in my work is I don’t really throw anything away,” she said. One of Ridings’ favorite pieces she’s made, an abstract vaselike basket with a distorted silhouette and raw edges, was constructed entirely using leftover reed from some of her other projects. Ridings said that limiting herself to only using leftover and recycled materials creates an exciting opportunity for her to “take some creative pressure

off” and to work more spontaneously, rather than trying to meticulously plan every last detail out. “Typically when I do that, and just wait and see it come together, it’s fun. It works out better than when I’m trying to plan it out,” she said. When looking toward the future, Ridings said she is interested in exploring her artistic side more when it comes to her work and seeing where that takes her. She has grown significantly as an artist and a business owner over the years, which begs the question of what comes next for the young designer. “I think a lot of the functionality and design versus just the expression of art, and I’m really interested in what it would look like for me to have shows and exhibits,” she said. “I’m not in that world; most of my connections are still fashion- or interior designrelated, but yeah, I don’t want to hold myself back from that.” •

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When you see a basket, then you’ll think of me, and that is sometimes bizarre.” - EMILY RIDINGS

DESIGNER AND ARTIST

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