Freedom Clothing Collective is dedicated to celebrating independent Canadian design. With dozens of makers in stock we thought it was best for you to get to know them a bit better! Every other week we'll be profiling a different designer on our blog so you can know a little bit more of the who, what, where and why of Canadian style.
You may recognize Kathryn Rebecca as one of the women who works at Freedom but her work also adorns the shelves as well! Katie (as we know her) makes some of the most exquisite pieces we have in the shop. She works with gold, sterling silver and semi precious stones. The cuts and colours she uses are undoubtedly classic but there's always a thoughtful forward thinking quality to them. She was just recently at the One-Of-A-Kind show but she's at Freedom Clothing Collective all year! Follow her on twitter here and instagram here.
1. When did you first start making jewellery? What got you interested?
As a young girl I always had an interest in creating anything I could wear with my hands. I also had an interest in polishing coins to look shiny and brand new .;). As I became a teen I channeled that energy into creating beaded pieces. When it was time to choose what to apply for post secondary I looked at what I enjoyed doing in my spare time and thought jewellery school might be a good idea.
 2. Where do you draw your influences from? I draw my influences from nature. Particularly Muskoka's landscape.
I also draw influences from vintage jewellery and I love to look at contemporary art and fashion to inspire unique colour palettes.
3. What is your favourite material to work with?
 4. What methods do you use when you've conceived of a new piece? How much changes from when it's just an idea on a page to what it finally becomes?Day Dreaming becomes a sketch which becomes a wax which becomes a cast piece of jewellery!
For pieces within my production lines a lot can change as I allow myself to be led where my creative mind leads me. For custom work very little to nothing changes as I tend to take more time to explore in the sketching stages in order to ensure My client and I are on the same page.
 5. Do you have a favourite piece that you've made?
I really think of each piece I make as a little piece of myself so I don't have favourites.;) That being said I do have done pieces that challenge me either creatively or technically more then others and I love those for how they help me to grow as a designer and goldsmith.
6. Do you feel yourself part of an artist community in Toronto?
7. What are you looking forward to these days?  All images courtesy of Kathryn Rebecca Instagram |
Freedom Clothing Collective is a co-op committed to supporting local designers, artists and artisans. We promote environmentally sustainable practices and community-oriented programming.
