On growing up following fashion:

“I have always been interested in fashion. The way that I dress is very instinctual for me. I’m very driven by comfort. I’ve been very inspired by my mother and my grandmother. I don’t feel like there are any [style] rules at all.”

Why comfort rules all:

“I can be present for other people when I’m in comfortable clothes. If I don’t feel comfortable in what I’m wearing, I can’t really show up the way that I want to. In high school and college, I had this narrative that if I’m going out, I have to wear a certain thing; I have to wear heels, I have to wear makeup. At this point, whatever I feel comfortable in, and whatever my instinct is, that’s what I need to wear.”

How family style inspires her:

“My grandmother passed away when I was five, so what I do remember was her clothes. I have memories of hanging out with her while she was in bed, and just remember no matter what, she was wearing a hat at all times. I think they were insane. Some of them had lace covering part of her face… She was always wearing a hat. I have some of them. People remember her for that.”

Her everyday style:

“My favorite things are things that I’ve had for a long time.

“I’m on the floor today working, so I’m wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. But I would also go to lunch right now. I look for bed-to-dinner. [laughs]”

She takes her footwear game very seriously:

“I love sneakers. I would wear sneakers almost every day. Or clogs. I wear a lot of adidas. If you’re worried that you’re a little too overdressed, you can just put sneakers on. I’ll really wear sneakers with anything. I have these combat boots by The Row. I am so obsessed that I have two pairs just in case they ever stop making them.

“I always wear crazy socks. I think that’s my biggest drawer. And I don’t put them in the dryer so that they stay OK.”

Her love of Superstars started young:

“I do remember thinking adidas Superstars were, and they are, so cool. When I was in high school, I got a pair of white ones with orange stripes, and I loved them. I wore them everywhere. It was the kind of thing that when I thought about them, I liked them, but then I got them and I was obsessed with them. The best pieces are things that you love, and then whenever you buy them, they grow on you even more. I don’t know, I just loved them. I want them back!

“I love the black-and-white Superstars. And I love an adidas tracksuit!”

Why DIY has always been a part of her aesthetic:

“I’ve always taken things apart and put them back together. The process is really important. Working with luxury materials and vintage, taking them apart, making them into objects or furniture, it happened really organically.”

How she got her start making her signature pieces:

“I was trying not to buy stuff and just repurpose things I had. Going through my closet, I found this old garment bag that was my dad’s, and the zipper was broken, so I upholstered this small folding chair with it. It’s also so much fun finding them. It’s like a treasure hunt through the internet, through these vintage stores and dealers. There was a lot of trial and error.”

The meaning behind reinventing designer luggage:

“I liked the idea of using the materials from luggage and giving it new life. I really believe that things hold on to energy, and I thought it was so cool that these bags had traveled around the world. Luggage is such a personal thing; when you move, with you when you make such huge changes in your life.”

How she describes her work:

“I think [what I do] blurs the lines of so many things. It’s a really authentic expression of who I am, because I don’t think that I’m a designer only, an artist only, I do so many different things. I feel like my work encompasses fashion, art, design, social media, and writing.”

On her process:

“Working with Garage magazine was a big moment for me. I’ve learned so much about myself and other people. I was also really proud of the process and being able to set boundaries and have self-respect. I was really nervous about it and just had to let go of ‘what are people going to think?’ I really just put myself out there and I did what I wanted to do.

“I don’t ever put anything out there that I don’t love and that doesn’t really speak to me. The quality in the furniture is amazing. It’s super strong, and I feel like it just has a good presence. Nothing is half-assed, and I’m proud of that.”

What sets her apart:

“I think that whatever you’re doing, if you’re doing it authentically and honestly, and it’s not driven by insecurity or fear, and you don’t worry about what other people think…if your work is a reflection of who you are, I think people can feel it.”

The Instagram shout-out of a lifetime:

“I’ve heard from a few of the brands [I use in my work]. Everything has been positive. Silvia Fendi reposted one of my chairs on Instagram. I was so excited.”

How her vibe extends to her decor:

“[My apartment] is just a complete mix of all the things that I love. There are so many things you think would contradict one another. There’s rims from Mercedes on my wall, but then I have this Peter Dayton painting. It’s like the inside of my brain.”

What’s next for her:

“I’m really excited [for the next year]. I’m working with Gagosian to create a few more chairs, and with a brand to do an installation in a pop-up in Soho that I’m excited about. I really would like to do a lot more collaboration and branch over to different arenas, like wellness, and bring together seemingly opposite brands.”