Blackberry Exchange
Issue #26
Recycled clothes with an urban feel give this Columbia, Missouri, shop its tart flava
By Angie Vo
Published: December 1st, 2005 | 4:29pm
Laura Wilson inherited a love of fashion from her mother and grandmother. “My grandmother was one of those ladies who always matched her hat, belt, shoes, all of that,” Wilson says. A tight budget throughout childhood pushed Wilson to develop a thrifty and distinctive style and propelled her to open Blackberry Exchange in downtown Columbia, Missouri.
Wilson’s clothing line, Blackberry Creations, is sold at 21 locations around the world, including shops in Canada and Nigeria. She, along with head seamstress Jaime Supan and store manager Sarah Chatterton, are the driving forces behind Blackberry Creations. The line is housed within Wilson’s store, which came into being in 1998, when Wilson purchased the shop from her former employer and made it her haven.
In its seven years in business, Blackberry Exchange has evolved considerably. Today, its trademark deconstructed denim skirts, hand-dyed vintage slips, and use of recycled materials is garnering Blackberry Creations a reputation for quality goods made at a living wage. Their use of recycled material gives the Blackberry Creation designers freedom to create at will, without a huge financial investment. “We’re not like typical designers … we can literally have an idea today, make it, and have it on the rack by tomorrow,” says Wilson.
Seasonal trends play a small part in Blackberry Creations’ urban, hip-hop-inspired look, but it’s no surprise that music is another major influence. “I find art in everything, especially music,” says Wilson. She lists Sam Cooke, Mos Def, Bob Marley, and Erykah Badu as some of the musical artists who inspire her. She also finds inspiration in the customers themselves and what they wear. “I don’t buy into the pretension of fashion. I like the idea of it being accessible to everyone — whatever you want to wear, however you want to wear it.”
Even in her hours away from the store and clothing line, Wilson finds ways to give back to the community through her unique capacities in the fashion and business world. For the past two years, she has been involved with No-Limit Ladies, a student group of minority women at Columbia’s Hickman High School. She has talked to the young women about careers in fashion and hosted a fashion show, featuring the No-Limit Ladies in Blackberry Creations.
Just as Blackberry Creations allows its buyers to express themselves, Blackberry Exchange allows Wilson to live life as she sees fit. “If I’m going to be involved in something that takes up 14 to 15 hours a day everyday, it has to uplift me,” she says. “It is a way to make a living and have the life I want to lead.”
Check out Blackberry Creations at blackberrycreations.com or on eBay seller “blackberryrevampedvintageplus.”
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