Burke Residency 35: Lily Forbes

EMMA: Please introduce yourself and tell us a little about Lily Forbes (the person and the brand)! 

LILY: I grew up in Colorado and Washington, DC in a family of environmentalists, artists, educators, and social activists. Our home was rather bohemian, with art supplies covering the kitchen table, rabbits roaming freely in the backyard, my brother building some sort of Medieval contraption, and always lots of cousins running around barefoot. We were always outside, and through this connection and love of nature, there was a familial emphasis on treating the planet with care. 

My interest in design began when I was in elementary school and I started a greeting card company with my fashion drawings to raise money for Save the Children. As the youngest, I grew up wearing everyone’s hand-me-downs and developed a reverence for vintage, unisex, and durable fashion. I was always thrifting with my mother and learned a lot about textiles through the racks of history that others gave away. A major design influence has also been my childhood spent playing sports: soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, circus, dance, and cheer. 

I studied Geography and Development at UC Berkeley, and Fashion design at Central Saint Martins. For my minor, I conducted research on the dynamics of fair trade practices in India, and ended up partnering with a women’s collective to create a line of naturally dyed accessories. I wrote my thesis on the role of small businesses within the changing social dynamics caused by gentrification in West Oakland. Through my research, I became very intrigued with Detroit and the opportunity within urban development to rewire systems of inequality. 

I founded LILY FORBES in 2018, marrying my academic background with my passion for design. I create socially and environmentally conscious clothing with a focus on timeless silhouettes in thoughtfully sourced textiles and production practices. When I started, I was predominantly working with a fairtrade women’s production house in Delhi, India, and sourcing heritage textiles through fourth generation weavers and natural dyers. When I moved to Los Angeles in 2021 I started sourcing mostly deadstock textiles and producing locally. Today, the vast majority of my production is done in house at our Echo Park studio by the wonderful and talented Señor Rafael. 

LILY FORBES is an evolving entity and has intimately lived with me through the arc of the past six years. As I have traveled, grown up, fallen in love, been heart broken, moved, moved again, fallen in love, gotten engaged, moved again, etc etc…my work has been imprinted with all of the changes and growth. That is the dance of the artist. Ultimately, today LILY FORBES is about bringing delight to people in the form of thoughtful clothing. It is about the role of the second skin inspiring us, moving us, honoring us. One of my favorite quotes by Joseph Campbell captures this sentiment I seek to be a part of: “I think that what we're seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances with our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.” I seek to inspire the rapture with my designs. 

E: How did you make the move from Detroit to Los Angeles, and how have you found small business and artists communities here compared to there? What are some of the most significant changes to your business post-quarantine? 

L: I lived a beautiful 5 years in Detroit which I am forever grateful for. Ultimately, I came to a crossroads where I felt limited as a designer/small business owner because the necessary infrastructure for growth was not available locally. I started planning my move to LA and in late 2020 my friend had a spare room opening in this special building owned by nuns. 

The artist community in Detroit is very special. In my experience, everyone helps each other, shares resources, and generally feels that all boats rise with the same tide. People are really in it for the community, art, and expression. There is an overarching reality that no one really has a lot of money, so the social capital is very rich. The focus is on the offering as opposed to its capitalization. Small businesses are very supportive of Detroit makers and people are excited about anything made in Michigan. 

Overall, in LA, I have found very sweet, like-minded artist/small business collaborators who are in it for the community and the quality of their offering. The cost of living necessitates a more capitalist spirit, but I am fortunate to have found people who also love to create art for art's sake. LA is huge; there are so many scenes within scenes. I think it requires more trust building here because there is less accountability in a larger city, and people are more cautious of being taken advantage of or of social climbing. I’ve been in LA off and on for the past 3 years, and am excited to keep growing my community here. 

The biggest change post quarantine is being in LA and producing mostly domestically. In Detroit I had a small handful of styles, versus today I have north of 50 since working with LA pattern makers. My use of deadstock silk has also grown a lot since being in LA, and my line has become a lot more femme because of this textile shift. I also do a lot of custom work because my team is local. 

E: Lily Forbes pieces are often hand-dyed and always use gorgeous fabrics that will last - can you share about how you select fabrics for your pieces? Do you have a favorite textile or a textile that you haven't worked with but would love to in the future? 

L: I am really particular about the textiles I use and the production quality of my garments. To me, the ingredients make the meal. My line consists of entirely natural fabrics, mostly silk and cotton, because these fibers wear well over time and maintain their value. And they feel great on the skin! 

When I first started, I was working with fourth generation natural dyers and loom weavers in Uttar Pradesh, India to make gorgeous denim. Precious cloth like this used to be something that was passed down generation to generation (and in many cultures still is), and I am really inspired by this preciousness. It is such an honor to work with artisans of this high skill and to be able to support heritage techniques that are sadly dying off. Also, these kinds of textiles become more beautiful with age, which allows them to be in circulation longer. 

That’s really the whole game–how do you make something that people will hold dearly, consistently want to wear, and/or keep in their closets? For me, it’s all about beautiful, high quality textiles.  

I have not been back to India since the pandemic, but when I return I would love to work with ikat artisans and embroiderers! I am such a fan of this technique!

E: In interviews you've shared that you come from a family that was politically active and artists - did you always know that your work would be dedicated to a craft and committed to sustainability? 

L: Yes. Both of my parents are very driven by their desire to contribute and propel positive change in their corner of the universe. They definitely raised my siblings and me with a strong ethical code and instilled in us a sense of purpose.

E: Can you share about your creative process when designing garments? Where do you draw inspiration? 

L: My inspiration comes from everywhere! I was just at a classical music concert and drifted off into all of these visions for new designs. I have a notebook of my sketches and photos in my phone and collected imagery that is an ongoing inspiration chest, when I sit down to design I just go into my trove. My partner and I have a beautiful library of art books (he is a painter) which I am constantly reviewing for reference. Surprisingly, I am very inspired by materials and knowing what I tangibly have to work with, as opposed to inventing materials to work with. It’s a bit of a chicken and egg, but I find that I am more creative with limitations. Whenever I am in need of inspiration I go for a hike or some sort of immersion in nature.

E: Lily Forbes garments are made in Los Angeles, India, and Peru. How did you come to find the fair trade production houses you've worked with? Have you been able to visit those places while you've developed Lily Forbes? How did it change your perspective as a designer and independent business owner? 

I had worked with a handful of people in LA before I met Señor Rafael who now heads all of my domestic production. I was fortunate to meet him through our mutual friend Sofia. I really wanted to work directly with the person cutting/sewing my designs so I could ensure wage transparency and working conditions. He ended up moving into my studio in Echo Park and now all of the production is done in house! We are able to troubleshoot issues together and help each other grow as small business owners. He is my colleague and friend. 

E: It's been challenging for independent businesses - brands and shops alike - to thrive these last couple years; we've unfortunately seen well-established sustainable and ethical brands announce their closures. What advice do you have for someone seeking to begin a sustainable and ethical label of their own in 2024?

L: Aaa yes it has been a rough couple of years! I have had to let go and really learn to flow! The best advice I can give is to respect the process. Growing a brand is a long journey with so many learning moments (some more painful than others) and surprises. Try not to squeeze the juice out of it, hold dearly not tightly. Remember to have fun whenever possible and water the joy of why you do what you do. If it becomes too doomsday, what is the point? I also think that the ‘rules’ of this industry are rather irrelevant and ever-changing. Fashion is fillllled with smoke and mirrors, and it is important to decipher what is necessary and what is circus. I think that we have to engage in this industry in a way that serves us and our communities as opposed to fueling the wasteful, late stage capitalist machine of mainstream consumerism.