Meet Taylor Jackson | Fashion Designer & Crochet Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Taylor Jackson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Taylor, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
Besides the fact that crochet is often confused as knitting (crochet uses one hook, knitting uses two needles), I think many people are not aware that crochet cannot be made by a machine. Often, people will confuse a knit machine as something which can crochet, but that is incorrect. Every crochet scarf, beanie, and sweater that you see at Target or Zara had to be made by hand by someone. This is one of the beautiful things about the craft in my opinion. Every single item that I make was made with love, with my hands. There are so many conversations, binged tv shows, and late nights weaved into my pieces. This year I have found success on Tik Tok showing people just some of what it takes to produce a cardigan or needlepoint bag. I think it is important that others recognize the work that is put into crochet items. Recently there has been growing discussions surrounding the unethical practices in the fashion industry and I often point to $9 crochet hats at Target as an example. If Target can sell that hat at such a low cost, just imagine how little the person who made it was paid. When customers ask me to make similar hats, I have to charge at least $30 because of the cost of yarn and the 6+ hours that it took for me to make it. Even that isn’t enough for the effort I put into it, but in a society that is so used to fast, cheap fashion it is difficult to charge what you’re worth. The people I know in the crochet community are doing so much to educate consumers about ethical fashion. Next time you come across a crochet item at a fast fashion store, take a moment to think about the hands that made it.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

I think what sets my business apart is the fact that when all is said and done I am doing this for me. There could be absolutely nobody watching and I am still going to be crocheting clothes for myself. The thing that drives me is the desire to have the closet of my dreams. I love the feeling I get when someone asks where I bought something and I get to tell them that I made it. While others may get wrapped up in why things aren’t selling, I am able to acknowledge that I did not lose anything by sharing a new piece. Everything is made to order and made to measure. I only produce what has been ordered. So if my followers don’t order a certain item, I can just move onto the next item without feeling held down by inventory and still enjoy it in my own wardrobe. The beautiful thing about yarn is that it can always be unraveled and used for a new project.

While crocheting comes easy to me, growing it into a business has proved to have its challenges. I initially launched my business at the height of the pandemic, so it wasn’t too hard balancing my business and school (I was a freshman in college at the time). Once I returned to college, and classes started to get demanding, I found it difficult to both be a student, an artist, run my social media, push orders, and still have time to relax. I have had to learn that sometimes the best thing you can do is recognize that you cannot do it all at the same time. I used to be hard on myself, but I’m learning that stress can take an extreme physical toll on my body. The past four years has felt like one challenge after the next, the biggest one being my health. A lot of days are so good that I forget that one wrong step, one bite of the wrong food, and I am in so much pain. I feel like many entrepreneurs don’t discuss how frustrating it can be dealing with health issues while running a business. I feel guilty when I take longer to send out an order because I fell ill or when I have to push a launch because an allergic reaction made me fall behind schedule. Sometimes the best thing for me and my business is if I simply take a pause. Every time I do, I come back stronger than ever.

When people come across my brand I want them to see my passion. I hope that they understand that this craft brings me an immense amount of joy. Whether they can afford to purchase or not, just them following along on my journey shows how much they support me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
You absolutely have to try Bantum and Biddy located in Ansley Mall for brunch. As someone who is newly gluten free, I appreciate the large amount of gluten free foods that they serve- not to mention their food just being delicious. While we’re in that area, we could pop by Piedmont Park and enjoy some time in the sun and maybe catch a festival. Every perfect day for me has to include at least a little shopping. If you enjoy thrifting, I would suggest the Northside Drive Goodwill! To end the night, we would go to my new favorite Mexican food restaurant, La Hacienda, located by Midtown Highschool for tacos and margaritas.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I would like to take some time to shoutout my mom, Praise Jackson. From the time I started learning to crochet she has been extremely supportive. She understood that I needed this hobby as a way to relieve my stress and anxiety. During the beginning of the pandemic, when so much was going on in the world and in my family, it was my mom who pushed me to test the limits of my skill. She would pop into my room and say, “You know I would really love a crochet set… What about a bralette… Do you think you could make a lounge set? Something really soft and cozy!” My mom would take me to Michael’s to pick out yarn for new pieces and help me pick out the best colors. One of my favorite ways that she has helped me is by acting as a model for my brand. While I am a M/L, my mom is quite petite. Being able to test out new items on her smaller frame has been extremely helpful as I work to feel comfortable making other’s sizes. I truly appreciate her understanding when pieces I make for her take longer than planned (sometimes upwards of 6 months), I appreciate how she has made me feel nothing but beautiful when I model a piece for her, and I appreciate her willingness to listen and talk through my ideas. Thank you mommy for all you’ve done to support NYGC so far. I only hope that I can continue to make you beautiful clothes for your own closet!

Website: www.nygcbytaylor.com

Instagram: @nygcbytaylor

Facebook: NYGC By Taylor

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nygcbytaylor/featured

Other: Tik Tok; @nygcbytaylor