Moth Snow on Sustainable Fashion, Kingston, and Creative Community in the Hudson Valley

Textile artist and sustainable fashion maker Moth Snow talks about moving from Philadelphia to Kingston, building a creative practice in the Hudson Valley, and turning secondhand garments into wearable works of art.

What brought you to the Hudson Valley?

I always wanted to be closer to the mountains, without missing out on an artist community.

I was in Philadelphia for a good eight years, but when my partner moved up to Accord, I began visiting for a week each month. I fell in love with Kingston and the surrounding area — there were really sweet people doing interesting things, an artist community, and also that connection to nature and that small-town mentality.

What kind of nature do you enjoy?

Any time spent by water is a good time, whether it’s 20 minutes or a whole afternoon.

I love a good hike. I’ve been going to Ashokan a lot, by the reservoir. There are so many rocks and trees and interesting things to notice, and that feeds back into my artistic practice. I can spend time in the forest and notice the small things and bring that back into the studio.

How do you explain your work to someone who's not familiar with it?

My work has been focused in textiles for a really long time, but I like to say that I'm an illustrator first and a painter second, and then a sustainable fashion maker.

Whatever I make can be on a lot of different surfaces, but the most common surface has been clothing and textiles. I get secondhand canvases — a bed sheet, a pair of jeans — and illustrate on them to make a washable, wearable work of art that then gets to live a much longer life.

The garment becomes more appreciated, and the wearer gets to appreciate some of the symbology that I put in my work: this is my favorite flower or this is my favorite place that I've been or it's a symbol that makes them feel empowered or seen. And then they get to reflect that feeling back into the world.

I like to say it’s almost like tattooing clothes.

How has living in the Hudson Valley impacted your creative practice?

I really benefit from this space being slower than my life in Philadelphia. I'm able to take a little more time in my day and hone in on what I want to do next.

When I moved my business here, I was starting to rethink what I wanted to do with my 10 years of illustration work and creative design and sustainable fashion. I wanted to pivot that mastery into a new offering — something that makes really special memorial objects for people.

The sustainable fashion community here has been wonderful to be a part of.

Everyone here has been so friendly and welcoming and willing to say each other's names in important rooms that it's been a wonderful experience being part of it.

You had an established business and creative practice, and then you moved it to a totally different community. What's that like?

A little daunting at first, but I like to joke that I found my trio of thrift stores that sold items for $2 and knew I can make it work here. After about six months of panic, I was able to complete some of the biggest jobs that I've ever done.

A good amount of my audience is still in Philadelphia. Growing my audience here was a bit of a leap of faith. But things kept rising to meet me in different occasions. There are so many people here that are making unique work in the fashion space and the sustainability space, and fine artists making it work and wearing a lot of different hats.

I made a wedding tapestry for these folks where I was able to interview them a couple different times and make a character and symbol for all these different meaningful moments in their relationship and make a six foot square tapestry for them. That was a crescendo moment, from being able to take my work out of this small space where I'm making things that people like to making something so meaningful for such a pivotal moment of celebration.

Like most small business owners, I'm constantly adapting the business as it needs to grow to survive, but to also meet what is exciting to me as an artist and creative. It’s a living organism that grows and shrinks throughout the year.

I started the brand around 2015, so it's been a solid decade of making work in this way. It’s changed from dyeable fabric to illustrated things to block printing and illustration. There's a healthy mix of different processes that flow in and out of the brand's identity.

What would you want to make easier for the next person who is uprooting themselves and coming into the area?

Being friendly and generous with your time is a big part of that. Nobody is able to do the big dream all alone. Partnering with people, talking about their vision, coming in with a helpful hand — that springs new opportunities for everyone, from helping someone workshop ideas for what’s next all the way to watching their shop for a couple of days.

Be helpful and lend insights where you can, but also listen and be part of their bigger story. A lot of free labor goes into a community, and one way to connect with each other is to take on a little responsibility and support one another.

What do you hope to see for the Hudson Valley creative scene in the next five years?

I’d like to see more growth and connection. I’ve seen some real momentum lately — things like the Hudson Valley Sustainable Fashion Week Organic Runway Show and Upstate Art Weekend expanding each year. The way those circles are starting to overlap will be a defining moment for the region, and it’s creating a kind of creative cross-pollination that ripples outward.

How did you get connected with Hudson Valley Sustainable Fashion Week?

I moved here in the winter, and when spring came I started to peek my head out and see what I could do to get more plugged into the community. I’d heard about Kaitlyn [Murray] at Après L’amour, and I was googling for information about sustainable fashion around here, and I found that and applied.

It was a great experience. I hadn't made a full collection with models since my senior thesis show, so pulling that together as a more grown-up version of myself with a larger brand was amazing. I also ended up headlining that show, which was such a treat — to be the first brand that walked down that runway, with the golden light and all my clothing, really was stunning. It was meant to be seen in that space, with that lighting and that timing.

It was such a cool experience to see all these individual brands and styles coming together to create a community offering that was low-cost and high-reward to its audience. Going to those events and supporting people, even with a kind word, is so invigorating for that community. It's a unique experience to be a solo entrepreneur — you don’t have coworkers around you, but we get that sense of community when we meet at craft shows or work together on big projects like this.

Whenever I come away from an experience like that, I'm always so excited and re-enthused about doing the work we're doing, telling people that there's enough on this planet already and that we can use really creative solutions and our time and our talents to make things better. And I think that's what a lot of sustainable brands have at their heart — seeing what we can make out of the things that are cast off but have so much potential.

How can people get involved with your work?

I sell my work right now at Made X Hudson in Catskill and Hudson. They're a great sustainable business — a boutique and factory.

I have my own studio in the Makery in Kingston, right above Village Coffee. I'll be doing open studio classes. And you can find me online — my website is touchthreads.com. My portfolio website for my larger work is mothsnow.com. And if you're a retailer, feel free to let me know.

I'm setting up another round of regular monthly offerings where people can come to my studio and use my blocks to print on their own garments. It's an easy way to try out printmaking without having to buy any of the materials or be worried about your skill as an illustrator. Just come and see the process, learn the tips and tricks, and you can customize something you already own, cover a stain, or revitalize something in your closet so you're really excited to wear it again.

It's a great way to try out printmaking, get some experience in textiles, and see what's possible in your own home. You don't have to come to me for my services. You can just learn a little bit, get excited, and bring it back to your kitchen table.