Collection: Cloth Butcher::Textile Chef

California-born Kathy Benson grew up in Wyoming and Texas, migrating to California to do graduate work in English literature. She’s been a high-school English and French teacher, and spent years in the fashion business in San Francisco. Transplanted to Sacramento, she now focuses on redesigning apparel discards.Her design process derives from passion for natural-fiber textiles, expertise in garment architecture, and constant joy in the challenges she encounters as she works. Every one-of-a-kind piece in her ever-evolving repertoire represents a conversation between the artist and the material, each item a collectible statement. 

Discarded garments doomed for landfill become the main ingredient for Textile Chef designs. Designer Kathy Benson tracks down distinctive items from thrift and vintage stores, deconstructs them as a butcher would a carcass, seasons them with eclectic treasures from her designer’s pantry, and cooks up new apparel, accessories, and home decor. Every Textile Chef design is a fusion of curated elements--cloth cuisine to please your palate.