Resist Consumption

Jennifer Love Gironda

Interview by L. Valena
January 13, 2025

Let’s start from the top. Can you describe the prompt that you responded to?

The work I responded to said “Resist Consumption.” It was a collage or assemblage, and it had Scrabble pieces on it. The main thing that really struck me was that message because it ties into something I love to do: recycled fashion illustration.

That's amazing. Tell me about your process—the first thoughts and feelings that came up, and what happened next?

First, I was thinking that if I'm trying to resist consumption, then I probably shouldn’t use any new materials or go out and buy anything for this project. I have to use what I’ve got on hand. That prior week, my husband bought this big ol’ thing of Wendy's chili, the family size that we can have for a couple meals. I knew I needed a nice paper to work with, and it's a nice bright red. So I went and dug it out of the trash—luckily it wasn't too far deep in there—and that's what I used for my fabric or material for the piece.

I love it! How did you get into your trash fashion illustration? Where did that idea come from?

I’m a high school art teacher, and right now I'm at a beautiful private school. I love my school and my students and I'm really excited to bring these ideas to them. But I haven’t always worked at a private school. Years ago, I started doing recycled fashion with my students out of necessity. But we got better products from using this “trash” than with brand new things. It also taught the students to use what's around you, and reduce, reuse, and recycle. So I started doing this with my students years ago, actual 3D fashion, and I eventually brought it into my work, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve done workshops with people making greeting cards out of scraps instead of throwing them out. I think it sends a positive message. You have to be really creative. Sometimes I'll look at the colors or shapes, or what it looks when it is ripped up, to get ideas for what the garment might look like.

Do you have a background in fashion yourself?

I don't. I went to East Carolina and did a double major in art education and textiles, so I did weaving, dye work, hand-beading—I love making appliques. I started making daily art in 2012. I felt that, being an art teacher, I wasn’t making enough of my own work, so I challenged myself to make a piece of art every day. I’ve been doing it every day since. Fashion was a thing I kept moving toward and then I discovered fashion illustration. I got hooked. So when left to do anything I want, it’s sketch fashion.

I think the idea of resisting consumption in terms of fashion is important. I love fashion as well, but with today’s fast fashion, consumption seems like a major issue. I love that this dress itself is resisting consumption.

Yes, by its very creation it's resisting consumption. I did a little shout-out to the previous artist, because when you lift up the little purse it says, “Resist Consumption.”

I also love that, in this case, it's also involving food. This is food packaging we’re talking about.

And there’s plenty of that! People have started rethinking what is done with that. You know, it’s a paper source, maybe you just cut it up and write your grocery list on it.

And I love that you incorporated the “Contents Hot” label!

Yeah, I was trying to find something to grab your attention, and I liked the way Wendy's face looked as a design element, I included that at the top.

So great.

Growing up, we never had money. It just wasn't a thing. So I think this gets me back to my roots. One might think, “I don’t have anything,” but you really have everything. You have to be creative and figure out new uses for things. And like I said, I think that’s a really positive message to get out, not just to kids but to everybody.

Yeah, it's so easy. In this society, we have so much at our disposal all the time. Not only can we get anything we want, but we can get it within 24 hours.

And that's awesome, but you take it for granted. And then you think about the packaging that takes, and the receipt paper… you’re always leaving a carbon footprint.

Yeah, everything! We’re just burning through resources at an unbelievable pace!

I feel I'm in a unique position because I'm an art teacher at a Marianist Catholic high school and one of our principles is sustainability. My school is getting these kids ready to be part of a world where they’re going to have to think about prolonging the earth and its resources. So this experience really goes with who I am as an artist, and how I grew up, and my teaching too. It all goes together.

Yeah, pretty beautifully. That’s great. Can you imagine wearing this dress?

I actually can! When I make a dress, I love an asymmetrical look to it, big hips, fullness at the bottom, elongated neck, sass. I love to add those elements to it. The proportions are always crazy, but I really have fun using my imagination.

Yeah, that's what fashion is all about. If you could have your wish, what event would you wear this dress to?

It would be great to wear it to the Met Gala. (Met Gala, if you're listening…) Met Gala, but with a recycled materials theme. And Wendy's could say, “We’ll give you chicken sandwiches and chili, make this dress!” That would be really cool to make an actual piece out of things and wear it on a bougie, bougie red carpet. Super fancy, where these things should not be. You know?

[laughs] Yes, yes. Met Gala, if you’re listening… [both laugh] Fabulous. Is there something else you want to mention that I haven’t asked about yet?

I definitely want to plug the word “trashion” because it's my favorite thing. Trashion, actual, fashion made of trash. Trashion illustrations, trashion jewelry... I love all trashion. And it definitely goes with what I do. Let’s see, I've been doing daily art for 13 years. I counted it out the other day and it's over 4700 pieces, and at least half of that work is fashion illustration. I'll dedicate whole months to recycled fashion and illustrations. And I might change it up: I'm inspired by “Wicked,” so this month I'm doing Wicked-inspired fashion and illustration. Every month I'm doing something, but this is a theme that I really enjoy, and I go back to time and time again.

My friend Quinn Miller is the one who told me about Bait/Switch, so let’s definitely shout out to Quinn.

We love Quinn.

He's the best! Anything he tells me about, I just say, “Sign me up.” But I didn’t know what to expect! It's a little overwhelming. But it's just like when I'm doing my recycled fashion. You look around and find something to focus on and then see where your mind will take you. And a lot of times, you already have it in you. For me to get “Resist Consumption” is like, how could this have gone to a better person? This is perfect for what I do. So it's about seeing whatever the theme of the piece is and pairing it with what you do as an artist.

Do you have any advice for another artist participating in this project for the first time?

I definitely encourage anybody out there who doesn't have a daily art practice to get one. You might not like everything you're making, but you're making stuff, and it feels good.

Call Number: O129VA | O130VA.giRe

Jennifer Love Gironda studied art at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC where she obtained her BFA and MAEd degrees. A National Board-Certified Teacher licensed to teach art in NC and FL, she has taught art in various grade levels, K-12 for over twenty years and currently teaches at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory in Hollywood. She has been creating a piece of art every day since January 2012, and in the past few years has focused on fashion illustration.