Today we’d like to introduce you to Hillary Jeffers.
Hi Hillary, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in the greater Savannah area. I graduated from Georgia Southern University in May 2017 with a B.S. in Fashion Merchandising and Apparel Design with an emphasis in design. After graduation, I completed a costume design internship with Hope Summer Repertory Theatre in Holland, MI. I instantly fell in love with costume design and worked in the industry for the next 6 years. After COVID and a stent in NYC, I was burnt out and needed a change. I have always been an entrepreneur at heart and decided to start Midnight Menagerie in the fall of 2022. 3 years later and I’m still at it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting a small business is never easy, especially in a post COVID world. I’m always juggling my need to create, trying to maintain enough inventory to keep a full booth, and struggling to find consistent local markets to sell my wares. I have also leapt at many promising opportunities along the way that did not pan out. There have been financial and personal loses along the way, but I am proud of all the amazing things I have created.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
When people ask me what I do its a hard question to answer. Some would say apparel designer, multimedia artist, or seamstress. I try to express myself, my identity, and my view on the world thru everything I create. At my core I am a Queer artist from the south, always rooting for equality and acceptance. My work reflects that thru my apparel designs, often depicting queer “slurs” and reclaiming the “otherness” put upon queer people by society at large. I specialize in up-cycling existing garments into something new, fun, and filled with purpose. My recreated garments are self described as funky punk. I always aim to carry sizes XS-6X. Something that sets me apart from other artists or vintage sellers is my unique perspective, my sustainability advocacy, and my size inclusivity. I am most proud of being a safe space for like minded people.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Its hard to see where the next 5-10 years will take us. Hopefully we will all still be here fighting the good fight. I hope that the art industry at large moves towards community involvement and supporting local artists and not AI. I want everyone to embrace each-other and what makes us a community and not how we can compete with each other or who can make the most money the quickest.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://midnightmenagerieshop.com
- Instagram: @midnight_menagerie_shop
