Meet Alison Spanner | Owner and Seamstress at Gather + Sew

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

Hi Alison, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Gather + Sew approaches positive social impact in two ways.

First, everything produced by Gather + Sew is made with vintage or secondhand textiles. The goal has always been to keep existing materials out of land fills, while decreasing demand for new materials. Many of the fabrics and linens that we use are partially faded, stained, or otherwise ruined, but we use up whatever pieces we can, and only end up throwing away the damaged parts. Torn quilts and stained table cloths still absolutely have value, and can be transformed into something wearable that will last for many more years. While this is better for the environment, it of course takes much longer, which brings us to to the second area of social impact.

A big aspect of Gather + Sew is educating consumers about the differences between Fast Fashion and Slow Fashion, so that buyers can make informed decisions. We try to highlight the shortcomings and dangers of the Fast Fashion industry – abuse of employees, terrible environmental impacts, poor quality garments requiring frequent replacement – while also showing consumers all of the work that goes into actually making an ethical, Slow Fashion garment in order to explain the higher price point. We really strive to keep our overhead low, so that we can make Slow Fashion garments that are as financially accessible as possible.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I didn’t start out as an artist, or as a business person. My formal education background is actually in Social Work. While that doesn’t seem related to what I do now, it really has informed a lot of the social justice aspects of my business. My anger over the human rights violations committed repeatedly by the Fast Fashion industry, as well as the constant pollution of environments where marginalized groups live, is really fueled by my Social Work education. From Social Work, I moved into retail, which was really unexpected and kind of plopped into my lap. I worked directly with customers, which drives my customer services policies now, and dipped my toes into buying, which helps me understand the market and what consumers are looking for. When Covid hit, I started Gather + Sew as a way to stave off boredom and cope with depression while I was stuck at home. And it has kept on rolling from there!

The above version of events is definitely the simplified, sugar coated version. Personally, I found the whole process of transitioning into owning my own creative business to be incredibly challenging. I still feel a lot of guilt over “giving up” on Social Work, but it just wasn’t a field that was conducive to good mental health for me. I have chronic depression, anxiety, and ADHD, and a 40 hour week full of really challenging, interpersonal work just wasn’t personally sustainable. Starting Gather + Sew has definitely been an exercise in accepting my own limitations, and shifting to focus on my strengths rather than my shortcoming. That is still very much a work in progress, and I definitely experience my fair share of imposter syndrome.

I am so proud of making products that people love, while honoring my ancestry and upbringing. I learned to sew at a young age from my grandmother, who made a lot of clothing for her children, and also some of her own when she was young. When people see and comment on the hard work and detail that goes into my pieces, it is the best feeling in the world. In those moments, I know that all of the previous sewers, makers, doers, menders, needs must-ers in my family are smiling down on me. I love my work, and I hope that shows in every piece I make.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Choosing places to eat in Houston is hard! We have so many good restaurants. For nice dinners, I love Squable and Tiny Champions. For more casual meals, my go to spots are Cantina Barba and Gypsy Poet – cause you can’t beat tacos or pizza. I also love Wanna Bao, Asia Market Thai Lao Food, and Mala Sichuan Bistro (the one on Westheimer). If I’m just having a drink, I usually head to Big Star, which is a comfy dive bar that is actually still a dive.

Houston is home to so many great small business. Some of my favorites to shop at are Mala Market, Green Home & Co, British Isles, Space Montrose, and the Guild Shop.

For a night of dancing, it’s hard to beat Barbarella or Numbers Night Club. Both have an ‘anything goes’ vibe, as far as patrons and dress code.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to my dear old Dad! All of my family and friends have been extremely supportive, but my dad has gone above and beyond. He sources a lot of the fabric and textiles that we use, and gets them at killer prices, which allows us to keep our costs way down. As an owner of his own small business, his opinions and knowledge have been invaluable to me. Perhaps most importantly, he boosts my spirits when I’m feeling frustrated, or ready to quit. I don’t think Gather + Sew would exist without him.

Website: www.gathernsew.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gathernsew/

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