TAYLOR HENDERSON: FLAVORS CREATIVE GROUP
Taylor Henderson wants you to stop turning your graphic t-shirt design into more waste for the planet. We sat down with him to discuss the Flavor Creative Group’s vision for sustainable fashion. We also got a chance to chat with him about their involvement in Up Next ATX, an upcoming C3 event bringing together some of the most talented burgeoning artists in our city to benefit the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. Take a look.
CC: Talk a little about Flavors.
TH: We started Flavors the end of 2016. We released our first lineup on October 28. Basically a little project, a blog if you will, to capture the aesthetics of the culture around us and bring forth the talent of local individuals and get people out there that weren’t exposing themselves.
We really started to take off and do clothing. Our first lineup just about sold out so we started a philosophy and started to really build up a company. In a world of modernizing quantity over quality, we strive to be the opposition in that. We embody creativity and the idea that adapting endless imagination and possibilities to create unique garments and timeless accessories is the way of the future.
CC: Accessories?
TH: We’ve taken authentic Goyard and Louis Vuitton and made lighter holders. We’ve made raw leather lighter holders. We’ve done a lot of hand-made clutches and backpacks and tote bags wrapped in vinyl. We’ve really tried to branch out and take clothing and try to adapt it into something we can use for everyday purposes. Taking everyday materials we wear and trying to make it creative as well as productive.
The world doesn’t need a million more t-shirts. The world doesn’t need a million more things that have already been done. Graphic t-shirts are cool and they’re a huge part of where we started and where we can go from here, but in the long run, sustainability, being aware and protecting the environment, is something that should be on everybody’s mind. It’s not just on the liberal side anymore.
It’s definitely something you see in the oil industry you know, it’s ⅓ of the waste of the world. Well, now the fashion industry is the 2nd [leader in creating waste]. We really have to get out of this fast fashion mentality and get back into trying to preserve and upcycle and look at Goodwill and secondhand fabric shops and what-not as places with unique opportunities and endless ideas rather than cheap and unwanted.
CC: Why are you excited about Up Next ATX?
TH: They’ve incorporated all different areas of art media. That’s extremely important today and extremely important in Austin. Being the music capital of the world, other things might get shadowed. This event is bringing light to other artists and making sure that people are aware that there’s so much talent in this city and also shining a light on the main purpose, HAAM. We’re bringing a bunch of very gifted individuals together and we’re able to raise awareness and give back to a very very good cause.
If you’re trying to do something bigger and better for yourself, it should also help your community. Everything we do, we try to give back to the community. Almost every lineup we’ve done over the last year we’ve given back to several organizations and made sure we show our appreciation for our city that takes care of us.
Do your wardrobe a favor and go check out Taylor’s vision for Flavors.
Mark your calendar and come to Scoot Inn on Thursday, May 2nd to check out some of the Flavors Creative Group’s gear at Up Next ATX, a C3 production benefiting Health Alliance for Austin Musicians.