Meet Leah Rich | Slow fashion Designer, Painter, and Plant Dye Teacher

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

Hi Leah, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
The idea of work life balance is really interesting as an artist. I quit a desk job because of the lack of balance in my life; my personal life, my health, my eating and sleeping were all off. I quit my job and focused on balancing all those foundational things to life before “rebuilding” my work into what I do today, having an art studio and small business. For me, my physical and mental health come first, and that enables better work, maybe less output overall, but I feel good in my body, and that goes a long way.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I call myself a fashion designer, but what I really do is paint and dye clothes that have already been made. I layer color and texture and print making onto fabric to give it new life, a new personality, and keep things out of the landfill. It’s been a slow build to go from doing a lot of sewing in the beginning to doing more dyeing and teaching these days. It’s never been easy, and it still doesn’t pay the bills, but I keep finding ways to create and share my work, and those two practices in themselves are the medicine, the life force behind being an artist to me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Coffee and tea at hearth along with a delicious pastry. Butterfly pavilion, a long walk at City Park, if it’s warm enough, a picnic under one of the big oak trees. Dinner at La Loma or Uncle or Cartdriver. Dessert at my house because no one makes cookies as good as me!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Allie, owner of Fleur and the Fleur community. I started teaching plant dye classes at Fleur almost 2 years ago. Allie cultivates a community in her workshop space and encourages teachers to teach on a regular basis, giving the public a chance to discover new art classes, and giving artists an opportunity to teach. I am so grateful to be a part of the wonderful happenings at Fleur.

Website: https://roundtripgoods.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahrich/

Image Credits
Leah Rich