From Seeds & Stirring to Sewing & Strutting

Written by Elijah Hykamp

Summer Issue '24 - Online Shop

By 9am, other vendors were straightening prints, fluffing pillows, and adding final touches to what can only be described as fully staged prefabricated living rooms of booths. Meanwhile, I found myself combing through my square parcel of the Old Art Building’s thick lawn for a pesky missing screw. My Suttons Bay shop, nykamping, was exactly a week old, yet I stuffed Ronald the Rogue to the moonroof with my entire inventory of handmade clothes, and a Square credit card reader I was unsure would cooperate. Feeling a tad dewy after assembling a tent (already tearing) and clothes racks (precariously bowlegged), it was 9:45am and the “good enough principle” was put into effect. My artist market booth neighbor and I had said a quick hello upon arrival, but between the screw recovery on all fours and the light sheen on my forehead, her set-up style exuded gobs more grace, poise, and experience than mine. I told her I was headed to Madcap to grab an iced latte and to take a few unhurried breaths, and asked if she wanted something / would she look over my booth; but if I’m late returning and someone snags anything, to just let them take it. 

My booth neighbor was Isa Scott, owner of Circles & Cycles Alchemy. Throughout the day, I’d peek through my clothes rack to check in. We’d chat about her skincare oils, but mostly her botanically dyed silk scrunchies, bandanas, and pillow cases. My mind boggled at the deep blues, oranges, reds, and yellows, learning that they were natural colors derived from indigo, cosmos, madder root, and marigold that she planted in her Northport garden. Subconsciously, that information filed itself away in my brain. 

We followed each other on Instagram and sent virtual support in the form of likes and comments. In February, I direct messaged Isa blatantly stating, “I need to reach out to you about a collab!!!” with arguably a few too many exclamation points. After lattes from Hive Coffee Co. and more than a few in-person exclamations of, “I think we can do this,” we made a game plan. Themes from our businesses and the collection began unfolding and connecting immediately. Releasing the collection on June 20 for summer solstice seemed celebratory of the season’s cycle, Leelanau’s peak moment of summer, and the growth in Isa’s garden. “And how cool would it be to release the collection through a fashion show,” I threw out nonchalantly, yet with plenty of enthusiasm. So it was settled. The Foxglove Farm in Suttons Bay would host the collaborative fashion of Circles & Cycles Alchemy with nykamping on June 20 to celebrate summer solstice, natural botanical dyeing, and slow fashion. 

Since I am committed to sourcing 95% of my textiles secondhand, I immediately started seeking out pre-loved undyed cottons, linens, and silks. It was a community effort, between thrift stores, friends finding remnants, and Kelly Kehl (Little Beauty Kitchen) offloading her collection of textiles. Isa & I made a weekly plan to swap—I would provide her with the undyed specimens and she would hand over the dyed batch. Week after week, Isa would show up to the nykamping shop with arms full of once white fabric now in the loveliest gradients. The drop off of fabric dyed in marigold produced the deepest mustard, vibrant dandelion, and softest butter yellow. Exhausting the dye baths left less and less amounts of dye, meaning the first textiles in the bath were exposed to the richest color, and reduced the concentration. Isa’s eyes brighten at any opportunity to explain her process; the passions of chemistry and ecological gardening colliding with artistry and explosions of color.

The use of secondhand textiles checked a necessary box for my business, but the fabric also needed to be free of polyester for Isa’s dyes to set. The added criteria of natural textiles (linen, cotton, silk) fell in sync with a sourcing direction I could feel myself aiming towards. While a polyester (plastic) garment takes up to 200 years to degrade—not decompose, just break into permanent smaller pieces—it takes around two weeks for a pure linen garment to fully decompose. Isa’s business mission of respecting the circles and cycles of the earth highlights both growth and decay of dye materials and natural fibers starting from seed, then being reclaimed by the soil. Even her varied plant-based colors bring awareness to seasonal availability, growth cycles, and the slow intentions of regenerative farming. With fast fashion options surrounding us, Isa and I wanted to offer clothing pieces honoring the entire slow cycle within each part of the process.

My process is nykamping. It’s how I consider fashion, sustainable secondhand sourcing, ethical labor pay, body positivity, and local focuses. It’s creating clothing as a blanket and a comfort; an expression of self and an exclamation of support; a piece of a maker and a piece of a special place. Through the daily ritual of choosing which clothes to adorn our bodies, we intentionally and unintentionally tell the world and people around us what companies we support, how we feel about ourselves, and how we want others to see us. Some people shout it, while others let us know through whispers, hoping to go through each day unobserved. 

I witness the intention of people hoping to communicate their passion for small designers, local businesses, natural and plastic-free clothing, sustainably sourced materials, wearable art, zero waste design, and human imperfections. Wearing pieces from this Spring / Summer 2024 collection with Isa Scott adds in the incredible elements of the artistically irregular dye patterns created with botanical dyeing, local farming, and supporting creative collaborations in small communities. While important, the financial transaction is only half of the support. Wearing, styling, and confidently sharing about the “why” is equally as important to businesses like Circles & Cycles Alchemy and nykamping. 

Simplified, this concept of nykamping is just how I maneuver through life. Sewing closes the loops, quiets the inner voice, and empties my mind. Not all, but some of my pieces reflect my emotions during particular seasons. The fraying of raw edges and therapeutic tearing from my seam-ripper through cotton, only to patch and carelessly zigzag over holes. The neat and tidy hems with a just-so symmetrical collar. The challenge of arranging patchwork pieces and using every square inch of material. Without knowing, I’m inviting you into the chaos, frustrations, control, perfectionism, recklessness, and conquered challenges. Wearing a nykamping piece is being surrounded in the history of the textile, and also hugged by my time, energy, vision, and intentions.

I hug myself often. Not literally….but maybe I should? Depending on the size of the collection, I save a favorite piece from every collection for myself and rotate through them weekly. As an artist, keeping and enjoying your own work feels like investing in yourself. All of that output of time, energy, vision, and intentions circles back around. Some for the world, some for me. Creating and wearing my own pieces taught me countless lessons: gaining respect for garment laborers, rejecting all limitations of sizing, valuing personal style as a daily practice, and finally understanding Marie Kondo when she urges people to only keep pieces of clothing that “spark joy.” 

Wearing clothes that “spark joy” is a newer concept for me. Through a childhood in Holland and college at Hope, I never utilized clothes as anything other than function—there’s nothing wrong with that. This feels very west Michigan or even midwest, but I was raised with the frequent direction, “do not attract attention to yourself in a negative way.” This philosophy works well to encourage children towards positive public behaviors for everyone surrounding you. Without being fully dramatic and reading into it, I think that command also lived in the gray area of my brain that translated it to, “do not attract attention to yourself.” 

A massive part of fashion celebrates confident human beings taking chances and fully practicing the fake-it-til-you-make-it principle. I held the confidence but worried about fielding judging looks and comments. At 24 years old, while working in Glen Arbor at The Leelanau School, I felt entirely safe to try dressing for fashion over function and routinely risked attracting attention to myself. Both high schoolers and coworkers were kind, yet honest, about my outfits and new sewing creations. Those three years allowed me the space and time to try on versions of myself before finding which “me” felt authentic and which felt like character skins. I believe everyone deserves a season to explore their personal style without worrying about attracting negative attention.

My studio / shop serves as a space for a blip of that experience. Confidence grows from practice and repetition, but there’s value in providing an influential moment for people to hold onto. A foundational feeling. The reassurance of a stranger, allowing them to be that person who would wear that jacket. I see them as that person and I tell them, not because I want a sale, but because I believe in clothes as our communicators and it’s my joy to provide unique options. We also know how the encouragement from a stranger can impact how we see ourselves; I take that responsibility very seriously.  

Designing and sewing clothes proves to be solitary work. However, I’ve never felt more connected to my community than this last year as a creative and shop owner in Suttons Bay. A core nykamping initiative towards local collaborations has gifted me with friendship and “coworkers” found in Kristin MacKenzie, Mae Stier, Dana Falconberry, and now, Isa Scott. My gratitude towards them abounds, as well as support from countless community members who have donated old quilts, shared social media posts, and spread the word about nykamping. I’m beyond grateful—nykamping doesn’t happen alone. 

At the end of June, I will celebrate a year of nykamping; of helping unique coats, shirts, and bags find their new home, and guiding the loveliest people towards a special piece that tells the world a little bit more about who they are. Along with years of perfecting natural, plant-based skincare products, Isa Scott is a seasoned professional at several markets around Leelanau County and Traverse City, as well as a supplier to Oryana. While our shared experience under white tents on the Old Art Building’s lawn prompted this beautiful new collaboration, our paths shall never cross as booth neighbors again—one artist market was just enough for me. 

BIO

While sewing commandeers expansive amounts of Elijah’s hours, he seems to always find time for rollerblading down the TART Trail, vanilla lattes, rom-com audiobooks, paddleboarding in the bay, way too many volleyball leagues, and a last minute hike, bonfire, or spicy chicken sandwich with friends. Before moving to Suttons Bay and opening nykamping, Elijah spent three years on the residential life team at The Leelanau School in Glen Arbor, co-designed The Foxglove Farm in Suttons Bay, taught kindergarten in Nigeria, and attended Hope College in his hometown of Holland, Michigan. Someday, Elijah will design and construct a coat for the red carpet. 

Summer Issue '24 - Online Shop