Hamilton’s Blackbird Studios puts a vibrant stamp on slow fashion
- Michael Kras
- 22 Dec 2021
Strolling through Hamilton’s iconic James North district, Blackbird Studios is hard to miss.
The popular clothing shop and designer label specializes in statement pieces; eye-catching and expressive locally-made fashion that almost doubles as wearable works of art, with thoughtfully loud-and-proud prints and designs that are built to draw attention without being too over-the-top.
But Blackbird Studios as Hamilton knows it might not have existed without the fortuitous meeting of Kerry Wade and Lynn Bebee, who founded the designer label together back in 2008 and co-own it to this day.
Readily feeling a spark between them and finding plenty of common ground when they first met, Wade and Bebee’s earliest connections with each other came not through the fashion world, but through the music scene.
“I was already a fashion designer with a rock ‘n roll background. Lynn was a full-time musician with an HR background,” Wade says. “Our bands played a lot of shows together. I created some stage outfits for Lynn. We both had sons the same age, our partners were friends; we naturally gravitated towards each other.”
Together, the pair began making unique gear and uniforms for friends working in the music industry and playing on roller derby teams, soon deciding to turn their fashion partnership into a full business.
The seeds of Blackbird Studios were officially born, with Wade and Bebee soon taking over some space in the Sonic Unyon building at Wilson Street and James Street North and launching a lingerie collection, getting started with a subgenre of clothing that could be inexpensively produced.
Using their original lingerie designs, Wade and Bebee then hosted the Hanky Panky Panty Party, a playful fashion show at Club Absinthe that performed to a sold-out crowd who in turn sold them out of their merch.
The success allowed the pair to move on up with Blackbird Studios, building a proper collection of handmade fashion pieces and soon moving into their first dedicated retail shop along the James North strip.
“The minute we moved to our street level retail shop at 161 James Street North, we knew we were on to something,” adds Wade.
That smaller storefront was later upgraded for a larger one at 123 James North, where Blackbird Studios remains to this day with their ever-changing collection of unique clothing items that are as attractive as they are sustainable.
Today, the popularity of ‘fast fashion,’ is pervasive, with countless clothiers mass-producing items with limited attention to quality. It cultivates a problematic culture that sees consumers getting minimal wear out of their wardrobe and constantly having to upgrade their closets; all the while allowing massive amounts of discarded clothing to end up in landfill.
Blackbird Studios consciously takes the opposite approach, producing their designer items in small batches that create minimal waste and contribute to a more sustainable, ethical, and eco-friendly ‘slow fashion’ movement.
“We are mindful to use every scrap of fabric we can in the pattern layout and cutting process,” says Wade. “Scraps are used for pockets, linings, samples, and now masks.”
Operating with the philosophy that ‘waste is a design flaw,’ Wade and Bebee also ensure that their line of fashion consists of clothing that is built to last, with pieces that can be worn and cherished for years rather than a single season.
“We maintain a ‘Buy Better, Buy Less’ value system,” Wade adds. “If you spend a bit more upfront, you’re getting a better quality item that you will wear longer, take better care of, and be able to pass on to someone via resell or inheritance.”
As important as the commitment to sustainability is a commitment to keeping their operations and sourcing as localized as possible. Wade and Bebee make many of their smaller run and one-off clothing items themselves out of their Hamilton facility, and beyond that, everything else is made in Southern Ontario using fabrics designed in-house or at least provided by Canadian distributors.
Given this duo’s love for Hamilton, it’s no surprise that they put localness at the forefront of Blackbird Studios.
“This city has given us an incredible opportunity to grow our business over the past 14 years,” says Wade, citing all of the ways in which Hamilton has been there to support Blackbird Studios, from great landlords to a dedicated customer base that continues to grow.
That growth even allowed Blackbird Studios to expand into a pop-up shop at Lime Ridge Mall beginning in August of this year, where they’ve been able to introduce their unique range of clothing to the Hamilton Mountain and further expand their community of fashion lovers looking for something unique to add to their wardrobe.
With their commitment to singular new fashion that’s as stylish as it is sustainable, it’s not hard to see why Blackbird Studios has become such a hit in Hamilton, and likely will continue to be for years to come.
See more of Blackbird Studios on their website, and follow them on social media here.
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