Daily Inspiration: Meet Kate Major

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Major

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Crafting and sewing have been in my life as long as I can remember. My mom and grandma taught me to use the sewing machine to make stuffed animals, and how to crochet and I never stopped.
I always loved fashion and wearables, but didn’t know anything about jobs within those worlds, so I started managing retail clothing stores to be close to fashion. I’m a creative through and through so that was ultimately unfulfilling.
I stumbled into a job taking care of the wardrobe on the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Baily Circus and was in love with the costuming world! I stayed there for about 10 years, before the show closed. I learned SO MUCH about sewing, and laundry (the less exciting side of costumes haha) and making clothes that are not only gorgeous, but also allow a person to walk on fire, stand on their hands, or ride a horse with ease.
The next logical step was to move over to Cirque Du Soleil but about 2 years in, the pandemic hit and I had to leave the touring life and hunker down until the world opened back up. I am from New York, but I wasn’t going to go there to wait out covid, so I came to Denver, and was elated to learn they were building the 3rd Meow Wolf location. Shortly after starting work with Meow Wolf, I identified a real opportunity to expand the idea of costumes, fashion, and wearables with in the multiverse, and I still haven’t stopped squeaking my wheel about it. I strive to find places to make our whimsical world more immersive and dynamic through costumes and characters.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Ya know, It has been pretty smooth! I think that the world opens up to you, if you open up to it. In loo of a formal education, I did research, and asked questions of people who knew more than me, and read lots of books. Every different gig I’ve done , in the wardrobe/ costume world has honed a different skill and made me the artist I am today.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I think it has only been recently that I have really started to dive into my own artistic practice, sperate from my full time job. It’s really easy (and almost required) to put all your time and energy into the show you are working on at that time and have nothing left for yourself at the end of the day.
Working at Meow Wolf and meeting contributing artists, and being surrounded by this creative community has been an endless source of inspiration for me and I have placed a lot more focus on exploring fiber and textile in my own way, for myself.
I have, arguably, too many skills of interest. I love fiber arts like crocheting ( for something like 30 years now!) and knitting (3 years) and even more recently needle felting.
I make clothes for myself and friends and even drafted and fabricated a small lounge and lingerie line for a friends boutique.
I have a strong sense of play, and continued play, through out life even at an age where its discouraged. I have seen time and time again how silly costumes and masks transform a person. It gives them permission to let go of societal norms, of pride, of ego, and be someone (or something) else.
Most recently, I’m working on a collection of plush, colorful outfits based off of what microbes look like under a microscope.
What I am most proud of is my work with upcycled materials, particularly the fashion show I curate at Meow Wolf called Absolute Rubbish. We put out an artist call to our community and choose 20 avant garde designs to be made entirely out of items destined for the landfill. Not only is a statement about sustainability but it also challenges artists to create with unconventional materials.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Curiosity- to ask questions and learn skills, perpetually, forever. to see things in new and different ways.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/KateMajor
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atightship/

Image Credits
Jess Gallo
Glenn Ross