A Q&A WITH
Jam Kusack, Designer and Thrift Connoisseur
JOIN US AS WE SPOTLIGHT THE INCREDIBLE
PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE AT WIND SUN SKY
Hey, my name is Jam, my pronouns are she/they and I’m a designer here at WSS.
I’ve been asked to talk about my design profession, and, since April marks Earth Month,
my secondary passion: how to beat the fast-fashion life! So, let’s get into it.
How did you get started at WSS as a Designer?
It’s been about a year and a half since I started. It’s my first job working in an animation studio as a designer after finishing art school.
I consider myself lucky to have the opportunity to work somewhere that allows me to try lots of new things so early in my career!
I’ve been working on the edu-tainment IP Future Chicken. I’m grateful for the chance to contribute to an ever-evolving universe.
Because it’s a small team making Future Chicken, everyone gets a voice and gives it their all.
It’s something you can look at and see every individual hand that’s touched it. I think that’s really special.
Coming up, I’m excited to see where our development projects go. We have a lot of fun IP’s under wraps and once they’re green-lit I’d love to flesh them out further.
WSS has the ability to pivot like no one else. I know we’ll adapt to whatever the future holds and I’m excited to be along for the ride.
You’re known around the office for your impeccable (green) fashion. As it’s Earth Month, do you have advice?
Thank you, that’s very kind!
Fashion is a way I like to express myself. But, I’ll confess, before starting my thrifting journey, I did have a high closest turn-over myself.
I started thrifting while I was still in college to save money – it’s been seven years now and it’s still something I love to do.
It’s a great way to really find your style. It forces you to be creative and intentional and work with what you have.
Micro-trends can be really dangerous for over-consumption. There’s already enough clothing out there and there are far more interesting and unique things to be found secondhand than whatever is currently “on trend” and being sold en-masse.
It also helps keep more clothes out of the landfill, because those micro-trend items often end up in secondhand stores within the year they were originally purchased.
Now, I get about 90% of my clothes second hand, either from thrift or consignment stores (or sometimes from various family and friends post-spring cleaning).
I mostly shop at Value Village, though I’ve been making an effort to visit locally run and non-profit second-hand stores like My Sister’s Closet, whose sales support women escaping domestic violence situations.
Also, I love to make my own clothes! I used to be a cosplayer and learned how to sew doing that.
Once you have the basics down it’s not too hard. It also makes thrifting much easier because I can alter things to fit me.
The feeling of giving a special item a new home is incredibly rewarding, because you know that it will see the end of its use-life and won’t end up in a landfill.
Do you have tips for someone trying to decrease their fashion consumption?
Sure, here are some tips I stand by;
1. Keep track of what you wear: I have a photo album on my phone solely dedicated to outfits I’ve worn. You can see what pieces are repeated, find your staples and then when you’re looking for new clothes you have a catalogue of what fits in your closet.
2. Limit your palette! I used to fall into the trap of buying individual pieces because they looked like ones I’d saved on my Pinterest board, and then would never wear them because I didn’t *feel* good in them. Now, I know I feel my best in rich colours like cobalt and burgundy, and shades like black, charcoal and white. It makes it way easier to make an outfit when your whole closet goes together.
3. Three is the magic number: when you’re out thrifting and find a potential buy, try to put it together with at least three outfits you already own, otherwise you won’t wear it. Sometimes things aren’t meant for you and they can be left for someone else to cherish.
4. Slow fashion: An alternative to thrifting is buying slow fashion. Usually, these are businesses with a small team that makes garments as they are ordered, so they don’t create waste. They tend to be more expensive, but that’s because they are ethically made. Slow fashion also means quality of construction, so they last far longer than your average fast fashion brand.
5. Wear it out: At the end of the day, the most important factor for being sustainable in what you wear is time. Find clothes you love, and wear them until they are threadbare and have holes. Then patch up those holes or cut them up and turn them into cleaning rags!
Do you bring your love of fashion into your work?
100%! My fashion journey started at the same time I began taking art more seriously as a career.
Design is an umbrella that fashion falls under, and all aspects of design have the same principles: balance, shape, symmetry, texture, composition, etc. Once you start to train yourself to see these things, they appear in every part of your life.
If you could steal any wardrobe – whose would it be?
Wisdom Kaye is a fashion icon whose wardrobe I would love to steal. He’s got such a deep understanding of design principles and uses that to create the coolest outfits you’ve ever seen. As for animated wardrobes… I would have to go with Castlevania. I’m a sucker for a vampire aesthetic (no pun intended). 🧛
Do you have a workplace memory you can share?
The other designer, Amy, and I, got the opportunity to speak at a local elementary school and I think that’s my favourite work memory thus far.
Since I come from an education background myself, it was wonderful to be in a classroom and get to talk about how awesome my job is
Kids don’t have the same limits as adults: they don’t question their impulses or curb their imaginative thinking.
Mostly, they aren’t afraid to ask questions.
It makes them some of the best creatives out there, and getting to connect with them about what I do makes me appreciate the *magic of animation* that much more.
Do you have any industry tips or tools that you like to use?
I think as an artist it’s easy to let the production folks be your brain for you, but being organized is the biggest industry tip I can offer. Always keep a notebook and pen so you can keep track of details and notes; it’s a life saver!
Fancy software is fun but sometimes the basics are all you need.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, get to know your coworkers/peers and find out what they know that you don’t (and then steal that knowledge).
Templates are helpful, especially if you’re making bulk content.
When doing a series (like social posts, YouTube thumbnails, etc.) I start by creating a template that I can tweak to suit each individual asset. Build your own tool kit!
