BTS with MADDY LYON
Behind the Style
We caught up with Maddy Lyon, our resident sustainable fashion expert, to learn about making fabric from seaweed, her alteration biz @mendmother, designing for the Sandy Liang/Target collab, and borrowing clothes from her Grandma. Swipe to see some pieces available in Maddy’s BARO closet (some of which she designed herself!)
November 8, 2023
Where are you based?
Raleigh, North Carolina!
What’re you doing down in North Carolina?
I’m finishing up my masters at NC State in textile science. I also work as a material associate at a next-generation sustainable materials company called Keel Labs. They developed a seaweed-based fiber and I work on understanding the applications of the material for apparel, so things like dyeing, weaving, knitting and textile development.
You also run “Mend Mother,” can you tell us more about that?
It started as a clothing exchange in Echo Park in 2021, and over time has turned into workshops where I teach people how to extend the lifespan of a garment through simple mending and alteration techniques. If you’re in Raleigh come by!
Your career in fashion is really rooted in sustainability, has that always been an interest?
I love being scrappy and I think reusing materials is way more challenging. I went to school for fashion design and for my senior collection I made everything out of second-hand textiles I found at the Salvation Army. Fashion is a really unsustainable industry, so anything you can do to extend the life cycle of a piece—reusing old materials, buying second hand, renting (s/o BARO), mending, choosing pieces made from natural fibers—are small things that have a huge impact.
How would you describe your personal style?
Definitely eclectic. My style can range from girly to tomboy depending on how I feel that day. I wouldn’t say I’m preppy but I definitely have some preppy pieces in my wardrobe. My go-to outfits right now are either a pair of Levis with a tank or a long flowy skirt with a tank, both paired with my white and brown Adidas Sambas or Vagabond loafers. I basically wear the same pair of shoes until they are falling apart.
Okay before we wrap up, we have a few rapid fire questions for you....
Favorite podcast?
Ologies.
Hobbies?
Running, biking, cooking, making clothes, crocheting, darning, which is a sewing technique for repairing holes or worn areas in fabric using needle and thread alone. And chillin with my scruffy lil pup, Opal!
What's something in your closet that you are never going to get rid of?
I have a lot of pieces from my Grandma that I’ll never get rid of—a pair of purple snakeskin trousers, a bunch of silk scarves that I like to wear as tops, a white silk taffeta button. As you can tell, my Grandma is my style icon.
What’s something people might now know about you?
I designed the print for one of the skirts in the Sandy Liang X Target collab.
Last clothing purchase?
A vintage, suede Moschino skirt that I’m so excited to wear over and over.
If you could steal anyone’s closet, who would it be?
Book you’re reading?
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse.
Favorite brands of the moment?
Rua Carlota, Paolina russo, Sandy Liang, and Madeline Hoff—who I hear has an exclusive collection launching on BARO very soon.
What are a couple of your favorite pieces in your BARO closet?
A really cute green Staud dress with princess seams, a beautiful cream-colored gown with a slit, and then I’m also really excited to have a few pieces that I made in there as well!