INDIE FOCUS
bodies and that physical intrusion
without consent is a violation.
The HairPin Project promotes the
respect of bodily integrity for women
and other people of colour through
intentional engagement with charities,
organisations and artists who share
this vision. I started the HairPin Project
as a way to both give back and uplift
my community, whilst also wanting
to see if there was a way that I could
contribute to education and changing
the way we talk about our hair.
Others that I have
spoken to who share
my experience also
speak about being
constantly told that
our natural kinky hair
is not professional
or should be policed
in work or school
environments, and
the general lack of
understanding around
how those with kinky
hair care for it. I work
with artists of colour to create enamel
pins that are then sold to support the
aforementioned types of organisations
and to act as a visual reminder that
those with kinky hair are deserving of
respect, in general and that breaches
of bodily integrity are not OK.
What does a typical day look
like behind the scenes at Third
Vault Yarns?
My working days are split between
‘admin days’ and ‘studio days’, with
at least one admin day per week in
my East London studio. Admin days
tend to be following up on emails
and planning for the week, as well
as packaging and posting out orders,
and occasionally I get some time
to work on pattern design – I have
several knitting patterns sketched
out, but not much time to write them
up! Studio days are typically dyeing
days, and I spend most of my time
working on orders, including for
wholesale, and orders direct to my
amazing customers.
I then spend some
time planning new
colourways and, if the
mood takes me (and I
have time!) playing with
some new colours.What’s next?
I hope to grow Third
Vault Yarns to a point
where I can get a
larger, more accessible
studio and realise my
dream of holding community classes
in bre arts to help people’s mental
health, for example by a having a
calm, welcoming and safe space for
those of us that don’t necessarily
have that sort of space to be present
and relax in. I hope that the HairPin
Project can grow into something
bigger that will make a change in the
way we view kinky hair, and provide
meaningful support to charities and
other organisations that work to
change people’s stereotypes.Find out more...
Instagram: ThirdVaultYarns
Twitter: @ ThirdVaultYarns
http://www.thirdvaultyarns.com“I started the
HairPin Project
as a way to
both give back
and uplift my
community”