The Fashionable Designs of ARTeries by Stina

Posted on 8.29.12

Story by LEAH SHAPIRO | Photos by BEVIN COFFEE

It is September and that means weddings, picnics, and the annual Color Ball fundraiser for the Asheville Area Arts Council (AAAC). Outfits for these events may require a bit of planning, accessorizing, and custom fitting. Fortunately, the talented Stina Andersen can help with all of the above. Choose a ready-to-go, unique dress from the boutique section of her store or schedule a consultation for a custom design.

If you like the timeless flair of vintage fabric and the funky message of contemporary clothing, then ARTeries by Stina has the combination for you. One of Stina’s lines combines vintage material with fabric she designs herself. From this method of mixing and matching new and old pieces, Stina creates upcycled one-of-a-kind dresses. “I don’t feel that a new material versus a vintage material has any more expense or worth. I don’t see materials like that,” explains the talented designer and seamstress. “I just think that materials are made to be use in however I need them to be used.” Clients can also bring in fabric of their choice for Stina to integrate into a design. Purely re-purposed dresses are also possible.

Not only does Stina create a striking outfit overall, but she also crafts the details carefully. A particularly intriguing element of some of Stina’s dresses is the digital print patches, often from photographs, which become embedded in the cloth. She also has a line of accessories like leg warmers, fascinator hats, fingerless gloves as well as bracelets made from coins and earrings from fimo clay.

Involved in our community, Stina’s work has made appearances in fashion show fundraisers like that of Asheville Community Theatre and the Jewish Community Center, as well as in booths at about ten regional music and art festivals a year. Consequently, she is continuously whipping up new looks, using her enormous inventory of fabric in different ways. She says, “I don’t usually replicate something, but I have the fabric and all the designs for my fabric so I’ll remake elements from garments or take inspiration from garments.”

“When women wear my clothes, I really want them to feel sexy and to feel good about themselves but the clothing does not necessarily have to be revealing or overtly putting their body out there,” explains Stina who tailors garments to accentuate assets of a woman’s body.

If you have time before the next dress-worthy occasion, go online and check out the list of ARTeries workshops. For beginners who have never touched a sewing machine or intermediate seamstresses who want to learn a certain skill, Stina offers classes for folks with a range of abilities. Most class session run four weeks. The Sew Basic course gives new seamstresses a starting point and a chance to make their own apron. The Renegade Seasmstress class, on the other hand, allows people who may have questions on a range of techniques to bring in current projects. Other classes include a Sew Skilled class, Open Sew class, and Teen Designer class in which Stina mentors upcoming fashionistas. “[The teens] all make their own things, but I still have a hand in their creative process of learning. I love that,” says Stina who has always found teaching others to be a rewarding experience. Private classes are also available.

The ARTeries shop and much-used back workspace speak for themselves. As Stina adds, “Fiber is the essence of my being from the veins and arteries of my heart into the motions of my hands sewing threads; creating the wearable artwork I call ARTeries.” Professionally-trained in fiber and sculpture, Stina has a knack for envisioning a design and producing a masterpiece. Before heading to AAAC’s Tangerine Ball on September 15, stop by ARTeries and grab a brightly-colored dress or accessory made especially for you.

ARTeries’ is located at 121 Roberts Street in the River Arts District. For more information, including class listings and studio hours, visit online at arteriesbystina.com. Shop online at etsy.com/shop/ArteriesbyStina, call for an appointment at 828.423.1296, or e-mail at stina@arteriesbystina.com.