Strands of Genius: Burnout and Bouncing Back, What Aesthetic Will Define the 2020's, For Sustainable Baddies Only

Guest curated by Tessa Thompson

Jul 28, 2022

:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATOR, TESSA THOMPSON ::

LOCATION: Atlanta, Georgia

PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Tessa Fay

I’m Tessa, and I’m the owner/designer of women's clothing brand, Tessa Fay. It is comprised of me and my grandmother, Fay, designing and hand-making clothes from salvaged upholstery and drapery fabrics. I met Rosie and Faris about a year ago on a trip with my boyfriend, Elliott, to Isla Mujeres, MX. Rosie and Elliott’s parents are Nashville besties and Isla neighbors so they go way back. The four of us basically hung out every single day of that trip and now I am sad typing this because I miss them.

Editor’s Note (Rosie): We met Tessa in Isla Mujeres, Mexico through our friend Elliott and had one of those conversations that didn’t just last for hours but spanned several days. She is a gem of a human and after we all parted ways, we looked into her brand and fell in love with her all over again! Her work as a designer is stunning, and we can't wait to see what she does next. We're so excited to have you here today, Tessa, and can't wait to see you in Isla again someday soon we hope :)

:: THE LINKS ::

BURNOUT AND BOUNCING BACK

My homie, Savana, is not only a bad ass photographer and stellar, witty human being, she also wrote this aesthetically delightful blurp about dealing with creative burnout for you! How cute of her! (Savana Ogburn)

WHAT AESTHETIC WILL DEFINE THE 2020’S

Mandy Lee, or better known as @oldloserinbrooklyn, is a trend forecaster and freelance writer that analytically breaks down fashion history, personal style, and the trend cycle on Tiktok. Whether you follow the latest trends, dress for you, or seriously don't give AF -- doesn't matter! But this girl knows her sh*t! (Cyclical by Oldloserinbrooklyn)

FOR SUSTAINABLE BADDIES ONLY

Everyone talks about sustainability in many different aspects of their life, but many overlook the importance of sustainable fashion and think about only ease. Follow Vera for “friendly clothing choices without spending more money” (Vera)

Looking for more from Tessa Thompson? Those enrolled in The School of Stolen Genius will receive a deep dive from Tessa in their inbox shortly! You can access all our expert interviews for SOSG here.

:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::

:: City :: Paris or Atlanta

:: Book :: Big Fish...except... the movie version

:: Podcast :: NYT Modern Love

:: HELLO, I’M TESSA ::

Well, there's your fashion fix for the day! Thanks a million to Genius Steals for having me!

Love always,

Tessa Thompson

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It's called Genius Steals because we believe ideas are new combinations and that nothing can come from nothing. But copying is lazy. We believe the best way to innovate is to look at the best of that which came before and combine those elements into new solutions.

Co-Founders Faris & Rosie are award-winning strategists and creative directors, writers, consultants and public speakers who have been living on the road/runway since March 2013, working with companies all over the world. Our Director of Operations is nomadic like us, our accounting team is based out of Washington, our company is registered in Tennessee, and our collaborators are all over the world. Being nomadic allows us to go wherever clients need us to be, and to be inspired by the world in between.

Hit reply and let’s talk about how we might be able to work together :)

Strands of Genius