Interview of Jessamy Shay Kilcollins as told to Kerri Kemperman
About the Artist
Jessamy Shay Kilcollins is a textile artist, educator, and sustainable fashion designer who uses second-hand materials and handcraft processes to interrogate the roles of consumption and consumerism in modern society. In addition to the one-of-a-kind creatively mended and upcycled garments she releases under her AMENDED label, she also crafts textile statement jewelry and intricate fabric collages from the fabric scraps generated in the garment mending and making process. She has taught mending and hand stitching at organizations that include Harvard Art Museums, the Farnsworth Art Museum, Patagonia, and the Boston and Cambridge Public Libraries. Jessamy holds a BFA in Fibers and a Certificate in Fashion Design from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She also co-owns High Energy Vintage with her partner in Somerville MA. A Maine native, she splits her time between Somerville and Midcoastal Maine.
Photo credit: Grace Duval
Please describe your interest in sustainable fashion and fabric work. What does it stem from and how does it inspire your work?
My interest in sustainable fashion evolved from my fascination with clothing in general and how what we wear relates to self-expression and self-discovery. I’ve been attracted to secondhand stuff and vintage fashion since I was a teenager, so it wasn’t a very big leap to begin incorporating secondhand and vintage textiles into my work. I also helped my husband run the vintage shop he’s owned for sixteen years, High Energy Vintage in Union Square. I perform any necessary repairs on our inventory before it hits the sales floor. I was finding myself with a stockpile of stuff I couldn’t repair invisibly enough to put out in the shop, so I began to incorporate it into my work. As I’ve learned more about the toxicity of the global fashion industry, along with what happens to the stuff we don’t want anymore, I’ve become even more passionate about using materials that might otherwise be discarded.
Is this a theme or subject that has been important to you from the get-go?
Sustainability hasn’t always been a theme I was aware of, but I think it has been there in the background since before I had words for it. The idea of sustainability has become more mainstream in recent years, and it’s complicated because currently “sustainability” can be a bit of a corporate buzzword without anything meaningful to back it up. But in general, I think it’s positive that people are becoming more aware that our actions have consequences and are trying to make better choices based on that. Which is a bit of a tangent! My point being, I think that while the seeds have always been there, my awareness that my practice should have strong environmental components has grown alongside the discourse surrounding the concept of sustainability.
Photo credit: Jessamy Shay Kilcollins
Tell us a bit about your background both in a general and artistic sense. How and when did you get into working with fabric and fibers? What draws you in?
I grew up on a potato farm in Northern Maine and have been interested in sewing and fiber art for almost as long as I can remember! I was an artsy-craftsy kid, and as a teenager I began altering clothes I found at the thrift store. I attended MassArt, earning my BFA in Fibers, and ten years later I returned to complete the Fashion Design Certificate program. Fibers have always just clicked for me and been the area in which I feel most comfortable. We are constantly touching and interacting with textiles, so there’s a sense of familiarity. I’m also attracted to the potential of everyday textiles to infuse beauty into daily life.
Who are some of the influences who have inspired your work, both in the past and the present?
My influences include Lynne Drexler, a painter from Maine who created colorful and textural abstract works; Claire McCardell, an influential American fashion designer who revolutionized everyday women’s wear in the early-mid twentieth century with her ingenious designs; and writer Anais Nin, who often wrote about dressing inventively, remaking her old clothes into something new, and finding opportunities to create beauty in her everyday life. I’m also inspired by all the unknown women who created some of the textiles, unfinished quilts, and embroideries I incorporate into my work, and by the modern mending movement.
How would you describe your work/life balance, or how do you balance your creative time with the pressures of making a living?
I feel fortunate I can more or less make a living from my craft. In addition to making and selling my work at markets, and performing repairs for High Energy Vintage, I also offer repair services to the public and teach workshops in Somerville and beyond on creative mending and hand sewing. Everything dovetails together nicely. It does mean that the line between work and life can get rather blurred, but I try to balance it out with daily yoga and reading. I also spend a lot of time at my camp (a rustic seasonal cottage) in Maine, hanging out in nature.
Is there anything you wish people understood more about fabric or fibers or sustainable fashion or recycling their clothing?
I wish people were more aware of what happens to their stuff when they get rid of it; unfortunately, it doesn’t always get used again, even if it gets donated. Donation is not a panacea for thoughtless consumption. According to the EPA, 85% of discarded textiles end up in a landfill or burned. More often than not, a donated T-shirt from a wealthy nation ends up in a landfill in a less wealthy one, polluting the environment and negatively impacting local agriculture and industry. I also want people to know that it’s okay if you don’t know this stuff! It’s a big, confusing, opaque system! The good news is that there’s lots you can do to keep your stuff out of the waste stream: first and foremost, buy less! If you need something new, be thoughtful and try to find an item you’ll keep for a long time. Try to shop second-hand first. Launder your clothing carefully and repair it when needed. And when it’s time for an item to pass out of your life, re-home it thoughtfully, and never donate anything so damaged that you wouldn’t wear or use it yourself.
Photo credit: Grace Duval
What’s one of your favorite places in Somerville or a favorite local event and why?
My favorite local event is Small Mart, a vintage and maker’s market that takes place at the Crystal Ballroom and occasionally other locations in Somerville! It’s curated by my husband and a friend of ours, and I often vend there too. Some of my favorite local artists participate, and you can find everything from illustrations and prints to handmade jewelry, to felt food art, to hand-poured candles, to one-of-a-kind vintage items. For me, I love getting to see my vendor community; it’s kinda like throwing a big art party with all your friends.
Artist info :
Instagram @jessamy.shay
Website: jessamyshay.com
Photo credit: Grace Duval
More Artists of the Month from 2026
Andrew Stearns & Stacy Friedman, May 2026 Artist of the Month
Archives
About the Artist of the Month
This program is inspired by the Nave Gallery’s “Featured Artist” program, which ran from 2005 to 2009.
SAC’s Artist of the Month program is a way for us to celebrate the enormous wealth of talent in our city, by shining a spotlight on a different creative Somervillian each month.
This program has been put together by a whole raft of people: Coordinators Jenn Harrington (2013-2014) and Kellie Veiga (2013), Gilmore Tammy (2017) and Somerville Arts Council board members Matt Kaliner, Tim Devin, Valeria Amato, and Michael J. Epstein, Bill House (2019-2020), Charan Devereaux (2019-2025), Tori Weston (2019-2025) and Andrea Read (2022-2025). Current coordinators, are Kerrie Kemperman (2019-), Seth Garcia (2025-), and Ben Cuba (2026-).
Know of a great Somerville based artist who should be recognized, please nominate the artist for consideration. We seek artists who contribute to the community through their strong work and community collaborations. Artist should either reside in the City or contribute to the City’s vibrant art scene.