Those who value locally crafted goods have options in Eau Claire, where vendors in markets ranging from jewelry to food to natural beauty products have taken root.
Enter Elizabeth de Cleyre, whose business Cede is filling in another area of the Chippewa Valley’s local goods scene: clothing design.
“I really enjoy co-creating garments with people that fit their life,” de Cleyre, 30, said Thursday morning, smiling from under the rim of a hat as she stood next to a rack of her designs.
The Portland, Ore.-to-Eau Claire transplant had her garments for sale at Red’s Back Alley Market — an event behind Red’s Mercantile, 224 N. Dewey St. — and chatted with passers-by about her work from her perch in the shade.
Some might recognize de Cleyre’s name from Dotters Books, an independent online bookstore she helped found after moving to Eau Claire a year and a half ago. Now that her two co-founders are operating the bookstore and its book club, de Cleyre decided to indulge her love for fabrics and clothes instilled in her at an early age.
De Cleyre’s mother worked at a quilt shop and taught her daughter how to sew at a young age. When her mother was working on a Saturday, de Cleyre often tagged along. In essence, de Cleyre grew up around fabric and clothing.
Over the years, de Cleyre said, her wardrobe often came from vintage stores. Now, a lot of the clothes she wears are of her own making, including the black ensemble she wore Thursday.
“For me, clothing is an extension of identity,” de Cleyre said. “What I wear is very much a reflection of how I’m feeling or what I’m doing for the day.”
The designer wants that expression to carry over to her customers, whom de Cleyre will meet for a cup of coffee or tea before beginning a custom design. There, she asks her customers to describe who they are and what they want from their clothing.
The garments she makes are centered on some core values, including comfort, durability and versatility. She makes her pieces with natural fibers such as raw silk, cotton and wool, and most are fit for machine washing and drying.
The clothes’ colors and textures are what caught the eye of 27-year-old Jenay Manydeeds, who was perusing the vendor stands Thursday at the market.
Originally from Eau Claire but now living in the Twin Cities, Manydeeds said clothing boutiques are common there.
“I haven’t seen one that looks like this,” she said, noting the clothes’ shapes.
“I think Eau Claire in particular is really open to supporting local entrepreneurs,” she added. “That’s the spirit of the city.”
When de Cleyre first moved to Eau Claire, she said she noticed the clothing industry in the area seemed to be “on the cusp of something” with the closing of major department stores. She noted the cost of handmade clothing is still a barrier for some.
“You do have to have a mindset shift when you buy a $150 shirt because you realize that it’s an investment, and it’s going to last a long time,” she said, adding that handmade clothing often comes with ethical benefits such as environmentally friendly fabrics and living wages for the designer. “It’s more than the price tag.”