PHOTO BY SUSANNAH BOTHE PHOTOGRAPHY.
MAKEUP BY LYNDSEY SENNOTT WAKEHAM.
My name is Linda Mullen, owner & founder of Grace & Diggs. Thank you for your interest in my work.
In 2016 I opened a shop on Salem's Artist's Row, selling handcrafted items for the home. The name, "Grace & Diggs" referred to graceful interiors along with the seventies slang for home - "digs." I made hats out of recycled grocery bags and included them as decorations around the shop (a skill learned from Tony the Rad Hatter Melendez in another lifetime and for which I am forever grateful). The hats were partly decorative elements but I also thought they'd appeal to Salem's culture of costume, cosplay, and bold expression. Turns out they were the stars of the show.
HATS MADE OUT OF RECYCLED PAPER BAGS. MODELS UNKNOWN. PHOTO BY LINDA.
These early hats were a study in materiality. Letting the character of found materials drive the design of hats was a challenge and a delight - their properties led to new shapes, textures, and ideas about what headwear might be.
HAT MADE OUT OF PLASTIC TABLECLOTHS. MODEL UNKNOWN. PHOTO BY LINDA
My work has evolved over the years. Paper grocery bags are largely a thing of the past so I have found new materials and developed techniques for working with them. Headpieces have become lighter than the paper bag hats, and flowers and botanicals have become the primary focus.
What hasn't changed is the use of recycled materials. I started using them out of necessity - resources were tight back then - but the processes of sourcing, collecting, and using them became constant reminders of the abundance that is all around.
PHOTO BY KYLE BROMLEY. MODEL IS AMY BROOKS. FLORAL FASCINATOR BY GRACE & DIGGS. COAT & STYLING BY CHAD HARRIS.