I'm Linda - owner & founder of Grace & Diggs. Welcome.
In 2016 I opened a shop on Salem's Artist's Row making hats out of recycled paper bags (a skill learned from Tony the Rad Hatter Melendez which is a whole other story to tell). These pieces were geared to Salem's Halloween culture, providing something fun for visitors and locals.
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.
My work has evolved over the years. 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 continue to use them because it keeps my work fresh, To be riffing off found items is the part of the process which keeps me on my toes, stretching for new ways to interact with my materials.
PHOTO BY KYLE BROMLEY. MODEL IS AMY BROOKS. FLORAL FASCINATOR BY GRACE & DIGGS. COAT & STYLING BY CHAD HARRIS.
PHOTO BY SUSANNAH BOTHE. MODEL IS LISA ANN SCHAFFRA SANTIN. GIANT ROSES BY GRACE & DIGGS
I am also pleased to have my work used as backgrounds for photographers and other storytellers.
As a teenager, I'd pore over fashion magazines and be as interested in the props of a photo shoot as by the clothes themselves. Creating behind-the-scenes experiences is another use for my work.
Along the way, I've gotten to know a whole circle of collaborators - models, photographers, make-up artists, fashion designers - people who take my work, add their talents to it and kick everything up a notch. I love how my work ties me to others.
IMAGES BY EVIE RICHARDS CASHMAN PHOTOGRAPHY, MODELS: LALA (IN PURPLE) AND AMY BROOKS (IN ORANGE)