This story was originally published in The Stranger’s July 2026 print issue.
Multidisciplinary artist and designer Shiloh Davies is looking to “bring a little more play into the everyday.” Their textile works—which include soft sculptures, costume designs, and installations—are fantastical, surreal, and full of childlike whimsy. Whether it’s large pancakes stacked along a wall, giant pastel bobby pins, or vibrantly patterned couture outfits, their pieces are delicious fodder for the imagination. What makes their work even more impressive is that the majority of it is made from secondhand materials.
Where did your incredible sewing skills come from?
I’ve always been an avid thrifter. I got into sewing so that I could mend garments I’d picked up. I took one “how to use a sewing machine” class out of a local fabric shop when I was in college. My journey really picked up when I moved to Seattle and discovered the incredible drag scene here. I was so inspired by all the creativity I was seeing that I started designing outfits.
Could you describe some favorite projects?
One of my favorites was the Breakfast Nook installation at the Museum of Museums. It was part of an all-textile-art show curated by Mary Anne Carter. I was given free rein to fill a room. Naturally, I chose to fill it with plush plates of breakfast food.
My Soft Serves costuming project was also a lot of fun. I created a collection of wearable art pieces—each one inspired by a local drag performer—out of unconventional materials like Gymboree parachutes and sleeping bags.
Where do you source your materials?
I source all of my fabrics secondhand. I grab things like blankets, tablecloths, and curtains. Because I can’t predict what I’m going to find, projects often are shaped by what the universe decides to bestow upon me in that particular moment.
Tell me more about your sustainability practices.
Living in America, we have a very unrealistic view of the cost of goods. We often don’t have to contend with the consequences of our cheap and easy consumption. Learning to sew made me realize the amount of work and energy that has to go into every garment we buy. Fast fashion prices cannot possibly cover that cost. Thrifting has made me realize what an abundance of materials are already available to us. Shopping secondhand is probably my best sustainability practice.
Do you have any other inspirations?
Most of my art is about inner-child work. It’s an attempt to recapture some of the playfulness and imagination that feels so easy to summon when we’re children but becomes harder to access as we age. I like to create things that feel like they burst out of a cartoon or a really good dream. We’re also lucky to live in a city bursting with talent, and seeing other people succeed in the art forms they love is such a motivator for me.
I’d love to get into set/props design
for theater, or maybe an offbeat kids’ television program.
Anything else you’re itching to communicate?
If you’ve ever seen something cool and thought, “I wish I could make stuff like that,” you should try! I don’t have any special skills or training, I just messed around and made a lot of mistakes to get to where I am now. Be gay! Make art! Have fun!
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