Katie Kolodinski
The voice for change and a vehicle for direct actioN
Block out the noise, and harness your inner strengtH
“The biggest influence has been a constant reminder: the responsibility we have to leave the planet in a livable state for the next generation,” says Kolodinski. “This has driven my husband and I to continue improving Silk Laundry’s sustainability credentials, as well as to use our brand as both a voice for change and a vehicle for direct action.”
The world her kids will inherit hasn't only inspired her to use natural, eco-friendly fibers in her designs. Her children have also taught Kolodinski to look at the big picture, block out the noise, and harness her inner strength. As she puts it: “Knowing you are strong is powerful in itself.”
Q1. Tell us a little about yourself: What is your background and what inspires you to create?
I am the founder and creative director of Silk Laundry launched in 2015. Growing up I studied psychology, interior design, acupuncture and Chinese medicine, and I've always loved clothes as a way to express myself. The need to find the ideal slip dress for my own wardrobe initially prompted the creation of the brand, which has since expanded to include knitwear.
All pieces are designed with the ethos that they are untouched by the influence of trends and the inevitability of time.
Our path to sustainability is a work in progress. As we move forward for 2022, our short and long term goals include seeking out new partnerships and working with craftspeople in local communities. Continuing to work on capsule collections in collaboration with organisations working against animal endangerment, environmental disasters and social injustice. Eliminating the use of plastics, implementing more organic and recycled materials and using natural dyes derived from plants.
Q2. What kind of traveller are you?
I am relatively experienced and feel that travel is in my blood. I have immediate family that has ties to a number of countries spread throughout the globe, from Ukraine to Canada and Australia. My mother worked for an airline while I was growing up, in part to make travelling to see her family in Australia easier on us kids, and I was often pulled out of school to travel. I like to get to know places, and I love finding out more about local communities as I travel. The first time I went to a resort was for a friend's wedding and I thought it was crazy to be in a country that has such a rich culture - and some of the best foods - and then to be stuck in an all-inclusive resort and restricted from experiencing any of it.
Q3. Have you ever travelled solo? What tips would you give to a first-time solo traveller?
Yes, I have. I picked up my life and moved to Australia on my own when I was 18, with nothing more than two suitcases and $800 to my name. Looking back, it was a little crazy. Some years later I wanted and needed to go home to see my parents in Canada, and so I purchased one of those around-the-world tickets - it was actually my cheapest option to get home. My best advice is to make sure you have money, some sort of credit card (it's very hard to book hotels without one) and a backup plan if everything goes wrong. Make sure to take photos of your possessions: your passport, cards, suitcase or bags. I think I now sound paranoid! Anxiety aside, remember to talk to people! If you are alone, don´t be shy and invite someone to dinner. Eat everything and try the local cuisine, and always have a glass of wine… but don´t get drunk!
Q4. Where have you travelled to this past year? / Which travel destination has left you with the most memorable experience?
This past year, we left Australia again after being stuck at home during the lockdown. We travelled back to Canada, and then travelled halfway across the globe to settle in Barcelona with our two children.
My husband might get upset with me as we have travelled the world together, but I think one of my most memorable experiences was when I travelled to Thailand with my now ex-boyfriend, when I was 21. Now that I look back, we were just kids - we had very little cash as we were both university students, working as bartenders on the side, and we had the most incredible experiences. We took cooking lessons in a Thai family home with the family’s children, ate local street food, visited churches, jungles and beaches. Nothing was luxurious, but looking back it was absolutely magical. It was in 2004, and about a week later the tsunami hit. We were devastated: we had just spent so much time with the local communities on the islands there. I kept thinking about the families of monkeys on the beaches and my mind would wander constantly to their plight, leaving me in tears. It was such a catastrophic event.
Q5. The emphasis on working with women sends such a positive message. Who are the female figures whom you admire?
I don't ONLY work with women, but yes, most of us in Silk Laundry are women. It wasn’t necessarily some grand scheme: I just hired the best people for the roles at the time. To be honest, most of the women that I look up to are women that I am close to. For example, I look up to my grandmother who moved her entire life from Ukraine to Australia, and somehow made it work. I look up to my mother who is such an incredible parent, worker and now grandmother to my children. I look up to people who are selfless, those who speak out against all of the wrongs that are happening in the world right now - including so many Ukrainians in this fraught and tragic year, whether they are designers, business owners, mothers or those who have joined the armed forces. Right now, I look up to them, their tenacity and ability to keep going no matter what. They are so strong, and most of them are doing it without the help of their husbands, as they are still in Ukraine defending their country.
Q6. How is slow travel different from the usual way of travelling?
To be honest, I haven't ‘slow travelled’ in a long time. I hope to rediscover the joys of slow travel on this trip in November, and be able to appreciate slowness and all its wonders again.
Q7. As an entrepreneur, how do you focus on wellness in your life?
I am unsure if I do that particularly successfully - balance is not my speciality, yet it is something I am working on. I am finally seeing a naturopath, have started taking vitamins and minerals (irregularly, perhaps, but still I am doing something for my health), I have just joined a gym and I am trying to get to bed at a decent hour as lack of sleep really ruins me. Perhaps you can ask me this again in mid-2023 when I am more settled.
Q8. Who do you think should come on this trip? And what would one hope to take away from this tour with TextileSeekers?
Well, I am trying to get my friend Christina, who owns a stunning linen and ceramics line in Australia, to come with me. She would LOVE it!
I think anyone who wants to have a truly beautiful experience in Vietnam with some real women would benefit from this journey. I hope to take away an experience that is so personal it will stay in my mind for a long time. I also hope that it puts me on a slightly slower, more considered path for 2023.
Q9. Do you have one or two all-time favourite fashion pieces? Do you have a favourite designer/artist?
I will try to answer in two ways. I have two must-haves: a slip dress and a great blazer. I can’t get by without those two things. If we are being more specific, I have the most incredible Saint Laurent blazer that I bought in Italy 5 or 6 years ago; it is the most incredible fit, makes me stand up straight and always makes me feel more confident when I wear it. I also bought a pair of very sparkly loafers that bring me an insane amount of joy when I wear them, and to top it off I can quite realistically see myself still wearing them when I am in my 70s… so they are money well spent.
Q10. What are you reading now?
I find I often have two books on the go at once, and I tend to pick up one or the other depending on how I feel. One is usually based on history or the environment, and the second is fictional and helps get my head in a lighter place. I am reading The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruin, while also reading a book that my mother-in-law passed on to me called Strange Weather in Tokyo, by Hiromi Kawakami.
Click to follow Katie’s work.