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While fishing in the Atlantic waters off the coast of her hometown in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Holly Anderson gathered batches of peculiar-looking fish among an assortment of other items. Intrigued by the sea creatures’ odd, unexpected appearances, she began drawing her aquatic findings.

Then, in 2022, during winter break in her freshman year at Syracuse University, she figured the fish images into felt designs. Some of these motifs inspired the fish that now appear on some of the garments of her brand, Awkward Fish.

“I wanted them to feel awkward because I felt that encapsulated how a lot of people feel, but they’re too scared to admit it,” Anderson said. “It was fun making these really awkward creatures you can wear on a shirt because I think that’s less stereotypical than other things you’ll be wearing.”

Anderson is the founder and operator of Awkward Fish, a sustainable clothing company that repurposes high-quality, pre-loved pieces and encourages conscious consumption. Anderson’s handmade pieces each receive a printed design, ensuring unique qualities on every item. Wearers of the “one-of-one” garments continually reinvent each piece that carries its own story, according to the Awkward Fish website.

With both her parents working in business, Anderson said she rarely saw art in her home. Yet she found joy in exploring tactile activities during her alone time, like disassembling the toaster and putting it back together which Anderson said her mother wasn’t a fan of. So her mother purchased a $50 box of old art supplies and established an area in their basement for Anderson’s artistic endeavors.

As Anderson grew up, her love of visual art extended to fashion. Her parents usually didn’t buy her clothes new. Instead, she wore hand-me-downs from her brother, but was sometimes bullied for dressing like a boy.

She began sewing in her freshman year of high school to recreate styles from brands like Brandy Melville, PacSun and Urban Outfitters. Longing for acceptance, Anderson learned to make her own designs and picked up thrifting.

Through trial and error, Anderson found fun by immersing into the design process, often driven by nostalgia for various fashion eras.

“I’ve really loved vintage stuff. I love ‘70s stuff,” Anderson said. “It’s just different fads of things. Definitely a lot of vintage and retro-inspired stuff.”

In her shared Comstock Art Facility studio, Anderson carefully pinches the yokes of a newly screenprinted garment. Navigating a swivel chair and an assortment of collected items, she carries the piece from desk to poster board, situating it to dry among previous designs. A canvas painting of old Hollywood actors adorns the studio’s wall and desks are lined with clusters of inspirational pieces. With unwavering focus, it’s in this space Anderson fosters her brand.

Calysta Lee | Staff Photographer

Anderson poses with a screenprint from one of her collections. She repurposes secondhand pieces into fashionable clothes.

For new garment lines, Anderson thrifts “blanks,” pieces without designs on the front. Anderson said she used to feel guilty thrifting because she thought she was purchasing high-quality clothes from people who might’ve also wanted them. But so many clothing items are thrown away that if she doesn’t buy them, it’s possible no one else will.

“It’s awesome when I can find a shirt I can fix up or there’s a stain I can cover with a screenprint and someone can actually wear it instead of it being thrown out,” Anderson said.

Anderson uses screenprinting to place designs on blanks. She’s inspired by vintage horror movies, with her favorite design reading “Return of the Awkward Fish.” For one kind of printing, she uses a technique that burns images onto a screen.

The process begins by burning a black and white transparent stencil sheet onto a single screen. From there, the design remaining on the screen will be transferred with ink to the clothing. Another type of printing style is done by carving the design into the clothes.

Starting Awkward Fish goes beyond designing for Anderson. It’s also a way of networking. She hopes to one day become a set designer, so a large part of her practice includes directing, conducting photoshoots and making movie props.

“I’m into advertising and how clothing and sets can go hand in hand when you’re doing a whole photo shoot,” Anderson said. “Clothing is actually a smaller part of my brand, and I like to focus more on visual engagement.”

Brycen Pace | Assistant Photo Editor

Holly Anderson, founder of Awkward Fish, sets up a display for her clothes. Each item has a unique, intentional design to encapsulate feelings through wearable items.

The Awkward Fish Instagram page features themed photoshoots based on oddity and unapologetic expression. Anderson designs each shoot’s aspects, from curating a mood board to creating backgrounds. She then teams up with her film major roommate, Anna Scholl, and a couple other friends who assist in gathering equipment, shooting and posing.

Scholl said she’s worked on about four Awkward Fish projects since meeting Anderson through mutual friends in their second semester of freshman year. Scholl recalled observing Anderson decorate pants with “silly fish.” Since then, they’ve combined their interests in film production and design.

Awkward Fish garments are available for purchase online, but on Nov. 2, the brand collaborated with local Mexican-inspired restaurant XO Taco to celebrate Día de los Muertos. The restaurant’s social media manager invited Anderson to join the event because they liked that Anderson’s garments were sustainable and handmade.

“She wanted a community involvement into this new event they had,” Anderson said. “I designed multiple things for them, and we came up with something that felt very much my style and XO Taco’s style.”

At the event, Anderson sold some of her consistent designs in the restaurant’s upstairs, while a limited edition collection hung on the walls downstairs by the bar and tables.

Emma Beauchemin, a 2024 SU alumna, revisited Syracuse for alumni weekend to see old friends and dine at XO Taco, one of her favorite restaurants in Syracuse. This visit was special for Beauchemin because, while she hadn’t heard of Awkward Fish before, she could buy merchandise with designs she started to love.

“I didn’t get a lot when I was here and it’s a super cool design that’s a little bit more niche,” Beauchemin said.

Scholl said when she’s seen people on campus wearing Awkward Fish, it’s surreal because it reminds her of some of the first designs in her and Anderson’s dorm room. New and old shoppers came to support Anderson and could purchase the designs to sport around campus and the city.

“It’s been really awesome,” Anderson said. “I’ve had such a great time talking to people and I honestly wasn’t expecting to sell many clothes at all, but it’s been really fun. Some people came in just for me too, it was so great to see everybody.”

Published on November 7, 2024 at 12:43 am