I was delighted last week to discover that local fashion designer Andrea Loest has set up her very own Etsy shop, carrying Persona, her everyday clothing collection based on her Art to Wear collection.
Andrea’s Etsy shop offers plenty of affordable versions of her wearable artwork. Her Art to Wear collection is created with the idea of presenting a cultural commentary on female stereotypes through fashion. These dresses are literally works of art and include many handsewn details and embellishments.
The Persona collection, now available at Etsy, includes skirts based on the personas featured in her wearable art. Each piece is silkscreened 
with words and images and decorated with lace and fabric overlays, such as this Pin Up Cowgirl skirt.
Though originally from Iowa, Andrea Loest has resided in New Orleans for the past few years. I’ve had the pleasure of attending a few of her fashion shows, which are really more like performance art. The Persona theme is taken one step further when models act out monologues based on their clothing’s character.
I’ve admired this lady’s work for a couple of years now. I’m so pleased to see that now many more people will be exposed to it through the artist’s showcase that is Etsy. You can view more of her work at her website.
