MAEKShift is Sustainable Handmade Fashion for the Clown in All of Us

Stepping into Unhinged, a unique shop in the heart of Sugar House, you realize immediately that there’s much to take in. Amidst the visual cacophony of locally crafted wares filling the racks and displays, you might even miss the stairs on the right, which lead down to a handmade fashionista’s paradise.

Orange polka dots, zebra stripes, denim on upcycled denim, white sheer and ruffled, multi-colored patchwork clown attire — there are endless options for limitless sensibilities. The basement space is home to an impressive selection of handcrafted clothing and goods carefully created by two sustainable fashion designers: Chelsey Cummings of Vintage by Chelsey and Kimber Watson, owner and creator of MAEKShift.

“What I really like to do is take that fun, whimsical clown idea and sort of translate it into everyday clothing.”

Watson’s sewing station sits in a cozy corner. She sources fabrics and textiles from estate sales, thrift stores and any odd bottomless bins she can find, launders everything, then crafts and sews MAEKShift pieces just feet away from where they’re sold. The materials Watson uses are all upcycled, otherwise condemned to a landfill or some other industry standard of non-biodegradable disposal or storage.

MAEKShift stands for “Moxy, Authentically, Ethically Created & Sourced” combined with “Kimber.” It’s a unique acronym for a novel brand that Watson has worked to perfect for over 10 years. But the true beginning of her journey goes back even further. “I’ve been doing this forever. My grandma taught me to sew when I was 8,” Watson says. “When I worked at Hot Topic, I would buy their extra-large T-shirts and turn them into other things.”

“I like to inspire people to be excited to get dressed every day.”

It was also while working at Hot Topic that Watson found she couldn’t align herself with fast fashion. “I was very successful in the business. I got promoted all the time,” she says. “But I would see kids who would beg their parents to buy $75 jeans and $20 dollar T-shirts and I had such a hard time selling it to them, because I knew as soon as they washed it once, it was going to shrink or fade.”

Watson once held the self-proclaimed status of scene kid, heralding inspirations from Midwest emo, Avril Lavigne and Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. But the fashion available in malls contrasted starkly with the impressions left to her by Memaw. For one thing, Watson always wore vintage. She says she loved Lucille Ball and was driven to recreate that vintage, patterned aesthetic from an early age. This required knowing her way around a sewing machine and possessing a vision beyond the graphic tee, verging into more personalized territory.

“I can take any fabric I want and turn it into my idea of a whimsical creation.”

Some of Watson’s most popular pieces are from the eclectic line of MAEKShift clown couture. She runs the gamut with these creations, from ruffled, button-up tops to jester hats and colorful, plaid balloon pants. “I can take any fabric I want and turn it into my idea of a whimsical creation,” Watson says. “And what I really like to do is take that fun, whimsical clown idea and sort of translate it into everyday clothing as well.”

Now, MAEKShift is a way for Watson’s creative vision and love of dress to pass to others. “I try to inspire people to step outside of their comfort zone just a little,” she says. This way, Watson encourages people “to gain their own personal style that’s a little more like who they really are.”

The philosophy is essentially blending the personal and the utterly unique, a stylistic attitude that changes how you feel about yourself. “I like to inspire people to be excited to get dressed every day,” Watson declares. “Even if it is a little bit more challenging at first, eventually it just becomes second nature.”

Follow Kimber Watson on Instagram at @maekshift.kimber for updates on MAEKShift releases and to submit commission requests. Or pay a visit to the basement of Unhinged to see the kaleidoscopic spectacle for yourself.

Read more about local fashion:
The Sustainable Fashionista’s Guide to SLC’s Secondhand Market
Hannah Ruth Zander: The Next Kate Spade