Press/News

Meet the Writer Whose Artistry is Going to be on Display at the Smithsonian Craft Show!

Colors of Life newsletter #2: Introducing Valerie Cox, a woman of many talents

Yana Bostongirl

6 min read
Mar 17, 2023
1.7K
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Image provided by Valerie. Used with permission

As some of you may know, blogging has been my main hobby for the past two years. In addition to writing on 2 platforms, Medium and Newsbreak, I also share my time and talent with causes that are close to my heart like Here to Serve, a nonprofit that provides wrap-around services for pediatric cancer patients.

It is in this capacity that I met fellow blogger and team leader, Valerie Cox. I was immediately drawn to her warm personality and the efficient way she handles the agenda for the content writing team. When Valerie mentioned that she is also an artist who embroiders short stories as well as poems onto garments and is soon going to be featured at the Smithsonian Craft Show, I immediately knew I had to interview her!

In addition to being a writer and artist, Valerie has had a long career in communications and fundraising for non-profit organizations and has recently started focusing on her creative talents. Coming from a family of international travelers and storytellers, she feels her design company, Vervet Noir, is a natural result of her life experiences. Her byline is Threading a Story.

So without further ado, I present Valerie!

Me: Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you discovered Medium

Valerie: I initially discovered Medium through Yana Bostongirl, and an article she wrote on childhood cancer. I have extensive writing experience for non-profit organizations and recently began incorporating my personal stories into garments that I am creating for my design company, Vervet Noir.

What I love about Medium besides the excellent writing, is the breadth of topics available. When I first discovered Medium I confess to binging. I’m now being a little more selective and considering if my experience might be a good fit for writing some blogs myself!

Me: what inspired you to start Vervet Noir?

Image provided by Valerie. Used with permission

Valerie: Sometimes unexpected things help solidify a vision. Although I’ve always made garments, I began really focusing on my coats in my last year of living in Abu Dhabi. After a lifetime of working and living globally, we were heading “home” to the Pacific Northwest. I wanted that last year to be a time to absorb the beauty around me: go to the market, listen to the call to prayer, and watch the fishing boats on the calm morning waters. I began including Middle Eastern poems in the embroidery designs, a reflection of my environment.

We moved to our new home in the PNW in 2020, a time of reflection and uncertainty for everyone. The zeitgeist of our country was terrifying to me, and I felt much of the hate came from isolation and ignorance. I began reflecting on the privilege of meeting people from all over the world, and how generous people had been with sharing their personal stories.

I felt these encounters had been a gift, and I didn’t want to lose those memories. So, I started including more stories in the embroidery on my coats.

Image provided by Valerie. Used with permission

Me: We love the stunning embroidery/stories in your collections; tell us about the inspiration behind them and the design process.

Valerie: There are two aspects to my designs: the actual garment and the story I embroider into the design. Each coat is a vignette: a glimpse of a time, a thought, an experience. My desire is to create a dynamic between the story and the images on the coat. For instance, my Beautiful Land coat has gorgeous flowers and birds in the design, but the story is of corruption, my Forgotten History coat is composed of soft, feminine colors and images but the story is about the anger in the fight for women’s rights, Ode to Portland contains a poem reflecting on the peaceful protests in Portland during the summer of 2020.

If a coat is “successful”, not only will it be beautiful and feel wonderful, but encourage a conversation. My greatest joy is when someone responds to one of my story coats by sharing a story of their own. To my delight, this happens frequently.

Me: What’s your favorite part about being a designer?

Valerie: I’ve always been very project/deadline oriented in my professional life, so giving myself time to explore ideas and watch those ideas unfold with no pre-determined result has been a satisfying experience.

Me: Is there any person/designer that you consider to be your inspiration?

Valerie: The great couturier Paul Poiret is one of my biggest inspirations: the intricate detail of his garments combined with the drape of the fabric always thrills me. It is these elements combined with his approach to the female form, and a desire to make his garments an expression of freedom that makes his revolutionary work inspirational. Indeed, my signature design, my cocoon coat, is a modernization of his coat design.

Image provided by Valerie. Used with permission

Me: Are you self-taught or did you study fashion design?

Valerie: My degree is in Art History, and I worked in museums for many years. Just interacting with talented designers and artists over the years taught me so much. Exposure to incredible craftspeople throughout my travels has been an invaluable learning experience. I taught myself to sew and how to digitize the embroidery. I’m still learning the digitizing process, it’s very complex and I’m still waiting for the day I’m totally satisfied with my skill level!

Me: How would you describe your personal style?

Valerie: Well, like I say on my website: I see nothing wrong with bringing a little glamour to the everyday. A velvet, embroidered coat over jeans? Why not?

Me: Are you passionate about something apart from fashion?

Valerie: Exploring a new city, a museum, a bookshop, and then ending the day at a good bistro surrounded by our family is my idea of a perfect day. After a lifetime of a nomadic existence, coming home to our hilltop and watching the clouds roll over the mountains is contentment personified.

However, my life would not be complete without serving the community.

Currently, I’m working with an amazing non-profit, Here to Serve. Here to Serve is an organization that provides pediatric cancer patients and their families with non-medical services to lighten their daily burdens. The family’s stories are heartbreaking and inspirational. I greatly admire what the organization is accomplishing, and it gives me satisfaction that my skills can help them in a small way.

Me: We understand you are participating in the Smithsonian show — how exciting! Do tell us more about this event.

Valerie’s Instagram page

Valerie: I am so honored to be included in this show, along with 120 other incredible artists. The Smithsonian Craft Show is an annual premier show of fine American Contemporary Craft. The displayed work will cover twelve categories.

This year the show celebrates the American Spirit in craft and design, and I’m sure it will be spectacular. I hope to meet lots of new people and hear their stories!

Me: Thank you so much for being part of this interview collaboration, Valerie! Best wishes on your design journey and for the Smithsonian Craft Show!

Do check out Valerie’s art at the following links: Vervet Noir| Instagram

The Smithsonian Craft Show is scheduled this year from May 3–7.

Valerie’s work is supported by the Oregon Arts Commission and the Ford Family Foundation.