Libby O'Bryan

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Libby O’Bryan is an artist, designer, and business woman based in Asheville, NC. Trained in fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, business administration at the University of San Francisco, and fine art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, O’Bryan melds
her hybrid background into a conceptual art practice and an unconventional sewing enterprise.

O’Bryan’s business, Sew Co., is an effort to preserve the skill of sewing and our domestic manufacturing economy. After apparel production management positions with Gary Graham (NYC) and Laurenceleste (Chicago), O’Bryan witnessed in-house sewing jobs move overseas. Haunted by the potential extinction of this skill in the U.S., O'Bryan conceived and established Sew Co. in 2010 when invited to share a roof and a vision for progressive production with The Oriole Mill in Hendersonville, NC.

Now located in Asheville's River Arts District, Sew Co. offers sewn product development and cutting and sewing services of discerning quality with socially responsible and creative business concepts. Sew Co. is a founding member of the Carolina Textile District and has been featured in Collective Quarterly (Issue 4, Summer 2016), PBS’s Craft in America series (Episode XII, May 2014), and WNC Magazine (Septem-
ber 2011
).
Informed by her career, O’Bryan creates environments that function outside the commodity-driven marketplace as a container for the contemplation of everyday decisions and cultural norms. Although asserting a politicized agenda, the aestheticized temporality of her work gently invites the viewer to provoke investigation and self-reflection. Her work has been exhibited at the Chicago Cultural Center, South Eastern Center for Contemporary Art, Cameron Art Museum, the Penland School of Crafts Gallery, and the Knoxville Museum of Art.

The Rite of Passage team says...

Libby's Notebook

DREAM DAY, Part 2: Tarelton Walmsley

DREAM DAY, Part 2: Tarelton Walmsley

DREAM DAYS is a series in collaboration with Laura Woods Studio.  We've asked friends and colleagues to take us on a "dream day" in their community while wearing our clothing...

COLLECT Designer Market

COLLECT Designer Market

We are thrilled to collaborate with jewelry artist Laura Wood along with Erin Hawley to launch COLLECT, a curated designer market at our store in the River Arts District, Asheville.

Lisa in the Envelop Coat

Lisa in the Envelop Coat

Textile artist Lisa Smith models the Jacquard Envelop Coat and our current collection. She shares her inspirations and local favorites Botanist & Barrel and Rabbit Rabbit.

Part 1: Luisa Yen

Part 1: Luisa Yen

We invited Luisa to join us for her “dream day” in Asheville. We'd spend the day visiting her favorite places in Asheville and doing her dreamiest activities, all while wearing Rite...