October 20, 2025

S9 Ep32 JRAT: artist and designer, Janelle Abbott - on growing up in her parents' Seattle clothing factory, and choosing a zero-waste path into fashion design.

1 hour 2 minutes

On today's show, we're chatting with Janelle Abbott, the artist and designer behind JRAT. Raised in her parents' Seattle clothing factory, Janelle grew up with an early respect for the labor that goes into making clothing.

After graduating from Parsons, she rejected corporate fashion, choosing a radically sustainable, zero-waste path.

Through her brand JRAT, she transforms discarded and found materials into one-of a-kind garments – her work merges activism, art, and performance—as she exposes fast fashion's farce through garment reclamation, reminding us that all garments are human artifacts.

In this conversation, we're diving into Janelle's journey from growing up surrounded by sewing machines to her own craft in zero-waste design. We'll talk about how her design education shaped her view of the fashion industry, her creative process for sourcing and transforming discarded textiles, and what it really means to practice zero-waste pattern making.

Plus, Janelle shares stories about her favorite finds, and why she wants people to be in love with clothes that already exist.

Plus so much more. Let's dive right in!

DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

[2:06] Janelle loved fashion from a young age, growing up in her parents' Seattle clothing factory.
[8:14] How thrifting with her mom at St. Vincent de Paul became their bonding time
[10:08] Learning to sew at age seven and the freedom to experiment with reworking clothes
[12:31] Why she decided to pursue fashion at Parsons despite knowing firsthand how hard the industry is
[18:34] Learning zero-waste pattern drafting
[24:04] Taking a seven-year detour to avoid monetizing her creative work
[28:15] Her creative process for sourcing and transforming discarded textiles
[33:23] Her special upcycling techniques
[39:45] JRAT's latest NYFW show, Pretty Ugly Princess, inspired by the 1990s board game
[53:09] Personal style, and the pieces that make it into her own closet.

EPISODE MENTIONS:

JRAT
Alyza DelPan-Monley
Sustainable Style Seattle
JeLisa Marshall
T Parent
Path with Art
Adult Human Females
Avery Trufleman
Doc's Cake Shop
Nick of Time
Sheerly Touch Ya
Heavy Duty Vintage
Shop Berriez
Down to Clown

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By Emily Stochl

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