Q+A with Kalen Whitehead
Pratt Institute, BFA 2025
Attachment Wounds
At No Kill Magazine, we’re after what might change the game — not just what’s next. Some of the sharpest ideas are coming from designers rewriting fashion’s rules.
In Next Gen / No Kill, we spotlight standout fashion graduates whose work opens up new conversations and possibilities. From New York’s top programs and beyond, these are the designers shaping a future of fashion defined by intelligence, creativity, and intention.
What is the inspiration or concept behind your collection?
Attachment Wounds explores my relationship with my mother through the lens of psychology and attachment theory, an area that has shaped both my academic path as a psychology minor and my personal growth. Rooted in John Bowlby’s foundational work, the collection reflects on how early emotional bonds leave lasting impressions.
It delves into themes of tension and rupture, while ultimately centering reflection, growth, and deep love.
This body of work examines attachment, womanhood, and inheritance, looking at how identity is formed through, alongside, and in contrast to the women who raise us. Utilizing knitting, felting, macramé, and weaving, I developed a visual language drawn from techniques and symbols passed down by my mother.
What’s one material or technique you’re currently obsessed with?
Lately, I’ve become obsessed with macramé, flatbed knitting, and weaving. Macramé is a new technique for me, but I’m drawn to its repetitive, meditative qualities that echo those of knitting. It’s incredibly versatile, offering endless ways to build or subtract structure, and I used it extensively in this collection.
What fascinates me about these techniques is that they’re human-powered and can be zero-waste with careful planning.
Flatbed knitting allows you to shape directly on the machine with tools and your hands, no cutting, no electricity. Weaving also requires extensive handwork, slowing fashion down to create entirely new textiles that can be draped and sculpted.
Macramé is entirely hand-tied, making each piece deeply personal. Sustainability is always on my mind with these methods, whether it’s unraveling thrifted sweaters for yarn, choosing ethical suppliers, or working exclusively with natural fibers. There’s so much room for thoughtful decision-making in each step, which I find so lovely.
What does fashion mean to you today?
To me, fashion speaks to community. At our graduation show, I was overwhelmed by the love and excitement. It was clear that the event’s success was rooted in the creative energy we all brought to it. Our class spent countless hours in the studio: working, problem-solving, sharing opinions, collaborating, and simply enjoying each other’s company. Fashion, especially as a maker in a shared space, is about supporting and being supported. That sense of connection is what fashion means to me right now.
What’s one thing you wish the fashion industry would leave behind—and one thing it should embrace?
Fashion should leave behind judgment
It should fully embrace handcraft and slow fashion.
Who or what has shaped your design values most?
One of the most influential experiences in shaping my perspective on the fashion industry has been my time working in knitwear production at Aisling Camps, a knitwear brand based in Brooklyn. That experience has been foundational, from learning advanced techniques and pattern development to understanding studio organization, brand values, and even plant care. The hands-on nature of that environment taught me an incredible amount and continues to influence how I think about process, quality, and care in design.
If you could design for anyone in the world, who would it be—and why?
I would design for mythical gods. A side interest of mine is mythology and I would love to design for something so whimsical.
Three things keeping you sane right now
My roommates, long showers, knitting in front of the TV
One word to describe your design approach: Detailed
Where can we find you online?
kalenwhitehead.cargo.site
@_kwhitehead
