Written by Jacqueline Lee
Photographed by Olivia Pagliuca
"I...struggle [with] being called a designer," says Georgia Rae Taylor, whose bubbly personality shines through the handmade clothing on display at Graet Goods on West King. Or, if you miss the collection at her shop, as worn by songwriter Claire Vandiver at this year's Grammy Awards.
"I don't think you ever really become a designer," says Rae Taylor, who picks up a vintage hand towel here, a second-hand scarf there, and then sews them onto one of her most cherished projects: the Junk Journal Jacket.
"I just feel you are one."
Born in Jacksonville, raised in Georgia and guided by her guidance counselor to Flagler College, she proves her jack-of-all-trades pedigree by creating up-cycled necklaces and dresses made from recycled bed sheets.
When the showroom isn't hosting parties, fashion shows and photoshoots, Rae Taylor is delving into collaborations with other businesses. She will also soon be doing interior design work at musician Vandiver’s Nashville home.
"I've always loved old things," she says. "I started sewing with my grandma when I was little and I just...enjoy designing things."
But her shop's success hasn't quelled her creative designs.
"I really feel I don't even have a lot of time to...make art, and that's something I really want to get back to."
One upcoming project: a short, silent film project with a Flagler student that will feature five of Rae Taylor’s signature jackets. The store owner is also looking to get a master's in art history.
“I think I heard a quote once that…‘everything that you do in your life one day informs the work that you're going to do,’” Rae Taylor recalls. “And that's kind of how I see my whole life."
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