Dressing Hip-Hop Stars in Cross Stitch

Associating hip-hop music and streetwear with cross stitch seems somewhat incongruous, but Chicago based artist Emma McKee, also known as ‘Stitch-Gawd’ didn’t see any kind of disconnect.

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When Emma realised she not only enjoyed cross stitch but was actually really good at it, she decided that it was the perfect medium for her art. She began making unique jackets with cross stitched designs for rappers and performers from her home city. It wasn’t long before her work took off.

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However, Emma was not in it to make money – in fact, the idea of trading her art for money was anathema to her. She prefers to ‘barter’ her designs for time and this is what has driven her success.

Emma says:

‘There is so much worth that we forget about people because we’re looking at the bottom line of things… inviting money into a conversation about art inherently changes all of it.’

Using such a traditional medium in such a contemporary arena, Emma is certainly making a statement. And, we would suggest, she’s also proudly taking on the world.

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You can read the full interview with Emma at uproxx.com or follow her on Instagram @thestitchgawd