I was born and raised in Samarkand, in what was known at the time as the Uzbek Republic of the Soviet Union, to parents with Uzbek, German, Ukrainian, and Russian ancestry. In short, I am a mix of nationalities, and the richness of my heritage inspires my work. In an ancient Silk Road city, famous for the skill of its artisans, I learned hand embroidery, lace weaving, natural fabric dyeing and many other techniques passed down through generations in the region. My childhood dream was actually to become a ballerina, but my parents had other plans for me. They wanted me to train my mind as well as I had trained my body to dance. Even though I loved to wake up early, while my parents were still asleep, to dance to records that my father taught me how to play on our record player, I eventually completed a master’s program in pedagogy and took a job as a teacher. But I held on to my dreams by nourishing them alongside my goals. In my work with children, I shared my knowledge of handcrafting, giving them skills to create things, and I led a dance club after school, to give them the freedom to express themselves. These same inspirations are laid out in the style of clothing I create - it is light, graceful, reminiscent of dance.

After visiting family in Portland in 2016, I met someone special, fell in love, and started a new life there. I was inspired by the lush, green beauty of Oregon, but I brought my history with me, too. I adapted quickly and, shortly after studying English myself, began to teach children again, at a private school. I was so grateful to be learning as much from them as they were from me. I reignited my passion for working with textiles, starting with hand-dyed scarves (which I sold out of a tent in my yard during the pandemic), then moving toward experimentation with newer techniques, like Nuno felting, and then even more ambitious projects, like intricate dresses. I came to realize that I am happiest when I am at work, when I am creating things.

In 2022, I established my own workshop and began the search for myself as an artist. I pour everything into my projects - the natural world that surrounds me, the memories I cherish within me and, of course, the spirit of movement, of dancing. My goal is to create clothing that is as artful and intricate as it is versatile and light, pieces that are timeless and can be worn time and again with beauty and ease.

My search for new fabrics, novel techniques, and exciting experiences continues to this day. By the will of fate, I applied and was accepted to show my work at the 2023 FashioNXT UpNXT accelerator and runway competition, and even though I did not win, the experience inspired me to find the courage to say yes to my dream, to create beautiful, unique clothes that can tell a story, or teach someone something, or dance with the wearer and set them apart from the rest.

Warm regards,

Oxana Ake