The Uglie Butterfly

What inspires your designs and the themes you select for your apparel woven tapestry art? 

If you can dream it, we probably have a design for it. We always say our designs are a collection of everything we’ve ever found interesting, fun, or unique. A big part of our inspiration comes from wanting to create pieces that stand out in a world of neutrals, matching sets, and mass-produced fashion. If we think there’s even one person out there who has a genuine love or connection to something, we see an opportunity to turn that into wearable art. Our designs bring together embroidery, woven textiles, and storytelling to create pieces that feel personal, unexpected, and completely unique. 

What types of materials do you prefer to work with, and why do you choose them? 

We source many of our apparel pieces through a family-owned business in Los Angeles that prioritizes premium, high-quality garments. Quality is incredibly important to us because of the amount of time, detail, and craftsmanship that goes into each design. We want the garment itself to feel just as special and long-lasting as the artwork we add to it. Woven tapestry is one of our favorite materials because it’s such a unique art form. Traditionally, you think of tapestry as something displayed in your home, so transforming it into something wearable creates an entirely different experience. The texture, detail, and dimension allow us to create memorable pieces that simply can’t be replicated through screen printing or embroidery alone. We also love working with upcycled garments, particularly denim. Not everyone connects with traditional streetwear, so incorporating denim and other elevated silhouettes allows us to continue expanding what the “Uglie” approach can look like while still staying true to our identity. 

How do you approach the customization process for individual pieces? Can clients request specific designs or themes? 

Our custom process is completely collaborative, and we work closely with each client from the initial idea through the final design. If someone already has a specific image, artwork, theme, or concept in mind, we use what they share with us as the foundation and build a cohesive design around the details that are meaningful to them. Before anything is produced, we create a digital mockup for the client to review and approve. Once they’re happy with the direction, we bring the custom piece to life. 

Some clients come to us without a specific design in mind, and that’s where we get to be especially creative. For example, someone might simply tell us they love the outdoors. From there, we can develop several concepts for them to choose from. They can select the direction they connect with most, and then we refine it together—adjusting details, combining elements, or completely evolving the concept until it feels like their piece. The goal is for every custom item to feel personal to the person wearing it, rather than simply customized for them.

How do you envision the future of The Uglie Butterfly? Are there any new directions or products you plan to explore? 

We probably have more ideas for the future of Uglie Butterfly than we know what to do with, which is part of what keeps the business exciting. One of our biggest goals is to continue taking Uglie Butterfly on the road through pop-ups in different cities across the United States. We want to introduce more people to both sides of the brand—from our statement streetwear pieces to the more elevated designs we’ve begun developing. Right now, one of our newest projects is a custom sequin collection featuring made-to-order sequin pants and skirts. Moving forward, we’d love to introduce additional limited collections alongside our one-of-one custom work. Even as we grow, maintaining that sense of exclusivity is incredibly important to us. We never want Uglie Butterfly to feel mass-produced. Whether someone purchases a custom piece or something from a limited collection, we want it to feel special, distinctive, and like something they won’t see everywhere else. 

What advice would you give to aspiring artists looking to create their own unique brand in the fashion industry? 

Start by creating what you genuinely want to wear! If you love a certain style or have a vision that you can’t stop thinking about, follow it all the way through. Some of the most meaningful encouragement you’ll receive will come from complete strangers who see something you created and immediately connect with it. That feeling is worth chasing. Nearly everything we’ve created for the public started because it was something we wanted to make for ourselves. We would wear those pieces, strangers would stop us to compliment them, and that reaction showed us there was room for what we were creating. Trends will change and the industry will change, but if you’re creating from genuine excitement and love for what you do, you’ll always have a reason to keep going. Create something you believe in first, and then give other people the opportunity to believe in it too.