Meet Celeste Malvar-Stewart | Fashion & Fibre Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Celeste Malvar-Stewart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Celeste, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Being an Artist is all about taking risks! As far back as I can remember, I’ve taken risks that have spanned over the “daring” to the “calculated”, and it is something that I continue to practice mindfully in life and in my career. I think about risk as one of my conduits to creativity and progress, and it has and continues to give me the thrill and excitement of the unknown from which I thrive and evolve. I also believe that “taking the leap” towards aspects of life that call me is a responsibility that I have to myself and to others; it’s an integral part of my spiritual journey, creative mission, and service to others.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is fashion and fibre. I create couture and high-end pieces with a focus on sustainable practices. I use natural and waste materials along with old world techniques of felting, natural dyeing, weaving, and embroidery; combining them to create modern wearable pieces that are meant to create a deeper connection between ourselves, our clothes, and our environment. I believe what sets me apart from other designers is also what I’m most excited about in my work: developing a relationship with my supply chain that translates to my customers! I work closely with Ohio shepherdesses to obtain wool and alpaca fibre from the happy animals living on their family farms, and I know every animal’s name whose fibre I use! I believe that if we know where our clothes come from and who made them, we’d have a deeper connection to them and be less likely to simply discard them, but rather pass them on as heirlooms. This greater value is innately sustainable!
I arrived at where I am today with the help of so many and by being constant in my determination towards creating in a more mindful way. I was struck early on in my career when I realized how much waste my small fashion brand was generating, and that realization motivated me to consider how I can create beautiful things without causing harm to our environment and society. It wasn’t easy trying to produce mindfully and sustainably, especially during a time when it wasn’t widely considered or popular; for a long time, I was “one of those designers”! Moreover, being a Filipina American immigrant, I was met often with prejudices, derision, and contempt in addition to experiencing exciting milestones, great disappointment, and success; but I’m grateful to be able to persevere. Over the 30 years of creating my own path in the fashion industry, I’ve learned that perseverance and faith is key to what I consider success. Moreover, I’ve learned to appreciate the invaluable mentorship that I received during the years when I was trying to form my career image, and when I was faced with so many challenges.
My brand MALVAR = STEWART is my small way of trying to counter the negative and harmful impact that the fashion industry has had on us and our eco-system, by revealing ways in which fashion can be mindful and perhaps even healing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Excitedly, I would start our week with a morning visit to AÌRŌ showroom in German Village run by the lovely Priscilla Dwomoh, where my best friend would see my latest fashion collection under my brand MALVAR = STEWART, along with other high-end Ohio based designer brands. The showroom’s incredibly curated collection gives one the feeling of visiting a costume museum, except that you can actually try the pieces on! Then we’d take a nice stroll through German Village where we would enjoy great coffee and beautifully delicious baked goods at Fox in the Snow and a bit of people and dog watching at Schiller park before we headed over to the quaint and beloved neighborhood bookstore, The Book Loft to peruse through their 32 rooms of books! After great stimuli and conversation, we’d surely be hungry for lunch, so we’d head over to one of my fave places for lunch, Schokko Cafe at the Columbus Museum of Art, where I’d likely recommend ordering their Strawberry Balsamic Salmon Salad (yum!) and perhaps another cup of coffee to give us the energy to visit the museum’s current exhibition and its really fun museum store. And that’s just one day!

During the rest of the week, I’d take my BFF to visit

– Visit Glass Axis to watch a demo on glass blowing and perhaps even take a day class!
– Grab great cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the elegant Citizens Trust
– ESCO for a casual night’s snack and drink in a dynamic atmosphere
– Spend some time at the Columbus Metropolitan Main Library, perusing their many floors of books, and ascend their beautiful marble stairs to the Carnegie Gallery where they always have compelling exhibitions curated by Stephanie Rond who is also an amazing local artist; then stroll just outside the library to see the incredible topiary park
– Enjoy always a nice Asian fusion lunch or dinner at Bêndi Wok N’ Bar in German Village
– I couldn’t let my BFF visit without experiencing Gallery Hop! – Stroll through the Short North during one of its most vibrant events. We’d make it a point to visit Brandt Roberts Galleries for captivating art and grab delicious ramen at Ampersand Asian Supper Club
– For a short trip outside of Cbus, we’d go to Lancaster where we’d visit the elegant Decorative Arts Center of Ohio where there’s sure to be a great exhibition, stroll through their quaint yet hip downtown where they have a number of nice cafes and restaurants like locally owned/run Ale House 1890 and pop into Gay Fad Studios run by adorable couple Jason and David Annecy where we’d get a glimpse into Lancaster’s glass history as well as perhaps purchasing some fabulous mid-century modern art glassware designed by Jason!
– Grab a bite at Budd Dairy where my BFF and I can choose from several different fun cuisine
– For a really fun peek into Ohio’s farm living, we’d take a day trip to Majestic Meadows Alpacas; a family run farm where we’d mingle with the cutest animals like alpacas, camels, adorable pigs, donkeys, kangaroos, and even capybaras! (be sure to reserve if you want to attend one of their events!)

Links and credits:
https://www.airoshowroom.com
https://www.foxinthesnow.com/location/german-village/
https://www.bookloft.com/
https://www.columbusmuseum.org/visiting/dining/
https://www.glassaxis.org/
https://www.thecitizenstrust.com/
http://escorestaurant.com/columbus/
https://www.columbuslibrary.org/friends/carnegie-gallery/
https://bendiwoknbar.com/
https://www.brandtrobertsgalleries.com/
https://ampersandasiansupperclub.com/
http://www.decartsohio.org/
https://alehouse1890.com/
https://www.gayfadstudios.com/
https://budddairyfoodhall.com/
https://majesticmeadowsalpacas.com/

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many who I’d like to dedicate my Shoutout to because so many have helped and supported me throughout my journey in arriving where I am today, but because I’ve been mentoring more, I’d like to dedicate this Shoutout to my mentor and long-time friend Howard Thornton! Howard, a licensed architect in California, was the prestigious Oakland Museum of California Store’s Director and client/designer of the store with the museum renovation architects; as well as being the Director of the museum store at the SF MoMA for many years before retiring. Through Howard’s kind and expert leadership, guidance, and genuine concern for my well-being and career trajectory, I’ve learned what it is to be a good mentor and appreciate the service that mentorship is. This of course, leads me to Shoutout to my incredible mentees who constantly bring me youth and excitement! Moreover, a resounding Shoutout to my husband, William Stewart who has been my biggest fan and supporter from the beginning of my career when I was still drafting patterns on newspaper! It is indeed true that “No Woman is an Island”

Website: airoshowroom.com

Instagram: malvarstewart

Linkedin: Celeste Malvar-Stewart

Facebook: Celeste Malvar-Stewart

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_cD9UD5UZo

Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0KhGSyeSkg https://www.pbs.org/video/broad-and-high-celeste-malvar-stewart/

Image Credits
Priscilla Dwomoh Wendy Pramik Shiann Banks Tariq Tarey Rhaniel Lao