Welcome to the UnStruktured podcast!
This week I talk with fellow performance design leader, Elizabeth McGarry. Based in Boston, Elizabeth has spent the past two decades creating collections for iconic brands like Nike and Reebok and has led design for some of the most talked about startups in the performance and outdoor industry.
From her early experience with coveted design labels in Antwerp, Belgium, to adopting her first son to become a single working mother at the age of 23, Elizabeth has built a professional creative life rooted in the mantra "family first" ... naming her design studio MCGARRY&Sons.
A leader, builder, collaborator, instigator, problem-solver; Elizabeth McGarry is the co-founder and creative director of one of the most sought-after product design studios in the sportswear industry. Her design career began in the early aughts, when she turned a botched internship in Spain into a dream job in Antwerp, Belgium. Immersed in the avant-garde world of fashion as an assistant designer to some of the most coveted cult labels of the era, Elizabeth honed her skills in conceptual design, luxury craftsmanship, and innovative brand activation.
Upon returning to the US, Elizabeth cultivated her love of heritage brands with innovative design, first as a designer for Nike Sportswear, then the director for Reebok Classics & Collaborations, eventually becoming the go-to “it” designer for Iconic reissues & brand-driving campaigns. For over a decade, Elizabeth has led creative & design for some of the most talked about brands in the performance and outdoor industry. Her commitment to building long lasting, meaningful products and culture-shifting brands, has elevated her projects to future Icon status.
Episode 5 Sponsors
Schoeller
This episode of UnStruktured is brought to you by Schoeller, the global textile company headquartered in Switzerland, specializing in the development and manufacturing of high-performance fabrics and textile technologies for athletic, outdoor, fashion and workwear categories.
Founded more than 150 years ago, Schoeller calls upon its vast history of experience working with the most advanced equipment in compliance with the world’s toughest environmental systems. Quality and sustainability have always served as the brand’s core principles, with the entire production chain – from raw materials to the finished product – intensely scrutinized.
For more information, visit www.schoeller-textiles.com.
Functional Fabric Fair Powered by Performance Days
This episode was brought to you by the Functional Fabric Fair Powered by Performance Days, the premiere trade show for performance fabrics and materials. Since 2018 the Functional Fabric Fair has been providing a unique highly-curated trade show experience in the performance material space, aimed at providing customers with the very best options to create the highest-level products in the market. Having a strong focus on education and sustainability, the Functional Fabric Fair is committed to tackling the biggest issues we face today in regards to product manufacturing and our environment.
With five shows throughout the year, from Portland, to New York City, to Munich, you're sure to find what you need at the Functional Fabric Fair and Performance Days.
Struktur Society
This episode was brought to you by Struktur Society, the community for creators in art, design, and music. For almost a decade Struktur has brought together creatives from across the industrial, apparel, graphic, and sound design industries, building professional relationships, creating a platform for knowledge sharing, and raising the bar of product creation.
From live events and workshops, to publication and podcasting, Struktur continues to evolve to build the strong creator community needed to craft our future. Find us at struktursociety.com and subscribe to our Substack at struktursociety.substack.com.
© StrukturSphere llc 2023. Music by Greg Brace Music.
USTRUKTURED 05: Elizabeth McGarry, Shifting Culture