Arlena Armstrong-Petock of Marvin Ruby
For Arlena Armstrong-Petock, working with quilts poses the challenge of getting people past the images of pioneers that the textiles normally bring up. She shies away from Americana, instead developing modern apparel styles that bridge binaries.
Marvin Ruby, Arlena’s brand of upcycled quilted garments and vintage-style apparel, was named after her grandparents. Memories of sitting with them as they watched TV together, her grandmother quilting and her grandfather flipping through the TV Guide, have shaped her slow and comfortable approach to the brand. After spending time living abroad and carving out a career in the fashion industry that she ultimately left, Arlena moved to upstate New York for a slower pace of life. Ironically, it brought her back around to fashion with a new frame of mind. For Marvin Ruby, Arlena approaches quilted designs in a way that feels current and elevated. Working with a limited resource like a quilt demands creativity in sizing and structure, and the pieces are meant to be played with, styled up or down, with dresses or jeans.
CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH: We like Arlena’s fresh take on a classic.
NAME: Arlena Armstrong-Petock
CITY: Accord, NY
BEST PART OF WORKING WITH VINTAGE QUILTS: They have so many stories to tell. I adore the delicate details of each one, whether it be the hand stitching or embroidery, prints, or warm feeling each one projects. Quilts have such a special place in my heart, as my grandmother, Ruby, quilted and passed down several of her quilts to me.
SOMETHING PEOPLE MISUNDERSTAND ABOUT UPCYCLING: People often think you are destroying or ruining a perfectly good item by repurposing it into something else. When in reality you are preserving and honoring that item into something new or more functional for today. Also, it’s expensive! Yes, you can find great items to upcycle at thrift stores, but the time/money it takes to turn it into a new finished product is significant.
IDEAL SUMMER NIGHT IN THREE WORDS: Grill. Pups. Whiskey Sour (that counts as one word, right?)
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