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ABOUT US.

American soprano Shauna L. Howard standing in the middle of a Los Angeles street wearing a purple Fierce Stitch infinity scarf, a short that says "Keep calm or I will use my opera voice" tshirt, a leather jacket, jean shorts, and rainbow stilettos.

My relationship with fiber art goes back to my love for music, performing arts, and community. After debuting with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 2004 under the baton of Grammy award-winning conductor and composer Lucas Richman, I attended Temple University to study music therapy and opera.  I was accepted into the Boyer College of Music and Dance with very little financial support, so I decided to design scarves to put myself through college.  Crocheting allowed me to work while studying Western music theory, bel canto technique, and over 600 years of Western music history.  Opera singers and classical musicians are inherently theatrical - we look for the spotlight and ways to set ourselves apart from the rest, so I knew that my ginormous winter accessories would provide sustainable warmth, luxurious style, and handcrafted fashion during the cold weather.  Initially I sold my designs to students, faculty, staff, visiting artists, and more; however, in 2009 when I received a series of international orders, I felt confident to launch Fierce Stitch full-time and focus on studying small business development, arts advocacy, positive psychology, and creative entrepreneurship while working as a professional vocalist.  I sold my designs to customers all over the world and learned business development by lending my support to the boards of both SCORE Philadelphia and Emerging Art Leaders - Philadelphia. 

 

My grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was a little girl.  She taught me simple stitches that she learned at her local community center during our weekend visits. Daddy would do chores around her home (chopping wood, taking out the trash, fixing things, etc.) while MaDear & I sat in the living room crocheting. She would teach me the same stitches over and over again Fiber art only requires a small amount of patience to learn it; however, once you get it, it gives you a lifetime of patience and healing.  Every day, Fierce Stitch gives me an abundance of joy and peace while practicing radical self-care in Los Angeles: designing accessories is a meditative practice that soothes my soul and recharges my spirit to do good in the world.  It’s because of the healing power of crocheting, knitting, and other forms of fiber art that we created our Sip & Stitch events for fiber artisans who seek community, connection, and creativity through fiber art. 

With the introduction of COVID-19 into our lives, now is the perfect time to support artists, creative entrepreneurs as we look for creative and holistic ways to live as safely as possible.  While practicing safe physical & social distancing, our mission is to provide sustainable and luxurious handcrafted winter accessories for everyone by designing with radical self-care while supporting various health & social causes that impact the most disenfranchised citizens of society.  To learn more about our brand and the causes that we support, sign up for our newsletter to stay in touch!

Open mind. Open heart. Open spirit. 

 

With love, 
Shauna

Founder, Fierce Stitch Co.