Artist in Residence: Camilla Mustard
Program Overview
Approved Textiles’ Artist in Residence program offers local creators the space and support to experiment with textiles, share their process, and connect with the community. Each artist receives upfront funding, materials, and the freedom to push boundaries—without worrying about commercial constraints.
By disconnecting from profit-driven mindsets in the creation process, we enable slow-fashion ethos while emphasizing minimal waste and intentional creation. Each artist creates one-of-a-kind fabrics in 3-yard swaths (2.75 meters) available for purchase.
Meet the Artist
Introducing Camilla Mustard
Camilla Mustard is a handmade, sustainable clothing line by artist Ali Dworsack. Rooted in joy, color, and minimal water waste, her work turns hand-painted textiles into wearable art. (@CamillaMustard on Instagram)
“I’ve always felt connected to water. It’s healing, it’s peaceful, and it’s everywhere—but fresh water is finite.”
A Collection with a Conscience
A Love Letter to Water starts with the fabrics. Many pieces used in this residency are from our undyed cotton + linen handloom woven pieces created in West Bengal. By circumventing the dying process, these fabrics skip dye baths, chemical color settings, and rinses to remove excess dye. Collectively, this chain of events is known as "wet processing."
While this is important to reduce water usage, to some extent, the amount of water used in wet processing pales (pails lols a conservation pun) compared to the amount of water it takes to grow cotton. This is where the other fabrics specific to this residency come in, with regenerative cotton.
Grown in Paraíba, Brazil, the regenerative cotton we source uses no-till farming, cover cropping, minimal pesticide use, and ~99% less water than traditional cotton farming. This method vastly improves soil health, increases biodiversity, and reduces carbon emissions.
Explore the Collection
Join Us for These Events
Gallery Show (March 7, 6–8 PM)
Expand your First Friday from Old City and join us on Fabric Row to see Camilla’s hand-painted yardage displayed in a gallery-style setting. After the show, all pieces that are sold will be available to take home. This will be the one and only time all of the pieces are shown together.
Artist Talk & Workshop (Saturday, March 22)
Free Artist Talk (5–6 PM):
Hear Camilla discuss her creative process, sustainability practices, and inspiration as she shares her work in dialogue with Approved Textiles co-founder, Matthew Addonizio.
Location to be announced. (We are expecting more people than can comfortably fit in our little shop. Please RSVP so we can email you with updated location (on 4th Street)
Workshop (6–8 PM, Fee Applies)
After the talk, Camilla will come back to the shop to show her process. Collaborate with Camilla to create a custom, one-of-a-kind bandanna or shawl to take home. Based on space and time availability, we are only able to offer sixteen slots, which you can reserve here.
Closing Party (Sun, March 30, 4–6 PM)
Celebrate the residency’s finale with music, light refreshments, and a final chance to purchase Camilla’s original textiles.
Own a Piece of A Love Letter to Water
All pieces from Camilla Mustard’s residency are one-of-a-kind, hand-painted yardage in 3-yard swaths—equal parts fine art and functional textile.
Sustainably created with minimal water waste
Each piece is unique; no two are alike
Perfect for sewing, quilting, home décor, or simply displaying as art