Parker+Simonne Designs

 A few pieces have become part of the costume selection for Lily Tomlin’s character on the Netflix show Grace and Frankie, as well as country music band member Jessie Carson of Midland, and indie acoustic singer, RY X,  to name a few.  While Kirkpatrick offers some items on Etsy and does custom orders online, CARGO is the only physical place to buy Parker+Simonne Designs currently. The expansive shop on SE Yamhill specializes in authentic international goods and the kind of African, Mexican, Guatemalan, and Indian textiles that Kirkpatrick chooses for her own pieces.

Kirkpatrick’s favorite part of her job is shopping for textiles from different countries and then combining them, which allows for some creative agency. But she says she also enjoys the very personal process of creating custom orders and connecting with people at fairs and events.

Kirkpatrick is keeping her business small to focus on meeting demand at CARGO. Her success at street fairs like the Portland Night Market and Crafty Wonderland lies in chatting all day with customers and telling them the story woven inside each piece. She still marvels that she’s been able to create space for herself, a woman of color, in Portland’s scene of artists and makers.

“Many customers get teary eyed when they’re talking with me—I talk to them about what it’s like to believe in yourself suddenly. That you can do something else besides what it is you’ve always known,” Kirkpatrick says. “I make sure they know that this wasn’t my life before. It’s not about ‘Oh, I’m special.’ It’s about: You can do this. I am telling you, I was someone else not that long ago. I didn’t know how to sew, never imagined I would be on this side of the festival tent, and here I am.’”