I'm Abby, the hands and the heart behind Snake Farm. Everything you see here is designed, drawn, cut, sewn and sourced by me.
Born and raised in Iowa, I taught myself how to sew after unexpectedly returning to the Midwest from several years of living in Mozambique and Haiti. I was struggling to feel at home in a place that suddenly felt so unfamiliar and was in desperate need of an escape from fast-fashion and overconsumption.
Snake Farm has been a steady evolution since then, allowing me to re-imagine what it means to be Western while honoring traditions and history. I’ve found that there is such a special magic in wearing a thoughtful, intentional garment that honors your body and your story.
My goal is to make pieces that will be loved and cherished for decades to come-- pieces that feel good to wear and make you feel like your truest and best self.
Everyone wears clothes every day. The Western industry was born of global migrations and cultures. Western wear is for everyone, and I hope you find part of yourself here.
A Tad Bit More:
I specialize in leather appliqué (pronounced "app-lih-kay"), the process of layering and sewing individual pieces of leather to create larger images. All of my designs are hand-drawn and carefully re-worked into creatively cut, intricately layered pieces. I do not use any CNC, computerized, or laser cutting machines...just me and my scissors!
All appliqué work is done with a very basic home sewing machine from the early 2000s. I use a small prong-setting tool from the 1950s to install all rhinestones.
If you're interested in knowing more, check out this article by Insight Magazine (page 12).