Planet Goga
Welcome to our Artist Interview Series.
Tiny Hanger features many local, handmade and unique designers. We love bringing “the new” into Brookline.
Check out our latest artist interview featuring Planet Goga, a sister team from Dorchester.
Stop in and see their creations!
Tell us a little bit about yourselves and your team.
I, Sierra, am part of a family of artists that make Goga happen. My sister, Vienna, and I started the collaboration almost 5 years ago and make everything ourselves. We design, print and sew all of our makings and although many of our things tend to be one of a kind makings, we do silkscreen apparel which naturally duplicates as well as make our own patterns that we base many of our designs from. We have seasonal wares as well as flexible favorites. Everything we make focuses on sustainability, fashionability and individuality.
We strive for organic apparel made in the U.S. and we have 15+ original silkscreen designs that we print ourselves in Dorchester, MA. We have original sewn designs that span many years such as our Butterfly Apron dresses, starting as a layering dress for a 2 year old and expands to a 9 year old as a shirt. The Butterfly dresses are all one of a kind result but consistent in fit. We make winter tweed fleece balaclavas and long sleeve mittens called 'schmittens' that keep snow from delicate skin. The fleece is high tech and raw materials are from mills in Northeastern Mass. and sewn in Dorchester by us. Each Schmitten is accented with adorable designs. These are just a sample of what we do; we often follow our fancy with materials, designs, concepts and problem solving. We definitely live up to 'maker of mischief' title.
Tell us about what you are selling at Tiny Hanger.
We sell our layering superstar, our Four Season Butterfly Apron Dress. It fits 2-9+ years and although they all are the same cut, each one is a one-of-a-kind design. We also sell some of our original design printed apparel from ‘Not Everyone Thinks I am a Weed’ dandelion print, ‘No Binky, No Peace’, ‘Maker of Mischief’; Stargazer Extraordinaire’ and our popular ‘Bears on BIkes with parasol and sidecar’. One of newest kids on the block is our washable organic changing pads; a must have travelling companion.
What made you decide to start your line?
My first daughter, Calida was really the beginning. I saw children’s clothes as either design friendly, but wildly expensive and only lasted 6 months. Or the polar opposite inexpensive/cheap looking and had bratz/princessy logo and design focus. Don’t even get me started on trademark characters...ugh! So, I started making her clothes. Being an artist, I kept challenging my weaknesses. Making my own patterns, really sewing in general was all new. I experimented with fabrics, cuts, and was striving to make designs that grew with her. My husband had silkscreening equipment from a skateboarding spoof company he had for a few years and I really wanted to push myself to come up with printed designs. It all snowballed from there. I love making crazy goals and striving to meet them. Vienna and I have done a ton of different ventures together for 30 years by then and it all fell into place.
Do you make other things?
Besides Mischief? Oh yes, we both have our hands in way too many other things. It is hard to reign us in. We do make many more one-of-a-kind designs like our Sassy and Winter Capers (sculptural scarves for women) as well as balaclavas and Schmittens (long sleeve mittens with common sense). We are both immersed in a variety of community building projects in Dorchester and Minneapolis. We also tend to get a little wild with building furniture, making pottery, painting our homes, redesigning friend’s spaces, reupholstering lost and beat-down furniture. Vienna makes/ remakes one-off clothing with some regularity. We both strive to make peace, wonder and joy in our hearts as well as in others’ hearts.
How do you collaborate from afar?
Telepathy. Obvs. It is kind of scary, we really share a brain. We seem to do our best thinking together (when Vienna flies out to Boston), but sometimes we come to the same conclusions even when we don’t communicate. Our aesthetics compliment and we have evolved together in our vision. I think we both thrive from collaboration. Thank goodness for video chat! Even when we work together I get to a point where I don’t know where I should go in a project or design and she will pick it up from there and she does the same.
What inspires you to make your creations/collection?
I really don’t know where we get all my/our ideas. Mainly it is all problem solving i.e. “I could really use a pocket right now” or “This kitchen feels a little cramped, what would happen if we just moved that wall a little...”. My feelers are constantly absorbing and rethinking from the world around. It is kind of a blessing/curse.
How do you manage your kids and your line?
Great question! I don’t know? They are always part of everything, whether I like it or not.
How would you describe your style?
Asymmetrically practical modern hippie. We are scrappers- making do with what we have and always building a better/ better looking solution as we go.
Do you do this full time or in addition to other things?
Goga is part time for both of us. I (Sierra) am an art teacher at a middle school, and a parent. I have my littlest one the days I don’t teach. I am co-chair in my daughter’s parent council, starting a garden at that same school, volunteer in my community and am starting a bike, kite, and frisbee festival this summer at my local park alongside the park’s association. Vienna has some degrees and works in public health research. She is (too) deeply involved in her community and started a community garden on her block with other neighbors. She spends as many hours a day running, meditation, doing yoga, listening to music and singing, sewing, talking to neighbors, gardening and biking as is possible.
Any words of advice or inspiration for aspiring designers?
Go go go! You are unique and your vision is only yours. This is a good lesson for all people to remember. Also, really, just do what it is that you can do. Some of our earliest and most inspired work is messy and technically flawed. And yet it lasts in form and feeds imagination. Never let lack of experience stop you from trying something new.
