Unmasking Creativity: Get to Know Cosplay Luminary Kristin Gallup

Meet Kristin Gallup, the creative force behind Sable and Sin, an Oakland small maker business that makes handmade clothing and goods perfect for special events, cosplay, LARPing and festival wear. From the juxtaposition of delicate lace with rugged leather to the intricacy of her whimsical yet functional designs, Kristin’s designs are imaginative and inspiring. Through this interview we will unravel the layers of Kristin’s creative evolution, marked by resourcefulness, unconventional materials, and her ongoing commitment to artistic authenticity. We also explore how social media has both negatively and positively impacted her small business – an important lesson for all small maker businesses.

Kristin Gallup modeling her work – photo on left by Lumiér Imagery

Finding Inspiration Through Experimentation

Starting out, Kristin’s work was inspired by the simple fact that she didn’t see anything that seemed to fit her needs. Having gone to both Burning Man and the NorCal Renaissance Festival, she noticed that the clothing offered for these types of events was either terrible quality, the wrong size, lacking inspiration and made overseas. So she started to tinker and add her own flare to the clothing she had on hand.

“I started taking apart the clothes I owned and embellishing and reworking them with hand-sewing. Then I borrowed a sewing machine from a friend, googled how to use it, took apart clothing to get to the base patterns, and taught myself how to transfer patterns, modify them, change seams, etc. I was shocked when friends asked me to make those designs for them, but took them at their word when they said they liked my work, so I taught myself how to grade the patterns for different sizes.  This was all working with stretchy fabrics, thrifted clothing, discount ribbons and embellishments—the most shoe-string budget you could picture.”

Holster by Kristin Gallop of KrakenWhip and now her new Sable and Sin

“I don’t remember when I started making things with bike inner tubes, but it was pretty early on—pocket belts, the original ruffle tops, fringe skirts, very Mad-Max vibe. I then had to learn about hardware application and working with obstinate materials, which came in handy when a friend gave me a massive truck inner tube to experiment with. It yielded things that were far sturdier than the bike tube products, so for a while that material was all I sought out. When I wanted to make things with more color in them, I discovered that EBay had scrap leather lots (I was still 90% upcycling at this point), so I plowed ahead with using leather for the first time, and fell in love! My mom gave me the $750 for a used industrial sewing machine that I found on Craigslist, and it changed everything,” Kristin recalls.

Starting out, her business was born from inspiration she found from her own life experiences but it wasn’t until she lost her job as a server that she started to see real traction with her business.

“When I got “released” from my server job and got unemployment for a year, I took the huge risk of trying to make my living as a maker. I figured if I couldn’t make it with my bare-bones expenses being covered, then it wasn’t meant to be. Serendipitously, my creations started to actually make me an income within two weeks of unemployment ending! It was uncanny timing; the rest is history,” she remembered.

Kristin modeling a belt design she made at her Oakland studio – photo by Vita Hewitt

Those who know me well know I’m a girl of many DIY talents but what they are always surprised by is that I’m not a seamstress. It’s the one craft I’ve yet to master, even with classes I just can’t seem to push myself over the beginner hurdles. To be a good seamstress and apparel designer you need to be able to think in both 2D and 3D simultaneously and it’s a skill that I’ve never been able to master. Kristin has a keen ability to think in multiple dimensions and work in unique ways that are all her own. Her designs are whimsical and fun while also being functional.

“Actually, despite hand sewing little felt objects and loving handicrafts as a kid, I’m not sure I thought of myself as a creative person until at least my early twenties. During middle-and high-school I had wild-colored hair, changed my style drastically just about every day, painted on things, made collages, made beadwork, did photography, danced, did sports AND theater, was in a choir, altered and dyed clothing…and I can’t remember thinking that it made me creative. It wasn’t until one of my restaurant managers told me “you’re weird, kid, but it seems like a healthier outlet than coming to work drunk” (talking about one of my co-workers). That’s when I realized not everyone made art in whatever form they could get their hands on, and that my need to express myself was in fact an outlet,“ Kristin says.

Kristin (right) modeling some of her work.

On Mastering Your Craft as an Artist

When you see Kristin’s work it’s all the things you want in cosplay work – uniquely beautiful in all of its own ways. The seamless fusion of delicate lace with rugged leather, alongside the intricacy of her unique designs, leaves one in awe of Kristin’s exceptional skill. While it’s evident to many that she is a master in her craft, it’s surprising to learn that Kristin herself sees her journey as a continuous quest for artistic growth. It’s easy for me to see that she’s a master at her own craft but I was surprised that she feels differently. For her, there’s always room to grow as an artist.

“When I started my post-Burning Man clothing journey, I really did not know how to use a sewing machine or a serger. I had to look up YouTube videos (which was a fairly new website at the time and such a novel idea, I couldn’t believe the info was so readily accessible) on how to wind a bobbin and what the buttons on the machines meant. My mom (who is a super artistic person and so much better at fabric sewing than I am), would send me videos about things I would have never thought about, like using the right needle for the fabric, differences in thread, that sort of thing.

I’m still waiting to feel like a master at my craft. There’s so much more to learn; making stuff with garment leather is the easiest to learn in the leather world, but I’d like to learn the more complex skills, like burnishing, embossing, painting, dyeing, wet-molding, specific hand-sewing stitches, and so on,” Kristin says.

Kristin’s awesome shop cat in Oakland – photo by Vita Hewitt

The Biggest Opposing Force Creatives Face

I’ve mentioned this before but one of the reasons I want to share the stories of artists in The Bay is because my Dad is a working artist. Growing up in a Bay Area household with a “starving artist” gave me a unique perspective. I felt compelled to ask Kristin “What was the biggest opposing force that you encountered on your creative journey?” Her answer really highlighted a problem that all creatives face and is really truly throwaway culture we live in and the absolute need for some folks to get things ASAP no matter the quality. But beyond that, we are also our worst critics and sometimes as creatives we have to learn how to get out of our own way.

“Oof. That’s a hard one. I think it’s actually two things: Convincing people that hand-made stuff is worth the higher price point is a huge challenge in this day and age of next-day delivery, throwaway culture, and how most things are so terribly, cheaply made that it’s difficult to imagine something NOT falling apart in a couple months. The other opposing force was my own self—I have Bipolar disorder (somewhat managed with medication), so I would oscillate between bouts of just-do-it, no-turning-back-now, driven ambitious gumption, and stressed, depressed, anxious questioning of all my life decisions. It takes a tremendous amount of willpower to be your own boss and cheerleader, especially when you’ve maxed out your credit cards *again* to make it through a slow month,” recalls Kristin.

Kristin Gallup wearing some of her KrakenWhip and Sable and Sin designs at The Norcal Ren Faire

Social Media’s Influence: The Good, The Bad and the Royal Family?

I had been following Kristin’s previous company (KrakenWhip) for some time now. I’m a sucker for beautifully made cosplay clothing even if I rarely get dressed up. One day, while scrollin’ Facebook I realized Kraken Whip had started to really get into The Royal Family and I kept seeing share after share specifically sharing Royal Family photos? Curious as to what was really going on, I snoop-a-looped over on their page and quickly realized that Kristin and her team had been hacked.

Frequently, hackers seize control of business pages with the sole intention of exploiting payment information to inundate the platform with numerous unrelated ads. Surprisingly, in Kristin’s situation, even after implementing double authentication and having no payment details associated with her account, the page still fell victim to a cyber attack. To get the page back they would have to go through a ton of hoops. She’s given up trying to get the account back as well as the 17 years of photos she’s lost in the process.

Social media can make or break a small business and thankfully this didn’t impact sales. They handle numerous custom orders during live events, operate an Etsy shop and an ongoing website project. Additionally, a solid base of repeat customers actively contributes to word-of-mouth exposure. Despite the recent negative encounter with Facebook, Kristin and her team have experienced some positive outcomes through social media.

“So, full disclosure—I sincerely dislike social media for anything other than keeping in touch with friends and family, and for social events.  My distaste for what feels like constant peacocking and vying for the validation of internet strangers got in the way of me trying to learn how to use those platforms for the good of the business. The pandemic forced me to use it more, as it did countless others. But before one of the  reposted videos went viral in June resulting in 20k new followers, it was just kind of another task to do, when I remembered or felt like it. Now KrakenWhip has followers who seek us out at our live events because of social media posts, and the entire realm of cosplay, ren faire, LARP, and other similar genres of interest seem to have become far more visible and attractive to the mainstream because of things like TikTok and Instagram. The rising tide has lifted all our boats,” Kristin says.

Beautiful studio shot by Vita Hewitt

So what advice would Kristin give to someone wanting to start their own small business?

Kristin offers practical advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: embrace failure as part of the journey.

“Be prepared to fail—you’re going to fail sometimes, and the key is to be resilient enough to learn from it and improve with the next attempt. Learn how to separate your sense of self-worth from your art. Be selective—you don’t have to make all the kinds of things, nor sell at every single event, or try to please every single person.  Set firm and clear boundaries and policies and apply them with consistency. Make sure communications are in writing or have some kind of accurate, trackable record. Don’t use your own money as capital—get an SBA loan or a grant if you can. And the most important one: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF (I can’t stress this last one enough, truly),” says Kristin.

Influencer @kipani1021 wearing Sable and Sin skirt and KrakenWhip leather goods – photo from the @kipani1021 Instagram

What’s next for Kristin and Sable and Sin?

Recently, the leather segment of the KrakenWhip business was successfully transferred to two dedicated long-time employees. KrakenWhip is still the same awesome leather goods you’ve seen from them but now Kristin is out on her own working full time under the Sable and Sin business.

While there are plans for Kristin to take a break to restore a sense of self, the commitment to fabric product lines, including bustles, super-adjustable skirts, and festival-themed clothing, will persist. Looking ahead, the vision involves expanding into leather jewelry, offering highly customized leatherwork, and delving into various leather crafting techniques such as tooling, dyeing, carving, and incorporating diverse elements like beadwork and other textiles.

Where Can You Find Sable and Sin Online?

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sableandsin
IG: @sableandsin
Website:  www.etsy.com/shop/sableandsin