Throngs of Thistles Teeming with Teasels
Introducing out first themed limited edition drop
Friday, July 18th, 2025 at 5pm pst
It’s been a long time coming and I am so pleased to finally announce the newest run of one-of-a-kind, artist series pieces. This year, we have decided to create a theme for each drop. Since it’s been a beautiful flowery summer thus far, we decided to start with blooms.🌻
Our small Branch+Barrel team is always finding deeper threads tied to the materials that we use. It is the time now to start sharing some of these little allegories with you. Here is a piece that I wrote about Teases and Thistles.
Women have historically been offered to the world on a delicate silver platter aside an elegant grouping of waif-like flowers and a side of sugar. Meant to be beautiful, delicate, quiet, and ornamental. I think we all know now how limiting this view is to all women everywhere. Somehow however, to this day, I can still appreciate and relate to the feeling of trying to fit myself into that antiquated idea of “feminine” that was invented by someone who knows nothing about me and still lingers in all our subconscious. I would argue that most women- trans, cis, and femmes alike- all still struggle at some point or another to try and fit into that delicate flower of a person that was laid out for us for the world to amuse themselves with.
One of the reasons that I like to work with thistles and teasels in my work is that, in some ways, it’s a nod to that femininity that we are slowly and surely growing away from as a society. Both plants are technically blooms with petals and fruits. But not in the way that the typical “flower” blooms in the spring and withers away in the fall. After their petals drop, their boney armature mostly remains stock still and upright displaying the most ferocious crown of thorns and spikes. They are strong, utilitarian, and untamed.
You don’t often find these flowers confined in a bordered garden bed. These “weeds” thrive in their natural landscapes and adapt to the changes around them.
When I use the thistles in my work, I love being able to see an explosion of color and unassuming depth. The teasels, on the other hand, express an unapologetic opening and unwavering structure alongside delicacy in spite of the prickly bracts.
When I wear these earrings, I am wearing my petals of armor. It makes me proud to represent the newness and freedom in all the ways I can show up in the world and express my beautiful complicated shiny or not shiny me-ness. Femininity can join me on the journey, but it needs to know that I’m in charge this time.
Standing up now feet planted firmly on the ground
Tangled, tousled, twisted in everything from before
Unburden me and move forward, ferocious femininity
Voiced in unwavering words
Woven together with wisps and waifs
Speak only of who I am and not who you want me to be
Take your tawdry, taciturn tapestry off my wall
Undo
Vacate
Warble away on your wildless wings
Standing up now
Tall
Untethered
Valiant
Warrior
