Shop Feature: Cactuswax

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you based? How do you spend your days?

Hi there! I’m Lindsay, and I am an illustrator & designer based in Kansas City. I work remotely as a graphic designer (mostly in the natural foods sector) from the confines of my 90-year-old tudor home in a walkable corner of the metro. My husband, Brandon, is also an artist who works from home, so we’re strange and unsocialized and sizzle in the sunlight (jk!). Really I’m just your average millennial living the dream. There is always music playing, espresso dripping, and our disco ball comes on at 6pm on a timer in our living room.

Day to day, I like to bird watch, work in our garden, go bouldering, take short and lengthy road trips, share meals with family & friends. You’ll find me working on misc projects many evenings. Lately I’ve been sewing, or drawing bird portraits and characters from movies/shows we’re watching (One Battle After Another, The Pitt, etc). I love to dance, to thrift and visit antique stores (KC has a great scene for this!). Today I’m pretty excited about all of the bulbs and green things shooting up in the yard, which I’m slowly converting from lawn to native plants.

How did you hear about Noihsaf Bazaar / when did you become a part of the community?

After college in 2009, I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and ended up working as a designer in a super fast-paced corporate job (that I loved). I spent my free time really immersing myself in the lifestyle out west and all it had to offer. I suddenly had access to incredible local shops (like Ali Golden, General Store, Gravel & Gold, Hot Couture in North Bay, Heath, Park Life). I tried on all the things and personalities (and drank all the coffee)!

In 2017, Brandon and I decided that we were ready to leave town and try something radical. And, this is where I found my passion for resale… via Nextdoor and Craigslist, I sold nearly every single thing in our shared apartment (save a few flat rate USPS boxes that we shipped to family). I mean, we had accumulated so many things! I made listings for all of our furniture, cars, a motorcycle, musical instruments, fabric bolts, plants, bags of potting soil, light fixtures, our Ikea bits and bobs, and—my excess clothes! I hadn’t considered until then that my years of accumulating special pieces would have an audience for resale. At the same time, we began converting an empty utility van into a camper on our street corner in Oakland. Finally, we transitioned our work to remote contracting, gave away the last of our knick-knacks, and moved our entire tiny world into this van. We then spent the next ~3 years traveling full time with National Parks & Monuments as our milestones (around 95 so far), and visiting what felt like dang-near every city in the US. It was life-altering, and eye-opening, and hard, and great.

Along the way, I kept up my habit of seeking out unique shops and special vintage stores throughout the country, and when I needed space I resold things online. I heard about Noihsaf through the Instagram slow fashion grapevine, and when the web platform launched it felt like the perfect place to set up shop. In 2020, as the pandemic started to close the world down, we embraced domestic life and bought a house in KC, and that’s where I’m rebuilding & rotating my wardrobe from today!

What is your favorite Noihsaf score?

A couple of years ago I scored a vintage geology-themed baseball cap that says “California Has Its Faults.” I like rocks and dad jokes and it tickles me when someone asks me about it.

How would you describe your personal style? Do you have any style inspirations that you return to?

I’m an introvert who peacocks. Interesting meets practical, colorful, masculine > feminine. I love a high top sneaker, cool jeans, hot pinks, metallics. I joke with my husband that I dress like one of the kids from The Sandlot dipped in Peter Maxx. I’m always wearing at least one vintage item.

At this point in my late 30s I’m moving away from clothing that I can’t do day-to-day active things in and toward more earth-friendly materials. But at the same time, I don’t want to sacrifice the FUN. Learning to mend and correctly care for my clothes has opened a lot of new doors.

Lately I’m inspired by Japanese street style (volume, traditional textiles), Double Wonderful tees, the raw denim subreddit, The Simpsons, Kristen Bateman on IG.

Do you have any designers/brands that you’re especially into these days?

Gravel & Gold makes my favorite pant—the Painter. I regularly look for secondhand Rachel Comey, Aliya Wanek, Ilana Kohn and Nikki Chasin. I'm obsessed with Kas Maria's Liberty daffodil pieces!

What trend are you currently loving, or what trend would you like to see?

I tried the iPhone necklace trend out for a bit; ended up with a kink in my neck from Tapping to Pay! I’d like to see more handmade/home-sewn pieces in resale spaces. I know from social media that we are making/customizing some very cool stuff. Another of my favorite Noihsaf scores is an embroidered vintage chambray with colorful hand-sewn mushrooms all over it.

Favorite song to play when getting dressed?

This week it’s Shadow Dancing by Andy Gibb. 🪩

Thanks Lindsay! 👋 For more great picks head over to her Noihsaf shop!