Sartorial Explorer

By Chris Goddard

Growing up, I was obsessed with fashion. My parents gave me a typical allowance for school clothes, which I supplemented with mowing lawns and yard work, so I could afford to layer up in the preppy trends of the 80s. Needless to say, I was voted best dressed every year.

In college I got a job at the best clothing store in town, mainly for the discount on the clothes – I spent way more than I earned.

I quickly began doing the visuals and became an assistant buyer. All of which fueled my passion for design and knowledge for business. I created lavish and whimsical window displays on a limited budget using props found at flea markets and yard sales, where I learned to find treasures in the rough, which I still do today in my practice.

One of my windows caught the eye of a customer and she asked if I would come style her bookcases, this lead to a 10-year contract of me doing her homes, family offices and residences around the world.

I traveled a great deal in the early years of my career as there was no internet, cell phones or much technology, so to find something you had to track it down. During my travels I became obsessed with textiles, especially antique ones and began collecting them. The handwork and artistry that went into making them spoke to me and I could feel the history and energy of the person that created each one.”

I also started picking up antique jackets, caftans and kimonos and kept them safely stored with my other antique textiles for inspiration. I had collected hundreds, and about 10 years ago thought, “What a waste for these to be packed away and not used as they were intended – to be worn.”

They have since become a mainstay in my wardrobe and part of my signature look. Much like I create spaces that tell a story there is something very satisfying about wearing a handmade garment filled with history and I love imagining the lives of the others who wore it before me.

Chris Goddard is the principal of Goddard Design Group headquartered in Northwest Arkansas. He was also a finalist on the first season of HGTV’s Design Star: Next Gen and , recentlly, the recipient of an International Designer of the Year award at the International Design & Architecture Awards.

This article appeared in the September 2021 issue of Designers Today. Want to hear more from Chris? View our Profiles in Design video with him here.