Shanti Rackley
CASS CARRIER:
Shanti Rackley—knitwear designer, artisan advocate, travel enthusiast, and devoted Cure listener.
1. Tell us a little about what you’re working on, creating, or excited about right now.
Right now, I’m in a really interesting season of evolution. I founded TEJIDO more than a decade ago, when I moved to Peru and began working with artisan partners to create knitwear rooted in traditional craft and natural fibers. That experience shaped so much of who I am personally and as a designer, and it continues to influence how I approach new projects and collections. Understanding where a material comes from and how it is grown, made, and ultimately transformed by the hands working with it has a profound impact on the finished piece.
More recently, I’ve been building Madre Madre, a design studio that feels like a natural expansion of that journey. It gives me space to work across different traditions, materials and places—to design, collaborate with artisans, and curate pieces that carry a story and a sense of place.
At the heart of both is something I care about more and more as I get older: how we preserve the knowledge held in people’s hands. I’m interested in creating things that feel relevant now while honoring the techniques, relationships and traditions that allowed them to exist in the first place.
Personally, I’m also excited about creating a life with a little more room in it; for my daughter, for making things, for being outside, and for following my curiosity again.
2. What keeps you inspired?
Travel has always been a huge source of inspiration for me, but not necessarily in the traditional sense. I love being somewhere long enough to notice how people live—what they wear, what they make, their homes, the landscape, the colors and textures of a place.
I’m endlessly inspired by traditional craft and the women who have carried that knowledge forward through generations. I love old things, handmade things, things with a little imperfection and a story behind them.
And my daughter keeps me inspired in a completely different way. Seeing the world through her eyes brings me back to curiosity, play and making things simply because you want to.
3. What does taking time for yourself look like?
This is something I’m still learning! These days, taking time for myself is usually something very simple—being outside, going for a walk, getting near the water, wandering through a vintage/thrift shop, or having a quiet morning with coffee and nowhere I immediately need to be.
I think I've come to appreciate quiet more than I ever have before. There is something really restorative about having a little space to think, dream and just be.
4. What song gets you moving—and what do you put on when you want to slow things down?
“Just Like Heaven” by The Cure will always get me moving, although I definitely love a little Shakira every now and then. When I want to slow things down, “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young.
5. What do you wear when you feel most like yourself?
I feel most like myself when I'm a little undone: great jeans, boots, a beautiful knit, something vintage, and usually a piece of jewelry that has some meaning to me. I love clothes that are beautiful, natural fibers but don't feel too precious.
I think my style has always been a mix of artisan luxury and coastal ease. Pieces I’ve collected while traveling, vintage pieces, and really beautiful textiles make up most of my wardrobe. The older I get, the more I just want to wear things I genuinely love and keep them for a very long time.
6. What’s always in your Cass?
My passport, my vintage Louis Vuitton wallet, my phone and a lip tint. Apparently, I like to be prepared to leave the country at any moment if travel calls.
7. What’s one thing in your home you’ll never part with?
Oh, that’s hard. I have some heirloom jewelry from my mom that is incredibly special to me. I love that these tiny objects can hold so much history and connection. I hope to pass them down to my daughter one day and let them become part of her story, too.
8. Where does your Cass go with you most?
Everywhere—literally. My current Cass is the Classic in Stinson Amber Suede. I added both a crossbody strap and shoulder strap, and it somehow goes with everything. I use it every day, but I also love traveling with it.
This year alone, my Cass has been with me to Lima, New York, New Jersey, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Orcas Island and up and down the Central California coast. It's definitely not a bag that sits in my closet.
OFF THE CUFF
Ocean, mountain or lake? All Three
Vintage or new? Vintage
Beer, wine or cocktail? Cocktail
Butter or olive oil? Both, I refuse to choose.
Coffee or tea? Coffee
Heels, boots or sneakers? Boots
Pen or pencil? Pen
Music, podcast or silence? Silence is golden lately, although I love music and podcasts too.
Dark or milk chocolate? Dark
Stay in or go out? Stay in as of late.
Thank you Shanti for sharing your story. You can find Tejido knits and other artisan goodies at Tejido Collective on Mission Street between 5th and 6th Carmel CA.