After living in Portland for a time, designer Tiffany Woodruff moved to her home base of Kansas City, where she intended to work with an independent artist. Woodruff secured VIP tickets to a Tech N9ne show, and brought along a custom-made, upcycled, vintage Tech N9ne t-shirt.
“I hand delivered it… it was a pivotal moment in so many ways,” Woodruff says of the exchange.
This move at the show introduced Woodruff and her brand, Thrifted Tiff, to many different independent artists signed to Strange Music Inc., the music label that Tech N9ne co-founded. She started working with these rappers, like Maez301, and the next thing she knew she was asked to design the wardrobe in Tech N9ne’s music video for the song “Still Right Here.”
Playing sports growing up is what inspired Woodruff to design streetwear. Comfortability is a main driver in her designs, but she also focuses on putting her unique touch on everything she makes. Traveling and practices and games required comfort, but that didn’t stop her from being creative.
“I just felt the most comfortable in clothes that I could move in… Doing quick alterations or cutting off the bottom of it would give me that extra spice,” Woodruff says.
These inspirations are clearly seen in her work. Traveling for games is also what formed her appreciation for style. Woodruff says she always noticed everyone’s different styles–the mothers, the siblings, whoever. She took in everyone’s different looks, and then contributed her own taste to what she was exposed to.
Streetwear is yet another male-dominated industry. The sexism of the industry isn’t hidden. Large fashion platforms are featuring less women streetwear designers, Hypebeast has called out the lack of diversity, and Google is littered with years-old articles that claim “this will be the year” that women are given more space.
While doing consignment in Portland, this stereotype rang true for Woodruff. Of thirty-seven vendors for one store she worked with, she was the only woman. When she realized that there was a need for her voice in the conversations being had, her upcycling and self-taught sewing went from hobby to career. Now she is designing for one of the biggest names in independent rap music.
Woodruff is inspired by women working in streetwear who are breaking boundaries, like Aleali May, who was the first woman collaborator on gender-neutral Air Jordans in 2017. Woodruff is playing a role in changing the narrative for women in streetwear; she’s doing it sustainably by focusing on upcycling materials, and she’s creating unique pieces every time. So often startup streetwear brands are a mass-produced t-shirt with a logo slapped on. Woodruff is different. She is sourcing these fabrics pre-owned, hand sewing her creations, and putting thought into every design.
Follow Woodruff on Instagram, and purchase her Thrifted Tiff designs on the website.
