WEEK 5: Half Waif
In order to celebrate the summer launch of Knorts’ first ever all black denim collection—Knoirts—we are initiating a weekly band series featuring interviews with some of our favorite artists who performed at the one-of-a-kind annual Form festival, which is held in the unusual community of Arcosanti, AZ.
In addition to photos of these artists killing it in our new noir Knorts in various locations throughout Arcosanti, we ask them about their feelings on fashion, denim, and some other random stuff (cats v. dogs?). We will also be providing links to some of their music for you to check out too.
Next up in the artFORM series, we're back at it with a quick Q&A featuring Nandi Rose Plunkett of Half Waif who participated in the Common Thread portraits donning Knorts in Arcosanti. We highly encourage you to press play while you read.
Where are you based?
I’m based in the Hudson Valley, about two hours north of New York City.
What’s your favorite part about performing at Form?.
Form has been my dream festival for a few years, so I was extremely stoked and honored to get to perform this year. It’s an incredible intersection of art, architecture, community, fashion, and, of course, music. I love the secluded nature of it – I was able to spend time alone there, sitting on a rock and staring out at the view, and it didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything. That time for reflection in nature is part of the festival itself.
Least favorite?
It was too short! My bandmates and I only got to spend a little over 24 hours there, due to our touring schedule. I hope in the future I’ll get to go for longer.
Half Waif photographed by Tonje Thilesen
How do you decide what to wear for a performance? Is it about comfort or are you ever dressing to communicate as part of your art?
Marking a separation between my everyday street clothes and my performance clothes is very important for me. It helps me get in the mood to perform, so that no matter how many little annoying mundane challenges I dealt with that day in the van or whatever, I can refocus my energy and become, in a way, a better, clearer version of myself. I like to wear things that I wouldn’t wear normally – for a while, I was wearing gowns, metallic and sequins and what not. For the last tour, my friend Celina Carney (cmc) created a few special custom pieces for me that made me feel like a combination jester and warrior from the future.
Half Waif photographed by Tonje Thilesen
Blue Denim or Black denim?
Black denim
Name your top 3 favorite visual artists/fashion designers (besides Knorts, obviously! ;-)
Molly Goddard, Rodarte, Matty Bovan
What was the first album you bought as a kid? (Was it on CD or cassette?).
I’m pretty sure it was Spice Girls “Spice” on CD. But I inherited a lot of music from my sister, who’s six years older, so I think my favorite album before that was No Doubt “Tragic Kingdom.”
Guilty pleasure? Or vice most difficult to moderate? We want some real talk guilt.
I am a sugar fiend! I am so envious of people who drink black coffee, it’s logistically just way easier when making a coffee order and you look really cool. But I need a lot of milk and a lot of sugar. And I drink two or three cups of that a day. Funnily enough, I don’t feel the effects of caffeine at all – I just love the taste of milky sugary coffee.
Half Waif photographed by Tonje Thilesen
Dogs or Cats? (TBH we feel this says a lot about a person.)
I had cats and dogs as a kid, and loved them, but my partner is allergic to both, so I don’t think I’ll have pets again. For his sake, I have to say neither! I prefer woodland creatures – we have a lot of deer and groundhogs in our yard.
How comfortable was the Knorts you wore for the shoot? “1” being itchy wool sweater and 5 being “almost like pajamas, I could probably take a satisfying nap in them.”
5+! I literally got off stage and changed right into the Knorts for the shoot and they felt like a dream. I was a little worried about being in long knits in the hot desert sun, but they were so soft and breathable.
Why do you think denim continues to be popular from decade to decade?
It satisfies two of the most important fashion criterion: comfort and style. It’s also sort of a blank canvas for creativity, so it leaves room for innovation.