Out on the Open Water
How Creatives Kenzy McGruer and Olivia Cheng Tame the Open Water to Instill Mindfulness
The influential talents share how their love for the great outdoors fuels their artistic approach for Take Me Fishing.
Growing up surrounded by lush greenery and sprawling rivers and lakes, has nurtured Kenzy McGruer’s fondness for nature since childhood.
Spending much of her childhood and adulthood traversing through the great outdoors with family and friends has helped to shape the model and creative strategist’s distinct outlook on nature. Mastering the step-by-step process of crabbing by her “ojisan” (Japanese for grandfather) and instructed on the ins-and-outs of fishing by participating in competitive derbies hosted by her older cousins, Kenzy’s time outdoors has built the base of her upbringing, personal relationships, and ultimately the person she’s transformed into today. Evolving her love for the sport of fishing from a child to an adult, Kenzy prioritizes being one with nature as a means to bring a sense of balance as well as calmness to her hectic lifestyle.
Each moment spent in nature allows her to practice self-care and self-love,
Taking time to reflect on her positioning within nature and ways she can positively impact the environment, she often devotes time on the weekends to soak up the lushness and serenity of wildlife, frequenting her favorite spots for fly fishing and hiking. Using the sport of fishing as a mode for self-expression and a way to honor her family’s traditions, she can often be found wearing tactile garments such as waterproof pants, fishing vests with multipurpose functional design elements and sleek, sports-derived sunglasses — which allow her to fish for various types of saltwater species, trek through sprawling mountains and find a sense of inner-peace and stillness.
“Nature taught me that no matter the circumstances you have to figure out how to survive and thrive through it.”
using the open water as a way to be introspective and channel the aspects of her thoughts, emotions and ambitions that give her purpose in an ever-changing world. Creating clothing that allow women to feel confident and using her platform to advocate for women in the sport of fishing, the artist’s daily rituals and belief system serve as inspiration on how practicing mindfulness along with injecting care into all aspects of one’s life can evoke meaningful change, ensuring a better future for younger generations of women and the world.
Since the age of 19, Olivia Cheng, the inimitable designer and founder of Dauphinette has been turning her love of environmentalism, the open water, fishing and history into a higher art form.
The beloved New York-based luxury fashion brand is exemplary of how the self-taught virtuoso has architected a transcendent form of fashion existence that examines the close ties between nature, self-expression, sartorialism with a dose of wit, and culture at large. For Olivia, tapping into the vastness of water and fishing symbolizes ways in which she continues to return to her roots and examine how the wilderness fuels her design methodology.
Transforming secondhand, unconventional materials found in nature and over the course of history, her designs serve as a reflection on the state of impermanence within the fashion industry. Through exhaustive research, time, energy, experimentation and development, the designer is challenging traditional modes of design by reimagining beetle wings, stale bread, dried botanicals, and shrimp shells into joyous works of art. As a way to remain in sync with the small pleasures that come from nature and edible foods, the artist finds inspiration in nurturing her inner-child and imbuing her daily activities with a childlike sense of wonder.
“Style has always been about nourishing this childlike desire and it’s interesting to bring together nature that is unnatural together, and turn it into something that people can be surprised by or find humor and delight in.”
In an age where environmentalism and fashion history are often forgotten,
Olivia is forging a new path forward by exploring her relationship to nature, and use of domestic materials in order to construct fantastical fashion that marries the unnatural with the natural. Her distinct approach to unearthing the beauty of discarded materials and reshifting the perspective of how fashion can be used as a canvas to create, in addition to amplifying stories of the past, the ingenious artist is building a nature-driven movement centered around community and the desire to create cultural change on a global scale.
Women who fish have significantly greater grit and confidence than women who don’t. Find your best self on the water.
Take a listen:
"Tristan Ludlow" a curated playlist filled with the sounds and musical stylings of Kenzy’s most beloved road trip anthems.
Hyein Seo Headband, District Vision Sports Bra, Theopen Product Camper Jacket, Reese Cooper Hooded Vest, Helly Hansen Pants
MISHBV Top, Simms Fishing Vest, Ottolinger Wrap Shorts
Dauphinette Claude Puff Sleeve Dress, Dauphinette Sunshine Orchid Earrings, Dauphinette Potpourri Vest
Learn more
Taking time to reflect on her positioning within nature and ways she can positively impact the environment, she often devotes time on the weekends to soak up the lushness and serenity of wildlife, frequenting her favorite spots for fly fishing and hiking. Using the sport of fishing as a mode for self-expression and a way to honor her family’s traditions, she can often be found wearing tactile garments such as waterproof pants, fishing vests with multipurpose functional design elements and sleek, sports-derived sunglasses — which allow her to fish for various types of saltwater species, trek through sprawling mountains and find a sense of inner-peace and stillness.
“Nature taught me that no matter the circumstances you have to figure out how to survive and thrive through it.”
Each moment spent in nature allows her to practice self-care and self-love,
using the open water as a way to be introspective and channel the aspects of her thoughts, emotions and ambitions that give her purpose in an ever-changing world. Creating clothing that allow women to feel confident and using her platform to advocate for women in the sport of fishing, the artist’s daily rituals and belief system serve as inspiration on how practicing mindfulness along with injecting care into all aspects of one’s life can evoke meaningful change, ensuring a better future for younger generations of women and the world.
Since the age of 19, Olivia Cheng, the inimitable designer and founder of Dauphinette has been turning her love of environmentalism, the open water, fishing and history into a higher art form.
The beloved New York-based luxury fashion brand is exemplary of how the self-taught virtuoso has architected a transcendent form of fashion existence that examines the close ties between nature, self-expression, sartorialism with a dose of wit, and culture at large. For Olivia, tapping into the vastness of water and fishing symbolizes ways in which she continues to return to her roots and examine how the wilderness fuels her design methodology.
“Style has always been about nourishing this childlike desire and it’s interesting to bring together nature that is unnatural together, and turn it into something that people can be surprised by or find humor and delight in.”
Transforming secondhand, unconventional materials found in nature and over the course of history, her designs serve as a reflection on the state of impermanence within the fashion industry. Through exhaustive research, time, energy, experimentation and development, the designer is challenging traditional modes of design by reimagining beetle wings, stale bread, dried botanicals, and shrimp shells into joyous works of art. As a way to remain in sync with the small pleasures that come from nature and edible foods, the artist finds inspiration in nurturing her inner-child and imbuing her daily activities with a childlike sense of wonder.
In an age where environmentalism and fashion history are often forgotten,
Olivia is forging a new path forward by exploring her relationship to nature, and use of domestic materials in order to construct fantastical fashion that marries the unnatural with the natural. Her distinct approach to unearthing the beauty of discarded materials and reshifting the perspective of how fashion can be used as a canvas to create, in addition to amplifying stories of the past, the ingenious artist is building a nature-driven movement centered around community and the desire to create cultural change on a global scale.
Women who fish have significantly greater grit and confidence than women who don’t. Find your best self on the water.