Interview: Sue Rock – Fashion, Music, Philanthropy
How did you first discover Pilates?
As a child, Alvin Ailey’s extraordinary modern dance troupe was an inspiration to me: this world of discovery as to how the body could move with freedom and grace. Fast forward to 2017, I’m seeking new types of movement for myself. And I’m a plus-sized woman, so I wanted a safe space to be a beginner. And, right at Alvin Ailey's beautiful new studio, who is teaching Pilates Expansion but Sarita Allen, a signature dancer with the company! So I went, having made a promise to myself that I would never miss a chance to be in the presence of someone extraordinary if they were in New York City.
What surprised me was that I felt so welcome. And it started with lying down! Just lying down and feeling long. Sarita is so precise and articulate as an instructor; she was so close with Kathy Grant and has been working with the practice for decades. Because of her insights, I love the way Pilates uses the body and the imagination. You’re constantly in your body when you’re doing the exercises.
Can you tell me about the company you founded?
Sue Rock Originals is a sustainable and socially equitable lifestyle brand, created in 2007. We take fabrics that have been discarded by the garment industry and create beautiful items to last a lifetime. Sadly, I lost a friend to domestic violence, so that was my inspiration for the social enterprise aspect of it, which is to provide support to survivors.
We started asking volunteers, would you be willing to make an item for someone who has just left an abusive situation? We source direct donations from companies and redistribute these samples to survivors. Ideally we also create an avenue for the women themselves to make the items they left behind. Teaching folks how to make a skirt, how to sew a laundry bag. So they can recapture that skill.
Describe your style for me.
I think my style comes strongly from who I am – I’m an African American woman and a native New Yorker. And I grew up in the 70s, so I was influenced by the music and the arts of the time. At Sue Rock Originals, you are going to find really great fabrics, things that are easy to wear and include in your wardrobe. My pieces have great longevity. You’re not going to find a lot of athleisure, but you will find great pieces.
We met through our mutual friend Substantia Jones at the Adipositivity Project. What has her work meant to you?
In the early days of the Internet, there was a move by larger women to have better representation in the marketplace. Some people took on the advertising industry, some took on the airlines, and some people just said, “I’m going to show you more fat bodies.” That’s Substantia. She’s phenomenal. Her images have a gorgeous, free, juicy humanity. You always feel like you're peeking in on something very beautiful. Her work is fine art – black and white nudes, many of them in public spaces, posed in perspective with their surroundings – but it’s underground.
Why is representation so important?
Because if you don’t see it, you don’t realize the erasure. I have a great example: One of my son's favorite films is Alien. He loves actor Yaphet Kotto, who plays Parker. Now this is a dark-skinned man with very African features. Recently, my son wanted to watch what would be called a "Blaxploitation" film. When I asked why, he said, “We don’t see anyone in media right now with hair like Yaphet Kotto’s.” My son was able to recognize the erasure because he had that visual touchstone.
It’s a very interesting type of brainwashing. People can look at their aunts and grandmothers and friends and not even realize that they aren’t seeing anyone who looks like them in the media. You can go to the dog show and see all sizes of dogs. You can go to the park and see all shapes of trees. There must be a way to help the collective psyche understand that bodies come in all colors, shapes and sizes.
How has it been training at Knockout Pilates?
There is an extraordinary compassion here – no judgment, no ego, no status. I think that the people who are running the studio are coming to it at a point of transition, which makes it perfect. Because they're growing as much as their students are growing, so they're coming with arms wide open and hearts wide open to see where change will take them. And that's the most healthy way you can approach anything right now.