Janay Rose a.k.a The Window Lady, and her truck, are staples of Art Murmur. She sells recycled vintage pieces, some straight off the rack, some deconstructed, reconstructed or built upon with yet more recycled vintage fabric.
GB: What’s the name of your business?
JR: I’m The Window Lady.
GB: And what’s your name?
JR: Janay Rose.
GB: I’ve seen you here many times, how long have you been bringing your van here?
JR: My van’s only been here a year and a half but I’ve been coming to Art Murmur for quite a while–maybe four years I’m guessing.
GB: So do you sell deconstructed and reconstructed vintage stuff?
JR: I make some items from scratch from pieces of recycled materials. Other pieces I build over vintage pieces. Every item I have is all recycled.
GB: Do you get your materials from Oakland or all over?
JR: Mostly from Oakland. I also go up to Northern California. I have house I just bought out in the woods. So I go and lock myself up and sew up there, and I sew here on my boat. So I find stuff in both locations. I also have a storefront in West Oakland. I like to buy stuff from the woods because nobody wants it up there.
GB: What’s the name of your storefront?
JR: It’s got a funny name, it’s Lady Cuckoo’s Collage Factory. It’s at 1606 7th Street and Peralta. It used to be my sewing studio and now it’s becoming a co-op for other handmade stuff in Oakland.
GB: What’s your price range?
JR: The handmade stuff is $20 to … I have one dress that’s $700 but I spent like three months on it, off and on. It’s like a showpiece. I try to keep my prices good because it’s all recycled. I sew it all myself. I don’t job it out or anything.
GB: Is there anything specific you want people to know about you or your wares?
JR: Besides the storefront I’m always at Art Murmur at 23rd and Telegraph. I’m also at Alameda Point in V-22 (first sundays). I also go to Treasure Island (last weekend of the month), that’s a really good flea market. It’s a really good flea market for other crafters.
Website: thewindowladyclothing.com
Storefront: Lady Cuckoo’s Collage Factory, 1606 7th Street, Oakland, CA 94607 | Map
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