Otto Finn



Otto Finn

About The Artist

Rona Chang • Pittsburgh, PA
Clothing & Accessories • WHOLESALE AVAILABLE

At OTTO FINN, we transform old blankets into a wearable piece of art and the centerpiece of a capsule wardrobe. We make our jackets by using colorful kanthas with intricate hand-stitching. Kanthas are quilts traditionally from the Bengali region upcycled from old saris with a running stitch. OTTO FINN is an Asian American woman run art practice. Our pieces are one of a kind and made by a small team of creators in Pittsburgh, PA. We believe in minimum waste, maximum comfort and authenticity.



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Q&A with the Artist

Tell us how your work is made.

We start with each one of a kind vintage kantha blanket. We look at the thickness, stitching, patterns and designs on it to determine whether or not it will be a sweatshirt or a jacket. We lay the patterns out on it to determine which size fits on the blanket- they are all different so this is done one by one. We then cut the blanket, saving the scraps for our accessories. When we have a batch cut, they are sewn and then pressed. We then photograph them individually before adding them to the website.


What makes you passionate about the medium you work with?

We primarily work with kanthas. They are quilts traditionally from the Bengali region made from old saris or other discarded cloth with a running stitch. Kantha textiles have a history of use and reuse. You can see the intricacies of the stitches, the love and necessity of upcycling these fibers are so telling of their humble origins. They are so beautifully unique and works of art.

What is something unique about you or your practice?

Kanthas are one of a kind. Sometimes there are similar ones but no two are exactly alike, which makes them a joy to work with but also hard to streamline our process. We don't batch cut in layers, instead we look at the design of each one and lay our patterns out and let the original design dictate a good composition.