Kossoma Kernem

I am French-Cambodian, born and raised in France and lived most of my adult life in Paris, Boston and now Te Whanganui a Tara (Wellington, New Zealand). I have a background of engineering and architecture and I probably love sewing because it aligns perfectly with that; the drafting, the construction, the textures… I don’t have a favorite thing to sew because I love a challenge and sewing something I have never tried before. I think I love the troubleshooting and hacking more than owning the final product. Even though, I am grateful for sewing: it made me love my body again and so happy for not having to step in a changing room ever again!

What influence does music have in your life as a creative?:

I tend to get very focused when I start working on something and sewing is no exception. So music does not really jog my creativity but really pulls me out of my thoughts/anxiety when I hear a beloved beat, makes my hips break a reggaeton move while ironing or makes me throw my hair back dramatically while sitting at my machine, pause and sing (scream) loudly with Alicia Keys. It brings me back to the present, to the feeling of the sunshine or the fabric on my skin, to the beat of my heart, to the joy I have of being alone in my sewing corner and be able to act as weird as I want, also, to pause for a second and check that I am not making any mistakes. It makes me realize that even if I like being productive, it’s nice to pause from time to time, even for a few seconds, and enjoy the process. To have more intention. To be more present.

Tell us about your playlist:

I “borrowed” this title from Magritte’s “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” because, as his painting was a representation of a pipe (but in itself was not a pipe, just a painting of it), this playlist is me but as a playlist. Each of these tracks have a distinct memory associated to them. So yes it is all over the place, because I am all over the place. It is a lot of feelings and a lot of styles. The Beatles and Total Eclipse of the Heart (I used to listen to the French version!) in the car with my Dad when I was a kid. My teenage years growing listening to Electro-Pop in France, my days clubbing on Electro and Latina music, my car commute playlist when I was working in Paris, some after-breakups songs, some hip-hop that I used to listen to in the US, the songs on our US West coast road trip.

So there, this playlist it’s me, or maybe my memories as music. I understand that it’s not for everyone but it makes me really happy. And because the order you listen to it doesn’t matter at all, I listed it by alphabetical order. Just hit shuffle, feel all the feels and dance your heart out.