Actress creates ties from fabric gleaned at theater
Fabric scraps from the past 10 years of shows at Houston’s Stages Repertory Theatre inspired Freddie & David, a new creative outlet and side business for Houston actress Holland Vavra.
“The costume shop was getting rid of pieces that were too small to be made into anything, and they knew I could put them to use,” said the Upper Kirby resident.
“I saw that each remnant was only enough to make a single bow tie, so each tie is one of a kind.”
The actress, whose parents are David and Karen Vavra of Kingwood, fashioned the first bow tie for a longtime friend she was performing with in a show in March.
“I literally made it up as I went,” said Vavra. “Then all the boys in our circle wanted one. Within hours, people told me I should try to sell them.”
That led to Freddie & David, Vavra’s online clothing store at www.etsy.com.
The 2001 graduate of Kingwood High School named the endeavor in homage to the late Freddie Mercury and David Bowie, singers who have inspired her.
Vavra spent several days organizing the 20 bags of remnants by color.
“The island in my kitchen became my little sweat shop,” she said. “I have an inventory of nearly 40 ties, both tied and self-tie. I’ve sold somewhere near 25 or so and have made
over $1,000 in less than a month and a half. I now make everything fully adjustable and with new vintage textiles that I found. I also have an official logo, with fancy packaging.”
Among her customers is Billy McGrath, a Bellaire native who is the chief technology officer at a Houston urgent care clinic. On etsy, he posted, “OMG, OMG, OMG! BEST bowtie ever!” and “I love these ties and their creator! So amazing!”
“He’s bought a ton of them and gave me a five star rating,” said Vavra, who balances rehearsals with time she spends on Freddie & David.
“I have a great schedule to perform at night and create during the day, which is what I’ve always wanted,” she added. Vavra will appear May 18-June 26 as Sandra in the regional premiere of the musical “Big Fish” at Stages. Some of her other upcoming performances this year will be roles in the world premieres of “The Marvelous Wonderettes: Dream On” set July 28-Sept. 18 and “The Honky Tonk Angels Holiday Spectacular” from Nov. 9-Dec. 31.
Vavra made her Manhattan singing debut last summer with a show called “Holland at the Sands: My Blue Eyed Sinatra.” It was billed as “an incredible one-woman recreation of Sinatra’s 1966 performance at the Copa Room of the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.”
The actress was born in Dallas and reared as a showbiz baby.
“My mother was the theater teacher at DeSoto High School, which was her alma mater as well,” said Vavra. “I grew up on her hip when she was directing, so performing is what I’ve always wanted to do my whole life.”
However, arts and crafts were never far from her fingertips as she and her parents moved to Kingwood when she was 9.
“I was always drawing and painting, like early, early on,” said Vavra. “I would see something and immediately think, ‘I can make that.’ Six years ago, I bought a sewing machine and taught myself.”
“I’ve never had any training, but I can also crochet a full blanket, cross stitch, make funny things out of felt, just anything I know a friend will appreciate, and obviously things I want to try.”