SARAH TROGDON, GOLDIE'S NATURAL BEAUTY
Sarah Trogdon of Goldie's, Wears COLORANT X LARA HODULICK Palms Dress in her garden & studio located in Rockaway Beach, NY.
Fustic (maclura tinctoria) is a hardy Neotropic tree that yields a textile dye that produces vibrant golds, yellows and greens. It was predominately used during WWI to create the color "Khaki" for military uniforms as well as construction of furniture pieces and objects. Fustic leaves are harvested to feed silk worms in their pre-cocoon stage and bear small fruits resembling mulberries, which is why it is often referred to as "Dyer's Mulberry".
How did Goldie's originate?
Well, the name "Goldie's" was one I suggested for a friend's biz idea for an organic fast food joint that never came to be, so when I started making soap the name was already there. It was a nickname given to me by my elementary school music teacher, who was this great local jazz musician in my small hometown in North Carolina. His classroom was under the stairs behind the auditorium and he was an inspirational figure to me (so creative, positive and fun!). I also share a birthday with Goldie Hawn, another tough sweetheart :).
Coffee, reading, a little prayer/meditation and then I organize my day. I start work by 7 or 8. I get my daughter set with what she’s doing and feed my animals. I try to always take a swim break at some point in the summer. I love working in my yard and cooking. In the Fall, Winter, and Spring I am homeschooling my daughter, so some days, work starts there. It’s certainly a dance! I have two super gals that help me at Goldie's, and am almost always involved in some sort of collab project that keeps me connected to others and art. I love mowing the lawn in my swimsuit and doing creative things like drawing, painting, and music with my super magic daughter Georgia. I like to make fires.
The business was born out of my D.I.Y. nature (I come from a line of clock-makers, cake bakers, gardeners, and woodworkers) and interest/respect for herbal medicine. When I first started making soap and herbal products, my studio was my kitchen and my storage was a closet in the hall in our apartment in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn. I was waiting tables for many years at Roberta's pizza in Bushwick and dating my boss, so I got away with bringing a little vintage suitcase to work with me, selling soap to tables from the suitcase. Basically the rest is history! I owe a lot of my growth exposure to the Wythe Hotel for being one of the first big hotels to go green and local. I designed their amenities in 2011!
Celosia / Amaranth because I loooove the colors and it reminds me of a dear friend. TOMATOES! Peppers, I like spice! I grow lavender, calendula, skullcap, and chamomile for my own personal, calming medicine stash. Bee balm, yarrow, peppermint, nasturtiums (remind me of my sis), echinacea, rosemary, thyme, anise hyssop (another bestie and my fave mouthwash) Eggplants, because beach roses. Oregano, I dry and add to salt. Sunflowers.
