In this month’s “Meet Your Merchant” spotlight, we’re proud to feature Allegra Raff, the visionary behind Raff Co. Clothing and Mother Ghost in Downtown Champaign. Frustrated by the lack of high-quality, plastic-free clothing in styles she loved, Allegra took matters into her own hands—creating timeless, sustainable garments that reflect both craftsmanship and care for the planet. With a background in graphic design and a deep-rooted appreciation for the balance between art and trade, Allegra has built a brand that embraces individuality, clean lines, and conscious design. Her storefront, Mother Ghost, serves as both a creative space and a welcoming haven for community connection. Read on to discover how Allegra’s journey, values, and design philosophy are helping shape a more intentional future—one stitch at a time.
1. What first inspired you to start creating sustainable clothing, and how did Raff Co. Clothing come to life?
I couldn’t find clothing of the quality I wanted (high) in the styles I wanted to wear (casual). And I definitely couldn’t reliably find that combination plastic-free, which was important to me. I don’t want my clothes causing pollution: not as they’re made, not while I’m wearing them, and not after the material is done serving as clothing. Apparently these things were too much to ask from the ready-to-wear industry, but they didn’t seem to me like they should be too much to ask. So I decided to do it myself.
2. How has your journey as an artist and business owner shaped the vision behind Mother Ghost?
What a complex question!
I resisted being an artist for a long time. When I was a kid—just starting to know myself—the more people around me said, “oh, you’re an artist,” the more I tried to disprove them. Going for an art degree after high school (graphic design at the School of Visual Arts) felt like a resignation. I worked a bit with that degree, and then got certified to do a job completely unrelated to art. I’m glad I did. It gave me a chance to feel “legitimate” in the working world, and then accept that it wasn’t for me.
Mother Ghost (the shop) / Raff Co. Clothing (the brand) is my way of happily reconciling trade and art in a society that, sadly, demands a lifetime of work from us.
3. What do you love most about being located in Downtown Champaign, and how has the community influenced your work?
Getting to combine my skills, talents, and interests—as well as aspects of my personality that have felt like flaws for most of my life (so painstaking! so unwilling to just go with the flow!)—into something the community values, and participates in with me, is an absolute gift.
I’m in favor of everyone being completely and unapologetically themselves. My goal is to make clothing that is revelatory to wear, and to do this it really helps to meet my clients face to face. It’s lovely to see a design complement a client’s personality so well, and get to say, “yes, that’s perfect for you!”
4. When you’re designing new pieces for Raff Co., where do you find your biggest sources of inspiration?
I keep being inspired by the “problem” of clothing: an arrangement of planes, comfortable and cooperative, on real humans operating in the real world, that somehow maintains its elegant integrity throughout. There are a lot of wrong answers. There are also a lot of right answers.
When designing plastic-free clothing, it makes sense to look at historical fashion, and I do. You can see how people solved these problems when plastic was never in clothing, because it didn’t exist. So I have these requirements for the logic and quality of my work.
Beyond that, I don’t think it’s my job to tell people how they should be, or how they should dress. Some aesthetics I like better than others. But a clean line is a clean line.
5. Outside of running Mother Ghost, what are some of your favorite ways to spend your free time?
I love to sleep.
I like watching non-human creatures go about their business; it has so little to do with me.
I also have a partner and two young-ish kids. I’d be remiss not to say that one of my favorite ways to spend time is with them.
6. What has been the most surprising or rewarding part of growing Mother Ghost and Raff Co. Clothing so far?
Mother Ghost and Raff Co. Clothing help me feel at home in the world.
7. What’s on the horizon for you and Mother Ghost? Any exciting projects or dreams you’re working on?
I want to dress a performer, someone who makes non-tangible art. Consider that an invitation.
I’d also love to use the Mother Ghost space for some group projects (when bandwidth allows): workshops or exhibitions.
The space feels best when the community is flowing through it.
