Today we’d like to introduce you to Parke Ballantine.
Hi Parke , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve always been drawn to art as a way of communicating what can’t always be said directly. That instinct led me to study representation in media through an Ethnic Studies lens, where I became deeply interested in visual language, power, and who gets to be seen. That throughline has carried me through my entire career. About four years ago, I began working for myself as a commercial and editorial fashion stylist, and over time my practice naturally expanded. Today, my work includes photography, radio and vinyl DJing, and the creation of Wardrobe Rituals, a six-week workshop series that weaves style, creative practice, and ritual into a grounded, embodied approach to self-expression and personal growth. All of these mediums speak to the same core curiosity: how we use image, sound, and adornment to define ourselves, tell our stories, and move through the world with intention.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Working for myself has meant continually questioning norms, especially around productivity, time, and success. I’m someone who creates intuitively and in relationship with ancestral and spiritual practices, which often means approaching work through a non-capitalist lens. I think a lot about how to structure my days in ways that leave room for connection, rest, and deep creative listening, and that choice comes with real trade-offs in an industry that prizes hustle, visibility, and constant output.
The pressure to always produce, perform, and compete can be intense, particularly in fashion and creative fields. As I’ve grown and healed through my work, I’ve become more interested in how I work than simply what I make. For me, the process itself is the art, and the final image, garment, or project is just one way that process takes shape. Along the way, I’ve had to confront insecurities around money, worth, and value, as well as larger questions about privilege, accountability, and service. Ultimately, the challenge has been learning how to build a life and practice that feel aligned and nourishing while still staying in relationship with the world. I don’t expect the challenges to stop, but I’ve come to see them as spiritual workouts, each one asking me to release old narratives and meet myself with more honesty and care.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My work is rooted in curation, but these days it’s most clearly expressed through Wardrobe Rituals, a six-week workshop series I created that uses style as a creative and ritual practice for personal growth and self-expression. The idea is simple but expansive: getting dressed is something we all do, every day, and it can be a powerful entry point for deeper self-connection, intuition, and agency. In Wardrobe Rituals, participants explore their relationship to clothing, image, desire, and identity in a supportive, low-stakes container where experimentation, messiness, and curiosity are encouraged. It’s been described as a dissertation meets hands-on practice, weaving visual theory, embodiment, and tangible tools people can actually use in their daily lives.
Alongside this work, I’m a multimedia artist and stylist. I create bold, meaningfully informed images for individuals and brands through styling, creative direction, and photography. I develop moodboards, define the emotional and visual language of a shoot, and bring together garments, objects, and references until they form a cohesive whole. I also curate creative teams, thoughtfully assembling collaborators who align with both the client’s vision and the deeper story we’re telling.
I work out of my photography studio at CineMaker Space on Austin’s east side, where I shoot brand work as well as personal projects exploring identity, desire, and the body. I’m also a radio DJ and host a weekly show called Mood Ring, where I curate vinyl and digital music across time and genre, building sets around a specific emotional or energetic mood.
What I’m most proud of is how integrated my practice has become. Wardrobe Rituals brings together everything I care about: image-making, style, spiritual inquiry, and creative process. What sets my work apart is that I don’t approach style as something prescriptive or trend-based. Rather than telling people what looks “good” or “bad,” I teach them how to develop their own visual language and relationship to style. It’s about empowerment, play, and learning how to trust yourself. Style, for me, isn’t about perfection. It’s a living practice, an art, and one that can help people feel more at home in themselves and connected to others.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
There are a few different ways people can work with and support me. I’m available for styling, creative direction, and photography projects for individuals and brands, including editorial, commercial, and personal work. I also collaborate with creative teams, artists, and organizations who are interested in thoughtful, concept-driven image-making and storytelling.
My main focus right now is Wardrobe Rituals, a six-week small-group workshop that invites people to explore style as a creative, embodied practice rather than something purely aesthetic or trend-driven. The next cohort begins February 23, and it’s a great way to work with me in a more intimate, process-oriented setting.
I’m always open to cross-disciplinary collaborations, including workshops, talks, radio projects, and community-based creative work. The best place to learn more, get in touch, or see what I’m currently offering is my website, parkballantine.com. People can also support my work by listening to my weekly radio show Mood Ring on 91.7FM here in Austin, sharing my projects, and engaging with the work in whatever way feels aligned.
Pricing:
- Wardrobe Rituals – Sliding Scale
- Commercial/Editorial – Email for quote
- Personal Styling – Email for quote
- DJ – Email for quote
- Photography – Email for quote
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.parkeballantine.com
Image Credits
Archetype Card Design – Julie Serafini
Vasavi Kumar – shot by Bry Penney
