In this conversation, Shagho explores cultural sustainability—the idea that culture functions as a fourth pillar alongside environment, economy, and society in sustainable development. She discusses her approach to designing cultural programs for institutions, and why textiles offer a vessel into intangible heritage that holds the capacity for joy and connection.

What began informally in February 2023 as archival research of design patterns became Folk Lounge monthly park gatherings in March 2024, evolving from meet-ups into a fuller practice that includes workshops, archival research collaborations, and programming with cultural institutions. Shagho believes in the power of collective making to weave new connections between past wisdom and future possibility. In this conversation, she traces the origins of Folk Lounge from a spontaneous encounter at LA's Ararat Eskijian Museum to the circles of stitchers now gathering regularly across Los Angeles.