ART TO WEAR RECYCLED DENIM JACKETS
unique one-of-a kind designs of wearable art
Each recycled denim jacket is embellished with some combination of lace, applique, sequins, beads, rhinestones and feathers. The only machine sewing is to join the lining pieces. They are fully lined in silk or satin and have a small amount of applique on the pockets and collar. My studio name label, "dog hair burning", is sewn above the left pocket. The jackets are photographed without a model in abandoned locales to evoke the feeling of a found artifact among ruins.
Haitian ceremonial sequined flags were my original inspiration for designs on recycled denim jackets. The first two jackets (Erzulie and Baron Samdi) were variations on veves--the symbolic designs drawn with flour on the ground during ceremonies to summon the loa-gods. I envision the jackets as a kind of secular vestment to petition the gods to protect and empower the wearer.
Personal heroes, myths and symbols became the subject of my subsequent designs. My research in mythology sparked design ideas from folk religion customs, Outsider Art, Hindu mythology, reliquary art in medieval Christianity, Victorian mourning jewelry and African art--especially art from the Congo.