Friday Inspiration - Jackets

Jae Jarrell, Urban Wall Suit, 1969

Earlier this week, while surfing quilt designs of all things, I found this piece on Black Threads' blog.  Jae Jarrell is a fashion designer and one of the founding members of the artist group AfriCOBRA.  She created this "Urban Wall Suit" in 1969.

I love it! This jacket/skirt combo was a "uniform" of the older mom set in the 1960's.  My friends' mothers all wore them with sensible low heels to meetings at school, Girl Scouts, all those 60's mom things ... My mom was younger, cooler, and wore mini-skirts, but she still owned at least one that I  remember.

Jarrell took this stereotyped uniform of the respectable establishment, quilted it (a very respectable past time), and then gave it a new life by turning it into a street graffiti-ed brick wall, adding 60's messages.  Some of my favorite art works play themes off each other in this way.

Another interesting jacket I've found lately, from Highsnobiety News, is a collaboration by fashion designer Roland Berry and artist Shepard Fairey.  Both artists' websites are worth a look.  Fairey is a former graffiti artist, sometimes guerilla artist, now most famous for his Obama Hope poster.

Roland Berry & Shepard Fairey, Wearable Art Collection

So .... after admiring these several (okay, many) times, I decided to get going on my Ai Kijima inspired jacket.  I got most of the back cut out and ironed on and then decided I needed more interesting fabric before continuing.  I think I know where I'm going with this, but won't say yet in case I change my mind!

And remember the mini jean jacket I fabric collaged and embroidered for little c?  She had her 6 month pictures taken in it.  Isn't she too cute!  I'm definitely a smitten grandma!