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Gideon's Army: Look 2
Collection:CSM Museum & Study Collection
Date: 2024
Artist: Shashamani Jackson
Medium: Recycled fabrics, heat press inks, dubied and domestic knit with donated yarns
Object number: FA. 2024.81.CC.1-3
Description1. Red pillar hat
2. New life dress
3. Lace spray boots
Description by the maker:
'New Life’ is look 2 from my BA graduate collection, Gideon's Army. The theme for the collection was about presenting how I view my Christian journey and paying homage to the style of the Wind-rush generation (my grandparents), who came with their hope and with their faith. It is based on the New Testament Church of God, founded in Wolverhampton by the Windrush Generation.
This can be seen in the lace patterns that are used in our communion services, as well in our home windows for privacy (continually changed out come Easter). The ‘grip’ the suitcases and palm leaf fans in hand are a nod to how they travelled to England for a new life. The church hats and modest dresses reflect the culture of the people.
The collection was made in collaboration with surface print designer, Davinia Clarke, who created the hand painted elements on the trousers and bags. Francesca Power also grew crystal formations through the sinamay material for accent pieces on the flower jacket, as well as the hat seen in this look.
The hat was in reference to the traditional church style of Black Women. I wanted to create my own silhouette for what a hat looked like. Incorporating pleats that mimic the structure of the church as well as crystals which symbolise the new growth and how Christians are the salt of the earth. I hand pleated and coloured the sinamay and then Francesca put it in a solution bath to form the crystals and final shape.
This look is one of personal favourites as it was one of the last to be created, but the first to be dreamt up. I wanted a dress that could show the energy of something being in new bloom, the vibrancy that is created in new life. The’ Lace Spray’ print was a technique I had been developing throughout my final year; the fusion of colours with my grandmother’s lace curtains he loves creates a very personal print that I was incredibly happy with.
The dress is very eco-friendly through its use of donated yarns as well as recycled fabric (leftover materials from fellow students from the recycling bin) that was printed and cut and re-patch-worked together to create one complete fabric. The heat press print helped to highlight the potential for recycled materials as well as giving it a harmonious look.
The shoes were a fun experiment which involved layers of lace spray painting, as well as the finishing touches of doodling on top with the posca pens. I wanted to develop further the intricacy of the wild spray paint whilst also using a form of art work that I had designed whilst in Grenada ( the Caribbean). The result was a design that was free formed, but also quite relaxing to conceive towards the end of the graduate collection. I aim to continue developing my ‘doodle’ prints as well as my ‘spray lace’ prints.
The belt was created from the dead-stock yarns (in the CSM knit workshop). I was quite happy with my accomplishment of finding a use for these very thin yarns. By blending and intertwining assorted colours, I created my own gradient and patchworks of colours. A key part of my art style is the idea of blending, pulling together unconventional materials, colours that contrast to find a new purpose for them. The belt was knitted on the dubied machine and finished off with a crochet edge trim.
The domestic knitting machine was used to create the final trims around the dress, as well as a fringe knot hem out of ropes. The ropes are a reference to my grandfather Vanny, who was a fishermen and the idea of being fishers of men as a Christian. My grandfather passed away during the making of this collection and I had to return back to Grenada for the funeral in the midst of the toiling stages. As a result, a lot of development and finishing touches were made in my grandparents Grenadian home and my family helped by being fit models and my feedback panel.
The aim for the collection was to show a fun way of dressing for church, as well as reflect the vibrancy of church through the colours, sound of the runway and the live performance.
2. New life dress
3. Lace spray boots
Description by the maker:
'New Life’ is look 2 from my BA graduate collection, Gideon's Army. The theme for the collection was about presenting how I view my Christian journey and paying homage to the style of the Wind-rush generation (my grandparents), who came with their hope and with their faith. It is based on the New Testament Church of God, founded in Wolverhampton by the Windrush Generation.
This can be seen in the lace patterns that are used in our communion services, as well in our home windows for privacy (continually changed out come Easter). The ‘grip’ the suitcases and palm leaf fans in hand are a nod to how they travelled to England for a new life. The church hats and modest dresses reflect the culture of the people.
The collection was made in collaboration with surface print designer, Davinia Clarke, who created the hand painted elements on the trousers and bags. Francesca Power also grew crystal formations through the sinamay material for accent pieces on the flower jacket, as well as the hat seen in this look.
The hat was in reference to the traditional church style of Black Women. I wanted to create my own silhouette for what a hat looked like. Incorporating pleats that mimic the structure of the church as well as crystals which symbolise the new growth and how Christians are the salt of the earth. I hand pleated and coloured the sinamay and then Francesca put it in a solution bath to form the crystals and final shape.
This look is one of personal favourites as it was one of the last to be created, but the first to be dreamt up. I wanted a dress that could show the energy of something being in new bloom, the vibrancy that is created in new life. The’ Lace Spray’ print was a technique I had been developing throughout my final year; the fusion of colours with my grandmother’s lace curtains he loves creates a very personal print that I was incredibly happy with.
The dress is very eco-friendly through its use of donated yarns as well as recycled fabric (leftover materials from fellow students from the recycling bin) that was printed and cut and re-patch-worked together to create one complete fabric. The heat press print helped to highlight the potential for recycled materials as well as giving it a harmonious look.
The shoes were a fun experiment which involved layers of lace spray painting, as well as the finishing touches of doodling on top with the posca pens. I wanted to develop further the intricacy of the wild spray paint whilst also using a form of art work that I had designed whilst in Grenada ( the Caribbean). The result was a design that was free formed, but also quite relaxing to conceive towards the end of the graduate collection. I aim to continue developing my ‘doodle’ prints as well as my ‘spray lace’ prints.
The belt was created from the dead-stock yarns (in the CSM knit workshop). I was quite happy with my accomplishment of finding a use for these very thin yarns. By blending and intertwining assorted colours, I created my own gradient and patchworks of colours. A key part of my art style is the idea of blending, pulling together unconventional materials, colours that contrast to find a new purpose for them. The belt was knitted on the dubied machine and finished off with a crochet edge trim.
The domestic knitting machine was used to create the final trims around the dress, as well as a fringe knot hem out of ropes. The ropes are a reference to my grandfather Vanny, who was a fishermen and the idea of being fishers of men as a Christian. My grandfather passed away during the making of this collection and I had to return back to Grenada for the funeral in the midst of the toiling stages. As a result, a lot of development and finishing touches were made in my grandparents Grenadian home and my family helped by being fit models and my feedback panel.
The aim for the collection was to show a fun way of dressing for church, as well as reflect the vibrancy of church through the colours, sound of the runway and the live performance.