Textiles and fashion designer Jessica Ogden has opened a new solo exhibition titled Still on London’s Church Street this week. Open until the 23rd of June, this show explores Jessica’s work through the static display of archive and current works, alongside a series of workshops. Perhaps best known for her innovative approach to customising and reinventing fabrics and garments that might otherwise be forgotten, Jessica’s designs have developed a particular patchwork chic aesthetic, and you can see this all throughout her clothing and homeware textiles. Curated by Professor Carol Tulloch of the Chelsea College of Arts, Still reenacts this cyclical approach, reviving Jessica’s archive and turning it, again and as a whole, into something new.
Jessica originally made a name for herself in the early nineties as the designer behind Oxfam’s NoLoGo project. Working with only donated clothes, Jessica began customizing garments and soon afterwards launched her own label using traditional stitching, hand printing and layering techniques – often appropriating old designs such as quilts. From there she went on to stage many successful fashion shows for London Fashion Week and continued with cult French label A.P.C. After moving to Paris, she deepened her work to include a line of quilts made from archive A.P.C. fabrics, continuing her obsession with repurposing in fashion.
Now living in her home country of Jamaica, Jessica continues to tell stories through her textile designs and this latest show is no exception. Acting as an autobiography through fabric, this exhibition pinpoints moments in her career that have traced a path to where she is now. Accompanied by a series of workshops throughout the length of the show, these events involve free hemming and customisation among others, and will also act as further insight into her celebrated and cyclical design philosophy.
Jessica Ogden: Still 26 May - 23 June 2017 open Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 11am – 6pm, 31-33 Church St, London NW8 8ES
For more information, click here: http://events.arts.ac.uk/event/2017/5/26/Jessica-Ogden-Still/