Alchemical Threads

Wearables
2003-2011

Beginning in the aughts a focus of Hubby’s art practice included working with clothing. Beyond repurposing or making wearables from scratch, the long term project also manifested in different ways such as organizing happenings and events, photo installations, publications, and more. Often items of clothing would be from an artist, friend, or a client’s closet and Hubby would reimagine and modify the item, based on her vision of their personality, as was the case for the Chinatown Art Community Portraits, Hubby V, and Hubby & Hee Hee. For her Los Angeles neighborhood celebration CoTour, Hubby created clothing that was inspired by the various locations of the bus tour. The soft works were also sometimes a collaboration, as in the Double Fantasy project. Pictured here are a small selection of the remaining wearables and images from CoTour.

Hubby on the series:

Back in the early 00s through 2008 I was focused on transforming clothes into artful and unique versions of themselves. I incorporated macrame, mirrors, and quilt fragments, free-form abstraction, and used photography or client's personalities as a launching pad for composition and theme. It turned into a thriving business of one-of-a-kind clothing commissions for friends and patrons until I retired the thread trade in 2008 to follow my inspirations to collage, photography and other art forms.

PRESS: ANGELENO
PRESS: THE NEW YORK TIMES STYLE MAGAZINE
PRESS: LA WEEKLY
PRESS: LOS ANGELES TIMES

Selected wearables
photographed by Steven Rimlinger
modeled by Cheyann Washington.

Hubby on Suitable: “Day and evening all at once was my aim with this silk and sequin appliqué shirt. The piece plays with the idea of having a perfectly balanced multiple personality.”

Hubby on Torso's Portrait (after Louise Bourgeois): “This hand-cut loose t-shirt is deconstructed with quilt inserts. I enjoy reinvigorating quilting and crochet remnants to give garments new and sensual contexts.”

Hubby on Hedjhotep: “I was inspired to bring a bejeweled armor effect to this sweater to serve as a casual queen’s protective shield.”

Hubby on Soft Sculpture: “This piece has a punk glam aesthetic with pieces fraying and coming off of the dress purposefully. The pleather, felt, and fabric strips are salvaged from my soft sculptures from grad school at SVA in 1995.”

Hubby on Beyond, Below (in homage to Lawrence Weiner): “This piece was a part of a collaboration with photographer Mike Slack, and paired with a photo he made of arrows painted on the street. Combined, the photo and the dress are part of the Double Fantasy project.”

Hubby on Straight Line (in homage to Hundertwasser): “This dress is a fanciful, fringed, exotic collage with cut openings that reveal its layers. Wearing it is a mirrored tapestry as a cocktail dress—and the view is always changing—each time it is worn it is unique!”

Hubby on Mein Klein: “The crochet medallion inserts on this cotton puffed sleeve dress create unique flesh and fabric vistas.”

Hubby on Lower chakras: “This silk tuxedo ruffle dress has hand-sewn detailing, mirrors, and crocheted butterfly wings on the back. The color red uplifts as the color black roots.”

Hubby on Self-Marriage Movement: “I imagine this playful dress could be used for one’s low key and stress-free wedding to oneself. It is off-white, nodding to it being for someone who doesn’t need to present as completely pure.””

Hubby on Shakti: “This piece features Indian applique hand sewn onto a lightweight wool dress in the modern qipao style. My aim was to intermingle cultures while paying homage to the beauty of both.”

Hubby on Telephone Wires at Night: This Evan Picone men's jacket as been embellished with hand knotted wool accents that mimic the telephone wires in a Mike Slack polaroid for our Double Fantasy project.”

Selected wearables from CoTour