Shirley

The rebirth and rejuvenation of land, textiles, and society merge as models stand amidst the site of a former landfill to reconnect with nature and one another in sustainable fashion designer Kerry Phelan’s debut collection: Shirley.

Designer Kerry Phelan introduces a collection of eccentric garments made with the history of earth’s precious textiles in mind. Born through the exploration of repurposed vintage one-of-a-kind deadstock textiles, the Shirley Collection features bold, modern garments reconstructed from alluring antique furniture upholstery from the 1940s and 1950s, vintage handmade quilts, and embroidered tableware. The collection holds a high standard in sustainability from textile sourcing to design application and production. Kerry focuses on highlighting the traditional, hand-done elements of the vintage textiles, calling attention to the female-centric methods of historic embroidery, quilting, and trimming. She gives the materials destined for landfills a trendy rebirth, honoring both the history they hold and the breathtaking land that created them. The Shirley Collection was born through the designer’s love for nature and her mission to build a deeper connection between the wearer and the land through the appreciation for natural materials. Amidst creating the collection, Kerry was introduced to Shirley Chisholm State Park by photographer Prince Dudly. Sparking fresh routes of inspiration for the collection and lookbook,the newly-opened Shirley Chisholm Park rests atop 407 acres of reclaimed and repurposed land that previously functioned as the Pennsylvania and Fountain Avenue landfill. The landfill was covered with four feet of clean soil, a below-ground methane gas piping system, and was planted with more than 35,000 trees, shrubs, and native grassland species. The addition of prairie grass and native plants created a diverse ecosystem of coastal meadows, wetlands, and woodlands that has attracted a variety of birds and other local wildlife to the park. The prairie ecosystem inspired the designer to incorporate glimpses of traditional cottagecore/prairie aesthetic into the collection, pulling on themes of pioneering, adventure, and eccentricity, rooted through simple living and traditional skills. The park is named in honor of Shirley Chisholm, a Brooklyn-born trailblazer who was the first African-American Congresswoman, as well as the first woman and person of African-American Descent to run for president. By way of strong tailored shapes, bold colors, and prominent art direction, Kerry aimed to honor Shirley Chisolm’s legacy and create a collection of garments made for the powerful female trailblazers of today. Model Erica stands in an alluring 1930’s yoyo quilt that has been deconstructed and transformed into a bold peek-a-boo patterned corset and skirt set. Stitched together with generations of family memories, the quilt used to create this look had been passed down through generations, gifted to the designer by her grandmother, Shirley. Embroidered vintage table placemats are transformed into a laced corset featuring antique metal-button detailing seen on model Kristen. Referencing historical shapes and trends from the ‘50s, the designer created a dramatic full-body circle skirt reconstructed from 1950s couch upholstery to complete the look. Stylist Perla Henry adorned this dramatic corset and full-body skirt look with a recycled Kerry Phelan Designs crochet collar neckpiece constructed from an antique table dollie. With modern embellishments, the collar sits high on the model’s neck. An avant-garde corset look worn by model Lexi is styled with vintage Pierre Cardin white leather opera gloves to further emphasize the historical influence found within the periods in which the upcycled textiles were initially created. The look included an avant-garde corset made from 1940s antique armchair upholstery with white trim detail. Kerry focused on highlighting the natural elements of the furniture upholstery by incorporating the original design details of ribbing, pleats, and zipper as the main focal point of the corset. The final look is completed by a gathered two-tier skirt made from a vintage embroidered tablecloth.

Creative Direction/Fashion Design: Kerry Phelan, Photography: Eli Freireich, Cinematography: Prince Dudley, Models: Erica Jules, Kristen Nhuynh, Alexi Gionne, Stylist: Perla Haney Jardine, Makeup Artist: Nicole Bueno, Editorial Design: Laura Angle, Asst Art Direction: Alice Patton, BTS Photography: Scott Bausemer