This week, as people worldwide took to the streets in protest of the tragedies in Paris, a banner appeared at a march 9,000-strong in Hamburg, Germany that proudly declared: GIRL GANGZ AGAINST FASCISM. The image of three women standing in solidarity accompanying the text came from the other side of the world, and no one was more startled to see it than its creator, LA-based feminist illustrator Tuesday Bassen.
Bassen reposted the photo, captioning it: “Incredibly surreal to see my artwork painted on protest banners, received in the way I intended: Strong women for solidarity and love. Peace for Paris, peace for refugees, peace for the world.”
The lookbook for Bassen’s most recent collection, themed around the strength and protection found in female friendship and solidarity, was recently photographed in Los Angeles by Brooklyn photographer and stylist Emily Rose Theobald. It premieres here today, along with a few words from Bassen herself on the nature of creativity, collaboration, and protest.
JEZEBEL: How did you get started as an illustrator, and what brought about the shift from illustration to making physical goods?
Tuesday Bassen: I went to an arts-focused public high school in Nebraska, which pointed me toward pursuing a higher level arts education. I went to MCAD in Minneapolis, MN and from there moved to New York City, now Los Angeles.
I’ve always been of the mindset that you shouldn’t wait for anyone to give you the opportunities you want, you should just make the opportunities yourself. It’s the ultimate DIY ethos! Making products is a big part of that for me for a few reasons: I don’t have to wait for a larger company to decide I’m worthwhile, I get to share my work with a wider spectrum of people, and I get to make artful goods that people can use. I’m totally into art for art’s sake, but I’m also from a blue-collar background and recognize the importance of useful objects, especially when you don’t have a huge income.
What were your inspirations for your newest collection—both for the objects themselves and the lookbook?
I hail from an incredibly matriarchal family of entrepreneurs and ass kickers—from a potter, to a therapist, to an agricultural journalist, to a Goodyear factory worker. I benefited from exposure to wide variety of “women’s careers,” and constantly draw inspiration from my childhood. I honed in a little closer on an Easy Rider/Slumber Party vibe, which is directly inspired by my Grandmother Judith, who is a righteous badass that carries a pearl handle pistol, drives a giant truck, and doesn’t wear underpants (who needs it!). Throw in my love of Los Angeles, plus my desire for accessible, wearable goods and here we are.
What drove you to design jackets this season?