In grade 8, I used a pair of neon pink short zippers I saw in the corner of my aunts house and decided to sew it to a pair of jeans I had. I'm not sure why but when I saw the zippers my immediate thought and idea was that it would look great on the knees and also in the back pocket. Prior to this moment, I remember toying with the idea of creating clothes that were unique and different, but had never done such. So that day, I took a pair of jeans I had where one leg had already a small rip and I ripped it up a little bit more and tried to replicate the same rip on the other leg. I took a needle and clear thread and started sewing. Mind you I was never really taught how to sew. The only sewing skills was this sort of crochet/sewing thing that was always mandatory in girl-schools in Haiti. I had taught myself how to fix holes in clothes that had holes to get more wear out of some clothing items in my home.
Anyway so I sewed these jeans, and I remember feeling so excited about them, thought they looked like the best jeans EVER. But I also remember that a part of me was scared of what the other kids would think of me and my clothes. But somehow I completely disregarded it, because I was so excited about those jeans so I wore them to school. I noticed people starring and it made me feel a slightly nervous, but I didn't care. I made those jeans and I thought they were dashit. lol... Even if when I bent down to pick up my books my knees were being jigsawed by the zipper teeth, I rocked the hell out of them with a smile and with a strut.
Street Etiquette-Sartorial Sounds from LightUp Film on Vimeo.
Years have gone by since these jeans... and a few 'fashion-seasons' ago, I noticed that zippers were being put at the knees of some skinny jeans when I was looking at this H&M catalogue, and I remembered those jeans. I remembered my love of fashion, and sewing, and creating and choosing pieces that felt good to me and it made me smile. Now I'm sitting here trying to make sense of this now. I never had much of an appetite to always 'be in' or to replicate everything I see on runways, but I always found it interesting. I'm trying to make sense of this need I had to put these neon zippers to the jeans, and this joy I had after I created it, and wore it. I'm trying to make sense of my creativity... and this creative ... fire... I feel I have in me.
I'm in the process of figuring out how to channel it properly... I think there's a reason why I found myself teaching myself piano in the basement of my aunts house.
If I find these jeans, and if they still fit, I will wear them still.. either that or cut them up until I'm happy with them. lol
