Gypset Travel: Marfa, Texas

Marfa has taken over as the new destination muse for art-inspired fashion designers. Prada keeps its conceptual road side boutique there and Proenza Schouler pit stop in from NYC for visual refreshing.

Emerging designer Emily Jerome recently came through to shoot her look book amongst the sparse desert terrain that captivated artist Donald Judd so much so that in the 1970’s he bought up much of an abandoned army base there and converted it into his minimal utopia.

But back to Emily. how do you do hippy in an architectual way that doesnt look too severe urban? Emily began to tackle that very gypset question when she realized she had no idea what to wear when she moved from New York City to Laurel Canyon. “In Los Angeles, if you rock your carefully acquired, original Helmet Lang collection, you look, well, not only slightly insane, but also uncomfortable.”

So she came up with Jerome a line of jersey dresses with hand-drawn prints inspired by the ancients– good for the road or a party. Soulful but sculptural in a land art sort of way. Which is why she chose Marfa to shoot her Spring 2011 collection.

Donald Judd, was my godfather. I remember sleeping in the double-sided day-bed bed when I was younger. Growing up around someone like Donald, it’s hard not to attribute some of your aesthetic to him. He had a big collection of ethnic textiles and African masks. This is perhaps why I am drawn to graphic, historically enriched prints and simple silhouettes.

Donald Judd moved his family to Marfa in the early 70's and bought up most of the town in order to creat his vision of art utopia. The site of former Fort D.A. Russell houses his Chinati Foundation.

My prints this season derive from Christmas tree worms that burrow into hard coral reefs, and ancient, ritual shoulder cloths from Bhutan. My inspirations generally emerge from world history or natural phenomena.

Inside one of the vintage trailers at El Cosmico Hotel.

"El Cosmico is part vintage trailer, yurt and teepee hotel and campground, part creative lab, greenhouse and amphitheatre - a community space that fosters and agitates artistic and intellectual exchange." – El Cosmico

Prada Marfa a store-sculpture permanently installed by artists Elmgreen and Dragset in 2005.

The scene during the Chinati Foundation Open House, a free weekend of art, music, talks, and meals that attracts a couple thousand art obsessives each year.

The Ballroom is an art and music venu where you might hear anyone from Lyle Lovett or Bon Iver or Japanther.

My Spring 2011 collection is a shoot I produced at the Chinati foundation that was modeled by Jessica Joffe and shot by Eric Ray Davidson.

After our Marfa shoot, we celebrated with scorpion mezcal tequila and big, fat, fried burgers.

Written by Julia Chaplin, courtesy gypset.com.

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