Designer Linda Stokes has been outfitting celebrities for decades, but when she got a call earlier this year from André 3000 and his team, the request was for more than your typical red carpet event—he needed jumpsuits for the Outkast festival tour. The significance of these jumpsuits, each with unique phrases that André wrote, has only grown since the tour ended. Now, all 47 are on display in an art exhibition at Art Basel Miami Beach, hosted at a Savannah College of Art and Design Museum pop-up (318 NW 23rd Street, Wynwood), and on view until December 14 before they move to the museum next year.
In a recent interview with fellow music artist Nicolas Jaar, André admitted his reluctance to do the Outkast festival tour. He says that he became more excited about planning the statements he would make with the jumpsuits each night, adding, "I felt like it was cool that I could say crazy thoughts or fun stuff. And I think it actually gets more attention because it is what it is instead of tweeting it." One of the jumpsuits he wore actually says, "i've never had f@cebook, twitt@r, or inst@gram," letting these phrases be his way of getting a short, poignant message out that only true fans would know to follow.
Beyond just being outfits that André changed each night, with messages about the world and the ways we're influenced by digital information, these jumpsuits helped resolve his misgivings about doing the tour. He says, "I felt like a sell-out, honestly. So I was like, if I'm in on the joke, I'll feel cool about it."
Read our interview with the woman he and his team called upon to design and execute the 47 jumpsuits.
When did André approach you to create these jumpsuits? How did he describe what he wanted?
On April 6, 2014, I was approached by Shawn Barton, who is André's personal stylist, to make these jumpsuits for the Outkast reunion tour.
Did the idea change from what it was when you started? Why are they simply black jumpsuits with white text?
As a reference, Shawn had pulled a man's basic work jumpsuit. Then I showed André a pair of ruched pants that I had previously made for the TLC tour. With some additional details, like André adding pockets, the jumpsuits for the tour came to be. Then I added some mesh ventilation so he could have some air circulating while performing in nylon fabric.
Did he have all the phrases on the jumpsuits prepared ahead of time? Did some develop as the tour progressed?
From the beginning, André's vision was to wear a jumpsuit like a chalkboard. The black jumpsuit serves as a background for his messages. At one point, he considered making a white jumpsuit with black text, and also other colors, but he kept them black.
I was given phrases at the time each jumpsuit was completed to apply the text as a tour progressed. I was also given specific text for certain shows. Shawn was ordering quantities of six jumpsuits at a time; I didn't know what the total quantity was going to be.
What is your favorite phrase from the jumpsuits?
I thought "Children of the Cornbread" was unique. I had fun explaining that to my Italian tailor.
What do you think has been the impact of showing these jumpsuits in a sort of traveling exhibition/tour for the audience to follow along?
I think that the impact of showing the jumpsuits all together was brilliant. André's mind never stops to sleep.
What do you think has been the impact of showing these jumpsuits in a sort of traveling exhibition/tour for the audience to follow along?
Amazing is the word most people have used to describe the exhibit. [The phrases are] things that make you go, "Hmm..." André's comments on the jumpsuits are thought-provoking conversation pieces. I always felt that the jumpsuits were going to be used for something very special after the end of the tour.
Why do you think it's important for these jumpsuits to be shown together, next to each other, as art?
As art, the jumpsuits lined up together look like an army of soldiers, showing a strong visual flow of statements.
Have you known André to be someone who's always been interested in visuals and visual art?
André, as I know him, has worked on unique, controversial projects. He is a very creative visual artist.
