A model wearing a design by Isabel Wilson with a pattern inspired by Bradley Kerl. Photo by Evelyn Pustka
Clothing designer Isabel Wilson recently collaborated with Houston-based artist Bradley Kerl to produce a custom fabric for a number of garments in her Spring 2022 collection. Titled Bradley Palm, the textile is directly inspired by the green hues and stylized foliage in Kerl’s painting S & L 2 (2018).
To create the design, Wilson took a high resolution photo of the painting and blended it into a repeat pattern in Photoshop. The final design was digitally printed onto 100% silk habotai at a fairtrade family-owned facility in India.
While in the past Wilson has created most of her own prints, she has recently been partnering with other artists that she admires. Regarding this collaboration, she was particularly drawn to Kerl’s color choices and mark making.
Bradley Kerl, “S & L 2,” 2018, detail
Wilson commented, “There are patterns already occurring within his paintings, so it is easy to imagine them as a textile.”
As for the collection’s designs, Wilson said, “The silhouettes were shapes I’ve been developing over seasons, altering and perfecting, to make pieces that look good on a lot of different body types.”
Isabel Wilson, her namesake company, was founded in 2013 and is based in Houston, where she designs and develops her collections, with the majority of production taking place in Bellaire.
Models wearing a design by Isabel Wilson with a pattern inspired by Bradley Kerl. Photo by Evelyn Pustka
Wilson is no stranger to the Houston art scene. Her previous collections have been showcased at the likes of Havel Ruck Projects’ Ripple and James Turrell’s Twilight Epiphany.
Kerl remarked, “It’s a bit surreal to have something you created be recontextualized in this way, and the print and clothing that Isabel has made gives me a bit of a shock each time I see them.”
“It’s been very eye-opening and interesting to see Isabel’s process and all the behind-the-scenes of this small-scale fashion house,” Kerl said. “Truly inspiring and I’d love to make more!”
To view the entire collection, as well as a selection of Kerl’s work, on view through March, visit Jardin at 2608 Dunlavy Boulevard, Houston, or view Wilson’s website.
