The Bow Jacket is the craziest outcome from my Artist Residency at Midnight Lunch. This project has allowed me to become and artist full time. It is also a crazy tale.
When I lived in NYC the army liner jacket was the cool girl jacket of Brooklyn for a while and was heavily copied in fashion. I always thought it was so interesting that a piece of a solider's uniform was so chic and timeless while also being so functional. For a time in my nyc life I was a designer and J.Crew. We were always looking to military for inspo, the greens and fabrications were so cool and comfy and balanced out girliness in such a cool way. It also always made me think about the Army Navy Surplus store my dad used to take me too when i was a kid in Idaho Falls. I LOVED going there, aisles and aisles of strange treasures and so many little bags.
When I started upcycling clothes for Cowgirl Mermaid, I went back to the army surplus store and they had so many vintage army liners and they were all so perfectly distressed. I bought a couple thinking of those cool Brooklyn girls. I started messing with how to decorate them, I glued leather at first, that was not the right construction. I then started sewing patches and furs on them like I was doing with the gloves, they were so fun and lovely to sew on top. I made one in my first holiday drop of clothes, my friend bought one and sent me a pic of her wearing it at tea in London. We had added a bow waist tie. That was it! I thought of where that jacket had been, part of an army, meant to create a soldier out of an individual now it was one of kind and having so much fun at tea! What a dream, what a second life!
Emma, one of the biggest first Cowgirl Mermaid cheerleaders in the first army liner jacket - Summer 2022
Me in the second jacket, at home (now Im back in this room as my studio) Dec 2022
Sarah, in her jacket, she had the idea to add the bow tie! Jan 2023
I started doing all kinds of things to army jackets and made a set of 8 one of a kind jackets with this in mind, what if these jackets that had been to war could go off and have a second life doing the most opposite of war. I sold all of them in 2 days except one special one i kept for myself, with a giant Cowgirl Mermaid on the back. Still my most coveted item. Through this project i was appliquéing a lot of ribbons on the jacket and loved how that was to sew, and how it looked and how hearty it still was.
The first collection of jackets at Midnight Lunch, March 2023
Cut to the summer, I had the summer of Queens. I saw Shania Twain in June, Taylor Swift In July and Beyonce in August. THE QUEENS INSPIRED ME SO MUCH! Barbie came out. FUCK THE PATRIARCHY. Bows were starting to be all over in fashion, it was the time for girls,gays and theys. I started putting bows on pieces. For holiday I wanted to do an epic collection. I had a couple army liners left, I drew a sketch with a bow on one. I made that, it felt fresh. It sold in the first couple days of the tourists in town for the holidays to a fashion queen. I made a second one, sold same day. That never happened, something was with this design. We had to move stores, Midnight Lunch was leveling up. All this was possible because of the viral vest in November. I watched how cleverly Abby executed her viral moment and exploded her business because of it.
The Bow Jacket initial sketch, Nov 2023
The first Bow Jacket, Dec 2023
We all kept tik toking. For the new store I went and got more jackets. I got 10 this time. I sewed bows on all of them in a couple days in what would become the dressing room. We opened the store in Feb. All the jackets were gone in 2 weeks. Something about this design. I started making one or 2 week to keep the rack full. I went back to idaho falls, I met the owner of the army navy store. He has owned for 50 years, he showed me all the things different artist use from the store. He told me he gathered the vintage jackets all over europe in the 90s, he would travel around to find things the army had left behind. He loveeeddd the bow jackets, he brought be to the back to show all the guys what i was making. They all said they were in the wrong business.
The set of Bow jackets for the re-opening of Midnight Lunch Feb 2024
I had this idea that I could do an upcycle piece online, but it had to be a specific design. This was the design. I learned in the store I could make one a day while still doing other things. I had an idea, what if i make and post one a day and each day was a different colorway and size. What if i could get it to pop off on tik tok and then keep people interested in newness by the dropping daily, in the same way that fast fashion does? I knew there was a big set at the army navy store but i needed capital.
The studio when I was making them for the store weekly, March 2024
My dear Grandma Ann had died the previous spring, I use her sewing machine to make everything I had done for Cowgirl Mermaid. I often feel her spirit, she loved thrifting, she loved sewing, she made me special pieces to express myself when i was kid. When I graduated fashion school she gave me her sewing machine. She was ahead of her time in her feminist ways, a powerhouse. All of the sudden when I needed some capital my dad let me know me and my cousins were all getting a check from her. I knew she would love if i took that money to get the jackets. I bought all the jackets off the rack there were 77.
The carts at the army navy surplus store March 2024 
The rack with 50 of the jackets in the Upcycle Studio, April 2024
I brought them home in my truck in big trash bags. I washed them and set up the workspace. I made a set of them. I went on a trip. On the trip my dear dog Bakie died and when I got back my ex-bf had moved out. We broke up because I realized I was gay. Luckily we are still friends. The week i came back everything was different all at once, I had to really do it by myself now. I was out of money but I had jackets and ribbons. I started sewing bows and posting. I kept sewing and posting. I was down to $20. I made the 10th jacket and dropped it online. I kept tik toking. The tik tok went viral, the jackets started selling. All 10 sold in 2 days. OMG. I could not believe it. I thanked Grandma Ann, I knew she was the magic behind it. The Daily Drop was on, i made one jacket a day for 5 weeks. They sold every morning. I could not believe this idea I had was working. I was sending jackets all over the country. From one video, my life changed. At home everything hurt so much but I could wake up and make a bow jacket and get through the day.
I took a break for high summer to focus on The Upcycle Studio and the Midnight Lunch Trucker Hat Bar. In August I picked the bows jacket Daily Drop back up. In September I hit 50 jackets, I could not believe it. The 50th Jacket came out the week of Grandma Ann's birthday, if that wasn't a sign she was watching out I don't know what it. There is magic everywhere. I sewed one of her scarves into the bow.
The 50th Bow jacket, with Grandma Anns scarf
In October I got a Bow tattoo on my hand so I could look down and remember what I had done to get myself through the hardest year of my life so far. Coming out of the closet at 35 in your hometown is not for the faint of heart I have learned. This has been the craziest journey, but everyday that I stay true to myself I remember why I am doing this.
Bow tatto, Oct 2024
I also realized it was time to move my studio home to my house. The open studio format was life changing and allowed me to share my work with so many people, but also that was too much for me to take anymore. I need to be less exposed for a little while. The move home also allowed me to refocus on the Bow Jackets, I wanted to get to 100 jackets. It was very hard to leave Midnight Lunch, i missed going there everyday but I knew I was too introverted for retail long term. I was excited to re-focus on bow jackets and content creation. I made bow jackets until Christmas. The bow jackets got me through my birthday and thanksgiving, my first holiday season single again. But by christmas i had to stop sewing, I was so burned out, my hands and body hurt. I stopped right before Christmas at bow jacket no. 91. I was going to pick up after and get to 100 by 2025. I couldn't. A lonely Christmas took me down, I had to deal with everything i had been sewing away from all year. I have been on a break from bows since then.
Bow Jackets at the home studio Dec 2024
I have been resting my hands and figuring out how to take better care of them. I have working through all the heartbreaks that have gotten me here. I have been drawing and painting and dancing and laughing and crying. I have been doing lots of yoga. I caught up on custom projects that had fell to the wayside, but I wanted to keep the promises. I feel better everyday. I am so excited about the year ahead. I am ready to be very brave. Through my painting and drawing the bows keep reappearing, I asked the Cowgirl Mermaid what to do. It was time to get back to Bow Jackets. I am picking back up at jacket no. 92. Tik Tok is a stange world now after the election, instagram as well. I am excited to take to this blog as a way to diversify away from those platforms. I plan to do more IRL connecting again and also go to print.
Bow marker sketch Feb 2025
I think about the Bow Jacket customers and thank them soooo much. You helped me through the hardest transition in my life so far. I feel stronger and ready for phase 2. I think about all those bow jackets and how they were sitting around, distressed with traumatic memories. BUT Now they are one of a kind, covered in bright bows and living magical lives with magical people. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
See all the 2024 Bow Jackets here
Jacket No. 92 Drops Thursday Feb. 27th at 12pm (noon) MDT
LOVE > POWER
ALL MY LOVE, Courtney
