1978-1984

Man's Bow Tie

American, 1893 - 1984

To create his intricately embellished garments and accessories, Charlie Logan layered fabrics, embroidered with thread from unraveled socks and other textiles, and incorporated found materials such as charmlike buttons and coins. His expressive costumes, which the Saint Louis artist wore daily, are strongly connected to African American folk aesthetics. They were also very personal, with letters, numbers, and shapes that reference people, beliefs, and dates important to him; he said, for example, that this H and N on the bow tie stood for heaven, while the numbers on the pockets were an anagram of his birth year.