DERROLES TAYLOR
New Orleans, LA
2023-2024 Grant That Collection 8 - A Wearable Art Collection
Grant 2015, 2016-2017, 2019-2020
Derroles Taylor is a textile artist and fashion designer whose mission is to create wearable art. She will use this grant to create 8 unique pieces of wearable art. The title for this collection - That Collection 8 - is a play on the slang term “that ate,” meaning “that was impressive.” “Each piece will be a storytelling dimensional illustration of inspirational life experiences,” says Taylor. Both the garments and the backdrops they’re displayed in front of will be 3-dimensional. She will use quilting, sewing, carpentry and painting to produce this inventive exhibit.
Taylor regularly uses her sewing and design skills to create commissioned pieces for Mardi Gras Indians, Mardi Gras Krewes, prom goers, brides to be, and more. She creates “pieces that blend traditional sewing and garment construction techniques with modern art and design techniques,” always with the intention “to push the envelope beyond what I have done in the past.” Reflecting on a collection of wearable art that she displayed in the fine arts world in 2019, Taylor says “I learned that the patrons of fashion and the patrons of art have very different perspectives. I see this project as another opportunity to link the two separate disciplines of fashion design and fine art.” A portion of her grant will be used for Branding Strategy and Marketing Coaching as well as implementing the expertise of a professional event planner for the gallery exhibit.
Taylor has been practicing fashion design and textile artistry since 2005. “My love for textiles started as a child, inspired by my grandfather who gifted me a sewing machine and a box of scrap fabric from one of his renter tenants.” She is inspired and influenced by the vibrant and diverse city of New Orleans. “I work primarily with fabrics such as silk, lace, and chiffon, but enjoy the layering of embellishments and adornments that are so common in New Orleans cultural attire.”
Taylor studied Business Management at Xavier University and Design Management at Parsons School of Design.
Derroles Taylor first joined the YAYA Guild in 2000.