Choosing the Motif
First, I gathered ideas and finally decided on the crocodile with pink sunglasses and feather scarf — bold, unique, and perfect for the Florida theme.
Keep Calm and be yourself.
A Wearable Art Piece by Jana Menzi
The Vision
Art doesn't belong on walls.
Art doesn't belong on walls.
It belongs on you.
What if the most radical act of creativity was not hanging something in a gallery, but wearing it on your back? Jana Menzi's crocodile jacket asks exactly that question — and answers it with every brushstroke.
Fashion has always been self-expression, but wearable art takes that further. It turns the body into a canvas and the streets into a gallery. Everyone who sees this jacket becomes an audience. Everyone who wears it becomes a statement.
This jacket began its life as an ordinary denim piece. Through upcycling — that most sustainable of art forms — it was transformed into something extraordinary. Nothing was wasted. Everything was elevated.
"Mein Projekt zeigt, dass Kreativität viele Formen annehmen kann. Sie beschränkt sich nicht auf Leinwände, sondern kann auch tragbar und praktisch sein."
— Jana Menzi
Upcycling.
Sustainability.
Self-Expression.
The Process
12 Steps to Wearable Art
Preparing Materials
Then I gathered all the materials. Jenny had every textile paint I needed, and I picked extras like tulle and glitter for the special finishing touches.
Laying Out the Motif Full-Size
Before painting, we printed the motif at full size and laid it on the jacket — checking proportions and how everything would sit on the canvas.
Masking and Priming
I taped off the areas that shouldn't be painted. Since my jacket was white, Jenny suggested priming the front with turquoise and pink — a deliberate contrast to the back.
Tracing the Design
I hatched the back of the template with charcoal and pressed it onto the jacket, tracing the shapes with a pencil — leaving faint guideline marks to follow.
Painting the Front
With the outlines in place, I began painting the front — starting with the background sunset and mangroves, then working step by step toward the foreground.
Painting the Back
I transferred the crocodile motif again with charcoal and built it up layer by layer — pink sunglasses, feather scarf, every scale by hand.
Touching Up
The charcoal had left traces on the fabric, so I carefully painted over those areas — preventing dark shadows from showing after washing or being heat-set permanently.
Final Flourishes
The special touches: glitter dots on the sunglasses and one sleeve, plus a hand-sewn glitter curtain at the empty front pocket.
Sewing
Attaching the pink tulle to the shoulders was trickier than expected — the thick denim broke threads and I once accidentally sewed a sleeve shut.
Heat-Setting
Jenny took care of the heat-setting — 30 minutes per spot would have meant over three hours, so she ran the press alongside other tasks to permanently fix the paint.
Washing
Finally I washed the jacket to officially complete the project — the test of whether the paint and heat-setting would truly hold. The colours now glow exactly as I had imagined.
The Details
Explore Every Brushstroke
Click the hotspots to discover hidden details
The Artist
The Artist
Jana
Menzi
A young creative from Degersheim with the rare gift of seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary. Jana first attended Jennifer's children's painting class at the age of six — Wednesday became her favourite day of the week.
With this jacket, she proves that art school is no prerequisite for creating work that makes people stop and look twice. Her instinct for colour, composition, and storytelling is entirely her own.
"Ich bin echt froh über das Ergebnis, weil die Jacke einfach was ganz Besonderes ist."
— Jana Menzi
Mentored by
Jennifer
Jennifer
Gehr
Jennifer Gehr is a versatile artist with a distinctive style. In her studio she works with oil and acrylic paints, but deliberately goes beyond the canvas — her hand-painted denim jackets, made from second-hand pieces, transform old garments into true one-of-a-kind works.
With these wearable artworks she has shown at international Fashion Weeks just how boundless creative expression can be. Jennifer embodies courage for individuality, creative freedom, and the merging of different art forms — and it is precisely this spirit she passed on to Jana.
The Gallery
The Collection
