2013 Sleeveless Crop Top Featuring Jesus the Good Shepherd

Context

Christian imagery has long been a source of inspiration in fashion. Examples include angels depicted in advertisements, stained glass in the background of a fashion photoshoot, and models posed with their heads bowed and hands clasped in prayer. Since the 1950s, Christian imagery has become even more prominent in the fashion industry, moving from articles, advertising, and jewelry to inspiring designs and embellishing garments. Nuns’ habits, priests’ cassocks, and monks’ robes have served as the muse for numerous fashion designers. It is a trend that regularly appears and captures people’s attention and media headlines. Although Christian symbols became more common on the runway, it wasn’t until the 1990s that fashion industry started incorporating likenesses of Jesus, Mary, and Christian saints on garments. Designers Rei Kawakubo (Comme des Garçons), Kansai Yamamoto, and Gianni Versace broke this implicit boundary, and their bold collections were positively received. This opened the door for other designers to follow (Neal 2019). 

In 2013, fashion collections featuring Christian themes and imagery abounded. So much so that in an article entitled “Holy Spirit,” fashion editor Stephanie Hirschmiller proclaimed, “Come and praise the autumn collections’ reverent take on ecclesiastical grandeur.” She highlighted how collections by diverse designers–Vivienne Westwood, Sarah Burton (for McQueen) Dolce & Gabbana, Giles Deacon, and Givenchy—found inspiration in Christian history, including Cathedral mosaics and carvings, as well as illuminated manuscripts (2013, 239). None of these designers, though, included God or Jesus on their designs. However, that same year up-and-coming designer Karla Špectić showcased bold prints featuring Jesus in her “Faith” collection, which debuted at Australian Fashion Week. 

Object:

Three garments in the collection— a dress, a top (see Figure 1), and a skirt—featured Jesus the Good Shepherd, while an angel adorned a fourth. The focus of this analysis is the sleeveless, cropped top. On the runway, it was worn with a high-waisted bright blue mini-skirt with a midi-length floral lace overskirt in the same shade of blue and did not reveal the model’s midriff. However, if worn with low-rise jeans, one’s stomach would show. The image of Jesus the Good Shepherd wearing robes in hues of fuchsia and bright blue is centered on the bodice, which focuses attention on Jesus’s downward gaze and his carrying of a sheep on his shoulders. He appears humble, loving, and approachable. An interpretation reinforced by the bright colors that comprise this stained-glass print—fuchsia, purple, and a light sea blue. Rather than the traditional red, blue, and green of stained glass, which can often seem heavy and serious, Špectić’s choice highlights the proximity and accessibility of Jesus. This gentle Jesus adorned in bright colors and accompanied by designs featuring cut outs, lace, and sheer fabrics, gives the collection a youthful and exuberant sensibility. 

There are many symbols and images of Jesus in the Christian imaginary and Špectić selected one that aligned with the vitality and youthfulness of her collection. She did not choose an image of Christ Pantocrator ruling in the heavens or Jesus suffering on the cross. These portrayals of Jesus inspire and perhaps intimidate given that they exalt extremes—almighty power and ultimate sacrifice, respectively. Images of Jesus the Good Shepherd, though, highlight divine love and protection. They are rooted in biblical passages, including the popular Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” and the parable of the lost sheep recorded in Luke 15: 1-7 (see also Matthew 18: 10-14). The psalmist highlights God’s presence and provision for people no matter the circumstances, while the parable emphasizes the extent of God’s unconditional love. In Jesus’s parable, he explains:

“Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.’”

NRSV Luke 15:4-6

Given its “emphasis on the possibility of forgiveness and salvation for faithful Christians,” the Good Shepherd became “one of the most common images in early Christian art” (Grout and Dupertuis). Špectić’s choice of this image of Jesus matters. In the context of her collection, her updated brightly hued take on the Good Shepherd invites viewers to consider Jesus in the contemporary context, setting her apart from other designers who use more traditional portrayals. However, it’s important to note that Jesus is often depicted as white in fashion and Špectić’s collection does not challenge this common portrayal.

Designer 

While Špectić did not explicitly talk about how her personal views of Christianity inspired the collection, in an interview about it she highlighted her religious background and interests. “Growing up in Croatia, I was raised Roman Catholic, so religion played an important role in my upbringing. What fascinates me about religious iconography is the sense of power it represents. It’s a sense of belief and hope” (Mandybur 2013). The combination of Jesus the Good Shepherd imagery, exuberant colors, and the designs in her collection emphasize this sense of hope and possibility. Christian imagery has not appeared in Špectić’s subsequent collections, but in a more recent interview, she emphasized the personal and storytelling function of her work. She shared, “My ideas and stories have to come from within. From my own observations and feelings, which don’t include what others are doing or what is happening in the industry. These ideas are narrative-based and from my own personal experiences, influences, dreams, memories and personal likes” (Kovačiček 2020). While Špectić’s collection does not function as a “faith” statement in the same way as Christian T-shirt does for some people, it provided a way for her to express herself and make a statement about what “Faith” can be. 

Špectić’s bold designs—in color, shape, and content—constitute an important step in the history of how the Christian God in the form of Jesus gets on a dress and fashion’s increasing use of Christian imagery and holy figures. Will other designers follow her lead and incorporate Jesus into their designs or will they continue to shy away from the potential controversy?

Lynn S. Neal, Professor of Religious Studies, Wake Forest University.

1 August 2024

Tags: Australia, High Fashion, Jesus, Karla Șpetić, Lamb, Stained Glass

References:

Zoe Grout and Rubén R. Dupertuis, “The Good Shepherd in the Catacomb of Priscilla,” Bible Odyssey. Available at: https://sitemaps.bibleodyssey.com/articles/the-good-shepherd-in-the-catacomb-of-priscilla/. 

Stephanie Hirschmiller, “Holy Spirit,” British Vogue (October 2013): 239.

Tina Kovačiček, “Croatian-born Karla Špetić Building a Big Name in World of Fashion,” CroatiaWeek.com, October 7, 2020. Available at: https://www.croatiaweek.com/croatian-born-karla-spetic-building-a-big-name-in-world-of-fashion/. 

Jerico Mandybur, “Exclusive: Karla Spetic Q&A,” Pagesdigital.com, June 4, 2013. Website no longer operational. Quoted in Lynn S. Neal, Religion in Vogue, 191.Lynn S. Neal, Religion in Vogue: Christianity and Fashion in America (New York: New York University Press, 2019).