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PEOPLE | APRIL 2024
Behind the Scenes of Our 2024 Artist Series
Each year, we celebrate a new group of artists with a limited collection that honors all the island life has to offer. For our 2024 Artist Series we selected seven artists from across the globe and asked them to create custom artwork that shows what Tommy Bahama is all about. Read on to get to know the artists, with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at each piece.
Growing up in Japan, Kayo Shibue was exposed to traditional Japanese artwork, architecture, ceramic, and printmaking techniques from a young age. She went on to hold various professions including athlete and editorial photographer before becoming an artist—and Tommy Bahama’s Senior Textile Designer. Kayo’s love of nature—lush plants, scenic views, and their unique movements—is ever-present in her vibrant and elegant work. In this print, she celebrates her Japanese heritage with canvas and pigments sent from Japan and, like many Japanese paintings commonly feature, an original artist signage stamp unique to her and her work.
Born and raised in Hawaii, Jana Lam is an artist, designer, and business owner. Beginning with a screen-printing workshop in her parents’ garage, she now has her own workspace and retail shop in the up-and-coming artsy neighborhood of Kaka’ako in Honolulu, where she creates hand-drawn, screen-printed textiles. Jana’s mission is to spread her love of color and design through her work. Continuing her signature process of paying special attention to color and movement, she selected the particular color standards for this print, creating a vibrant, energetic pattern that truly comes to life.
Born in Asunción, Paraguay, Susana Rubinstein Montes de Oca has had a passion for art since youth. After opening a craft shop with her sister, she educated herself in many different mediums and styles, from coffee-wood keychains to abstract painting. Many of Susana’s pieces reflect her emotions in the moment. For this custom print, she was inspired by Costa Rica’s national flower: a species of orchid that, according to local tradition, brings good luck and fortune. Created by using acrylic paint and blowing through a straw to move the pigments, this print makes for a striking and elevated design that waves elegantly with movement.
Crystal Worl is a talented multidisciplinary artist based in Juneau, Alaska. She is also a co-owner and designer of Trickster Company, an online gift shop focused on Indigenous art. Crystal is Tlingit, Athabascan, Yupik, and Filipino. Her artwork is diverse, ranging from traditional Northwest Coast design elements (known as formline) to contemporary multimedia pieces. Her work often explores themes of identity, connection to land, and the interplay between traditional and modern ways of life. In addition to creating art, Crystal is also an advocate for Indigenous rights and works to promote cultural awareness and understanding through her art. For this custom print, she began with the relationship the Tommy Bahama brand has with the water and created a bold and powerful interpretation of salmon, seals, and killer whales swimming together.
For Pittsburgh-based Jordan Bigelow, this is just the beginning of her fashion career. As a graduate of Kent State University, Jordan received a Bachelor of Science degree in Fashion Apparel Design and Fashion Merchandising. She has held multiple internships focused on trend forecasting, design, and fashion studies abroad. In 2022, Jordan was one of three winners in the Eric Emanuel x Fashion Scholarship Fund Design Challenge. She developed a graphic design that was featured on a limited-edition run of Eric Emanuel’s signature ‘EE’ mesh shorts. Jordan often draws inspiration from African wax print fabrics and ‘70s design aesthetics. For this print, she used pencil sketches and then a graphic design program to color and scale it, creating a bold eye-catching print that’s truly, uniquely, one-of-a kind.
A recent graduate of Parsons School of Design in New York, Ahmrii Johnson received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design with a minor in Sociology. Throughout her education, she’s had a great deal of experience in the fashion industry, interning with world-renowned luxury fashion brands. Ahmrii has also been the recipient of several prestigious awards and is a two-time winner of the Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern” Scholarship. For this eye-catching custom print, Ahmrii utilized paints on a wood board, creating a unique effect that allows for the wood-grain texture to be seen layered underneath the vivid tropical landscape.
A proud Georgian, Jeremy Kalteux is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Textile Design. The recipient of several accolades throughout his academic and professional career, Jeremy was a 2020 Fashion Scholarship Fund recipient. He is a dedicated member of various industry groups and is the president of the Fashion Design Association. For this custom print, Jeremy wanted to pay homage to his Georgia roots and was inspired by his fond memories of blossoming magnolia trees—but the love of his home state doesn’t stop there. Under the button placket is a small, woven label patch of a “Georgia Peach” for a little extra something sweet.
A Work of Heart
We chose these seven artists because of their strikingly unique styles and beautiful interpretations of the island life. Each design, in its own way, showcases the beauty of the world around us, of relaxation, of stopping and soaking in the moment. We love these pieces—and can’t wait to see how you wear them.
