Jacket worn by Kevin Owens: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Red and black suit jacket designed by Tony Chase and worn by Kevin Owens in performances with Luther Vandross.

The body of the jacket is red and is covered with wavy strands of thin, red beads, which were sewn on. The jacket has a black collar and black lapels, as well as two black buttons near the center of the jacket. The shoulders and sleeves are covered in black and clear beads in geometric designs. The beads are different shapes and sizes, and so are the designs. There are beaded tassels in four areas near the top of the jacket. There is a black button in the center of the jacket and there are two black jetted pockets, one on each hip. The inside of the jacket is lined in black with a small repeating design of an oval with a horizontal line across the center. There is a white, rectangular label which reads [TONY CHASE] in black. The back of the jacket has more of the red, black, and clear beaded geometric designs. The designs start at the shoulders and go down the top third of the jacket. At the end of each pointed design there is a beaded tassel.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1980s
• Created by: Tony Chase, American, 1952- ca. 1990
• Owned by: Luther Vandross, American, 1951 - 2005
• Worn by: Kevin Owens, American, born 1955
• Type: jackets
• Medium: polyester, silk, rhinestone, plastic, and thread
• Dimensions: H x W: 31 × 22 in. (78.7 × 55.9 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Costume
• Topic: Rhythm and blues (Music)
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Object number: 2018.86.3
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Seveda Williams in Celebration of the Musical Legacy of her Uncle, Luther Vandross
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Unknown - Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.