Today we’d like to introduce you to Karl Jacobs.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in Brockton (nickname Broke-ton), Massachusetts. Thought the town itself was very poor as a child, I enjoyed every minute of being there. My imagination turned my old, run-down, industrial hometown into a shimmer kingdom! Abandoned houses and condemned factories were my playgrounds.
Throughout childhood, I would always use whatever was at my immediate disposal to create the things I wanted or to become the person I wanted. Whether this meant creating Barbie couture out of old t-shirts and my sister’s hair scrunchies or using my mom’s fur coat to pretend that I was Glenn Close as Cruella DeVil I was determined to surround myself with glamour and goofiness.
For me creating was always the number one priority and a perfect escape from whatever nonsense went on around me. We moved around so very much that I felt that creating art was the only thing I had any autonomy over. I would often tune the world around me out entirely by either making art or reading fairytales. The idea of a certain activity or book being able to transport me to a new realm in seconds was and still is highly appealing to me!
Coming from a Jehovah’s Witness family there was a long period of time where holidays were not allowed in my life. For the most part, I didn’t care, but not being able to dress up on HALLOWEEN really messed with me! Especially when I saw the cheap and ugly costumes other kids would wear to school. I would just think of how much better I could have executed those looks if I was allowed to celebrate with them. These days the production value of my Halloween costumes gets bigger and bigger and I dress up throughout the entire month of October to make up for all the lost time.
My mother bought me my first sewing machine when I was ten and from there I was UNSTOPPABLE!! She saw early on that her boy was gonna create no matter what she could get his hands on so he may as well have the best materials to work with. She’s always been awesome like that! Wherever we moved she made certain that I was enrolled in whatever art programs were in our community. This led to me attending the Governor’s School for the Arts in Norfolk, Virginia back in high school. That was when I realized how much more I could do with my artistic abilities. I was 14 years old and taking welding and film classes and it was like artist Disneyland for me! I even went on to get adopted by two of my art teachers there while my family moved back to Massachusetts.
Later on in life, I went on to become a preschool teacher. I would teach full classes all week during the day and do drag performances and run my costume boutique by night. It was so very exhausting and so very rewarding at the same time. I loved every second of it! Often I would find my drag and costume life crossing over to my life as a preschool teacher. I would bring old wigs, sequins fabric, costumes and ostrich feather boas to class and let my students do whatever they wanted with them. And sometimes I’d plan certain arts and crafts activities for them to make their own creations out of the old drag.
After an eight years career in teaching, I decided to move to LA and actively pursue a full-fledged career in costume design which happened MUCH faster than I thought it would once I arrived! Turns out when you make well-constructed, shiny garments word spreads fast and people catch on. I found myself undergoing my own personal renaissance of sorts. As much as I had always loved creating and designing costumes and fashions, I found myself falling head over heels IN LOVE with it all over again! The creation of each and every garment became its own adventure and I became and eager voyager in the process! I’ve always loved creating with new materials and being challenged to learn new skills or use existing skills in innovative ways. When it comes to art and fashion/costume design, I never want to break things down to an exact science or have it all figured out. I want to continue learning and doing different things with my art because that curiosity is what makes me fall in love with it each and every time.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No journey worth taking is without obstacles. There were and still are very many bumps in the road regarding my own journey as a Black, queer designer and performance artist. At a younger age, these hardships were more internal via homophobic relatives and family telling me that art was a frivolous career pursuit. But outside of family, I realized that others out in the world who don’t know me as well wanted to see me hurt or beneath them because of my race AND my queer identity.
While navigating queer, Black creativity I was met with non-stop elitism regarding the art I chose to make. Often I’d be asked potential employers or professors why I was interesting in sculpture, special effects makeup or costume design.
In one particular instance in 2018, I was scheduled for an interview at Muto-Little (a costume workshop based in LA). We exchanged several emails each one expressing more excitement than the last pertaining to the portfolio, cover letter and resume I conveyed to them. When I went to my scheduled interview on my way to the interviewer’s office, I was stopped on the stairs and asked what I was doing there. I explained that I had an interview and that I had sent a portfolio, resume and cover letter in prior to my arrival. The same interviewer who expressed such excitement to meet me in our email exchange had now begun to ask me questions such as “What made you move to LA and not Atlanta?” and “Have you thought of doing costume work on shows like Empire or Blackish? Ya, know? Shows with a predominantly black cast?”.
I instantly explained to her how none of those questions had been appropriate or relevant as far as the body of work I sent was concerned. I went on to ask her “So you believe designers should only be employed on programs the consist of casts that resemble them the most? Are you telling me you don’t hire Black designers?”. She tried to indicate to me that this was not the case, however I pointed out the fact that I hadn’t seen a single Black staff member on my way in or while heading upstairs. After she continued to try and justify her problematic inquiries she extended her hand to me to shake hands good-bye at which point I denied her said handshake and I showed myself out.
It was at this moment that I realized how much harm can really be done in non-diverse spaces even within the arts. I was used to it in the education field, in the corporate work environment and casually on the streets at times. But this was an especially pivotal encounter because it was the first time my art had been weaponized against me simply because of my skin color. Up til then costumes, sewing, and creating had always been what I used to escape those harsh racial realities and for the first time, it was my pursuit of employment in those fields that led to this adverse experience.
After I processed what had occurred that day, I told myself that no one will ensure the safety and success of Black artists the way WE ourselves will. We deserve better than to be rejected or tolerated in areas and domains in which others are revered and embraced. So I resigned my teaching career, withdrew my savings and began investing in the Plastique Boutique, a Black-owned & Black operated costume design workshop and fashion boutique. I am proud to say that after two successful years, we have gained the interest of such names in fashion as Heidi Klum of Project Runway and Victoria’s Secret as well Vogue Magazine and top-selling girl group TLC! I’m profoundly blessed do what I do and more importantly, to not have to place anyone beneath me to do it.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Plastique Boutique story. Tell us more about the business.
While specializing in sparkly apparel, avant garde costume and drag fashion (to name a few) Plastique Boutique also produces special effects makeup appliances, custom mermaid tails, fashions for carpeted events and/or live performances (including burlesque) as well as set designs, sculpture and puppetry! What sets Plastique Boutique apart from all the rest is that it’s ALL done here and it’s such a fun process no matter what the task! It’s a beautiful, busy life and I wouldn’t have it any other way! As of now, I am most proud of my company’s Vogue Magazine feature for Billy Porter’s recent Met Gala Challenge! It showed me that even in times as dark as this creativity still shines on through it all. If someone told me that VOGUE would reach out to me in the middle of a global pandemic, I would think it was an elaborate prank.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’m such a meticulous person that even my luck has to fit in wherever I can schedule it as opposed to just happening to me. While the universe unfolds as it wishes, I’m not always as patient as others and I very much believe in curating my fortune carefully. If I know, I gave it my absolute best effort and did what I intended to do creatively and then some then I trust that with tenacity and quality my work will be seen and appreciated.
Pricing:
- Custom Crystal Jumpsuit = $450
- Custom Crystal Trench Coats = $550
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plastiquepussey/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZmVU3mEt4cgN4K8w542BKA
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