The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art welcomes Hoosiers to explore a new exhibition dedicated to fashion designer Jerry Lee Atwood.
Cowboy Couture: The Fashion of Jerry Lee Atwood showcases the Indianapolis-based designer’s custom-made Western wear — including the flashy, embroidered suits worn by artists on red carpets and in music videos. Running March 28 through Aug. 2, the exhibition celebrates the artistry behind the pieces Atwood has created over the course of his career, according to a press release.
“Cowboy Couture is a stunning and unexpected exhibition that showcases how Jerry Lee Atwood has earned national and international recognition while continuing to live and create in Indianapolis, the city he proudly calls home,” Kathryn Haigh, Eiteljorg President and CEO, said in a statement. “His work reminds us that world-class artistic innovation isn’t limited to the coasts, it’s happening right here, in our own community.”
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Atwood initially began creating Western wear as a hobby, inspired by the cowboy-themed costumes country music stars wore on album covers and during onstage performances in the 1960s and ‘70s. He later turned this hobby into a career, founding Union Western Clothing with business partner Joe David in Indianapolis in 2013 to design custom-made suits for special occasions, featuring embroidered designs telling the wearer’s story.
Celebrity stylists eventually discovered Atwood’s work through Instagram and began commissioning him to design suits for their clients, according to a press release.
Atwood’s celebrity clients have included Post Malone, who wore an Atwood blue eagle-talon suit to the 2017 American Music Awards; Lil Nas X, who wore a fringed Atwood suit in the 2019 music video for “Old Town Road.” Atwood and his studio also appeared in a 2021 Vogue magazine spread.
Cowboy Couture examines Atwood’s creative process through photographs and design sketches, including a vignette with items from his Indianapolis studio. The exhibition features a selection of suits Atwood has designed, each with his distinctive chain-stitch embroidery style, connecting classic country music looks with the pop culture of the American West, according to a press release.
“I hope that people walking into the exhibit will appreciate the historical context of it, but also the lasting power of this style of suit, and see up close all the work that goes into it,” Atwood said in a statement. “Fashion at its core is art. Actual tailored suits and clothing are as much art as is a painting — especially since everything I make literally starts with a drawing. I really want people to see that whole process.”
Throughout the exhibit, guests will learn how Atwood’s work calls back to 20th-century western wear designers — such as Nudie Cohn and Nathan Turk, who designed elaborate rhinestone outfits for country music performers — and to earlier examples of 19th-century Native and vaquero attire.
Cowboy Couture will host supplemental programming alongside the exhibition, including the following:
- March 27, 6-8:30 p.m. — VIP Night, featuring an opportunity to meet designer Jerry Lee Atwood and get an exclusive look at the Cowboy Couture exhibit.
- March 28, 10 a.m. — Exhibition opening, featuring Atwood and Museum curators leading guided tours through the exhibit, discussing stories behind each of the pieces.
- April 18, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. — Designer Amber Gyselinck will lead guests in a workshop to create their own bolo ties.
- July 3, 5-7 p.m. — Saloon Night, featuring a Western-themed concert with line dancing and local band the Indy Annies. Admission is free.
Cowboy Couture: The Fashion of Jerry Lee Atwood runs from March 28 to Aug. 2 at the Eiteljorg Museum. The exhibition is included with general admission. For more information to register for VIP Night, Saloon Night and other supplemental programming, visit eiteljorg.org/events.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe has a bachelor's in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and has previously worked for Indy Maven, The Lantern, and CityScene Media Group. In her free time, Chloe enjoys live theatre, reading, baking and keeping her plants alive.
