My name is Jennifer Jensen.
I began my career as an artist in the dance world performing, choreographing and making costumes in San Francisco in the 90s. I opened The Labyrinth Shop in 1994, on 22nd St. at Guerrero, designing a line of Hemp clothing, reclaimed fabric clothing and Upholsterwear, while making costumes for dance performances. In addition to designing Labyrinth clothing and running the shop, I regularly staged fashion shows, around the city, at downtown clubs and outdoor venues, like The Palace of the Fine Arts rotunda. I created 13 costumes for Robert Henry Johnsons afro-ballet fusion show, ‘Road to the Yellow Carnival’, performed at multiple venues, in San Fransisco and commissioned on Ballet companies, around the country.
Dancing and creating costumes for Onsite Dance Company’s show “Arena” at Theatre Artaud.
I Moved The Labyrinth Shop to Haight St. and began selling my hemp clothing line wholesale in New York, at the NY Fashion Boutique show & around the country in places like Woodshole, Marthas’ Vineyard, Los Angeles, NY.
Labyrinth AKA Jennifer Jensen, Lily Hotchkiss and Fong Lam, create 2 clothing lines, Labyrinth Hemp clothing and Limpet Upholsterwear, which was sold to thousands of people, over a 6 year period, managing to make a name for themselves in the early Hemp/ eco clothing movement and the beginnings of the young designer cutting edge, on the West Coast, that spawned a movement of fashion artists, that flourishes to this day.
Labryinth Feature from “Ooh La La” Fashion Segment
In 1999, after running Labyrinth for 7 years, I closed down the Shop and moved to Maui, to create the Art=Farm, in Haiku, Hawaii. Shortly after starting the Maui land project, I was hired, to make costumes for Robert Henry Johnson’s choreographed piece, “Thirsting” for the opening of the Oakland Ballet’s 2001 season at the Paramount Theatre. I traveled back to San Francisco for 2 months to create Five art costumes for the pop/rap group Zap Mama, singing live for 13 dancers w 26 costumes, *including masks and props, that went onstage September 14th 2001 for a two night run ( with 2 nights, 2 years later at the Yerba Buena Center).
My Costumes for “Thirsting” by Robert Henry Johnson at the Oakland Ballet, Paramount Theatre, 2001
Back On Maui, I helped write, design and perform in a collaborative interactive theater show, “Beyond Reality Strikes Back” a Star wars themed spoof on the Maui New Age scene. At the Art-Farm project, things were shaping up as I turned a raw jungle property, into a little piece of paradise, built and run entirely on solar power. Pursuing organic Permaculture practices for a food forest, communal living based on work trade exchange, property design with a focus on artistic, unique architecture and sacred geometry, The property was featured The Discovery Channels Destination America show, ‘Buying Hawaii’ the Maui episode ‘Jungle Fever’, in 2014.
Nuvo Architecture.
I produce a mermaid clothing line, in Bali with fellow designer LaLaSun, and make costumes and stilt walk for stilt troupe Show Surreal , and the beginnings of my current clothing line in her earliest form: Zoetique, a collaboration with silk artist Cudra Clover and soon after, Island Nuvo, the mother of NuvoTerre.
“Zoetique” hand-painted silk and hand-dyed bamboo fabric.
Island Nuvo ~“The Vest of Tales” hand dyed Bamboo w shibori highlights,
During my last two years on Maui, I was invited to participate in The Art=Mixx event at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center. In June 2012, my “Black & White” costumes went up at the height of the evening’s performance. Three tall goddesses float and sway amidst Escheresque video mapping, as part of the MACCs debut of their now famous Art=MIxx events, directed by Neida Bangerter and a team of creative geniuses.
Art=Mixx at the MACC.
Black and White ~ Art=Mixx.
In July of 2013, Island Nuvo unveiled her first runway fashion show as part of the MACC’s Art=Mixx Runway Event; collaborating with visual artist Jaisy Hanlon and video artist Josh Meredith, on the set and video backdrop. Jewelry and accoutrements by Rue Belle.
*The entire video of ‘Solstice Sheherezade’ Island Nuvo fashion show, can be found on the media page. Just Scroll down.
Art=Mixx Runway at the MACC .
In the fall of 2013, I moved to Southern Oregon where I began creating the NuvoTerre line of Art to Wear, collaborating w Glass bead Artist Leah Fairbanks on a two dress collaboration, coordinated w Leah’s glass bead art, for the art exhibit “Hands of the Maker II’ shown at a gallery in New Orleans, in 2016. I Created a Fashion and Photography exhibit, for Ashland Natural Medicine, consisting of Fashion designed from fabrics bought in Tanzania, Africa and My photography, from the bush tour of western and northern Tanzania, in 2017. I began selling my work at the art markets , Bellevue Festival of the Arts and Lake Oswego festival of Art and later at Markets around Ashland. I am currently selling my work at The Eugene Saturday Market/ Holiday Market w some future appearances in Southern California in 2023-24. Stay tuned.
