In the early 1970s, a group of Seattle textile and fabric artists formed Friends of the Rag, dedicating themselves to pushing the boundaries of what women and men might wear. In the 1970s and 1980s, the growing group appeared at events around Seattle, from art openings to philanthropic benefits. One outfit might be made from rubber and window screening, and another might be the artist’s idea of what a Martian might wear. Still another might feature heels containing flashing lights or be intended as an artwork even when not worn.

In this image, a Friends of the Rag artist wears a “computerized” jacket and headgear resembling a shower cap. “Computerized” likely refers to the jacket’s abstract design, not to any technological wizardry, but it appears that some of the fabric pieces may contain computer parts.

Caption information source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, December 11, 1975, page C7.
Caption information source: “RAGS: Fifty local designers push the art of dressing up….”, by Linda Lewis, Seattle Post-Intelligencer NORTHWEST, May 1, 1977, pages 6-9.