les pétroleuses
2025
Destruction, warmth, and transformation.
Les Pétroleuses quilted jacket is soft armor for the radical imagination - a reminder that sometimes we need to burn something down in order to begin again.
Inspired by the radical spirit of the “pétroleuses,” - symbols of unruly feminine resistance, vilified, romanticized, and largely misunderstood. These women were accused of setting Paris ablaze during the “Bloody Week,” the brutal final days of the Paris Commune (March 18 – May 28, 1871), when the French Army killed as many as 20,000 Communards.
selected readings:
Communal Luxury - the political imaginary of the Paris Commune by Kristin Ross
100% cotton fabric
100% wool batting
machine appliquéd
machine quilted
this piece was produced with fabrics from the “Washi Plus” collection by Ruby Star Society
as part of their Ruby Star Makers program.

