History
A Brief History
Based in the heart of Kansas City’s art community, Christel Highland’s life and artistic journey are undeniably modern while firmly rooted in the Renaissance.
Christel was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, the infamous cowtown, and home of Jesse James. Her Dad, a country veterinarian at the time, pawned his shotgun to settle the score with the hospital. Her nickname, “Christel the Pistol,” stuck. Daddy later became a well-respected P.h.d researcher spearheading pharmacological breakthroughs. Mom, with her Masters in Home Economics, taught “the Pistol” fine garment construction techniques beginning at the tender age of five. She also bred in Christel a great appreciation for fine art and aesthetics. Fiber arts were woven in Christel’s very being as her method for expression.
“Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable.”
— George Bernard Shaw
After studying theatre, dance, and creative writing in college, Christel carved out a career in the performing arts. She worked steadily in theatre and film as a costuming professional for over a decade, continuing to design for projects that feed her passion. A costumer and wigmaster, she toured internationally, created for the world premiere of Stand By Your Man: The Tammy Wynette Story performed at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee as well as the film About Schmidt starring Jack Nicholson.
Christel’s silk artwork is as unique as her story. Her cutting edge sculpture is lush, flamboyant, and architectural- tackling the most tender personal subjects in a colorful, humorous and unique manner. Christel’s silk paintings developed out of a hand-painted silk dress commission. These paintings range from thinly veiled very personal visual prose in the form of large scale figurative work to restrained, intelligent abstracts.
Christel Highland designs silk dresses for women with discerning taste and a well-developed eye for sensual balance. It has been said that her work is, “Classy yet provocative,” and she couldn’t have said it better herself. The idea behind every original Christel Highland design is to simultaneously reflect nature’s beauty, and honor the woman’s form all while disarming the beholder with simplicity, strength, and grace. It is a fine line that Christel thoughtfully walks with each piece.
Pistol Threads, weaves the fabric of past and the present, the spirit of the Great Tallgrass Prairie with the attention to detail of European couture. Pistol Threads was born in Nashville in 2001 after she made a special shirt for her friend, singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale. In 2008, after meeting Billy Bob Thornton when he performed with his band, The Boxmasters, she realized that her shirt designs could simultaneously have a home on musicians, ranchers, farmers, as well as the most beautiful women and men in the world with the elegance of design authenticity and the posterity inherent in the craft of old-world construction.
Embrace one of her garments “cut on the bias” from the finest fabrics, sewn with world-class skill, dyed (and sometimes painted) with passion and courage. It’s not just about how you look, it’s about how the garment fits and feels, and makes you feel something new…a sensual soaring power.
In addition to painting, and designing fresh threads in her River Market studio, Christel writes prose and poetry, makes sculptural fine art, models and acts, and raises her two little Pistols; Otto and Clive.
View Christel’s profile on IMDB.
“One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.”
— George Bernard Shaw
Christel would like to thank every person who has helped her develop her skill set by challenging her, helped develop her confidence by believing in her, and helped develop the brands. This includes writer and confidant Tom Ryan; web maestro Jase Wilson; designers Patrice Jobe, Chandler Simpson, Chrystal Wentling, and Luis Garcia; and the photographers whose work you find on this website: Ron Berg, Cameron Gee, Phil Peterson, and Daniel Laurine. A special thank you must go out to two of her favorite talented California girls: the always witty Marina Proctor for sharing her incredible gift of makeup artistry and hair styling, and Laura Brody for cutting and busting her hump and just being brilliant for the first round of samples. To all of you, and all of those not mentioned, Christel finds herself indebted. Thank you.
