Art as fashion

Well-known Dallas artist unveils new Deep Ellum showroom for inspiring upcycled fashion line

With the opening of his new showroom in Deep Ellum, Dallas artist Jerod DTOX Davies is looking forward to raising the visibility of his lesser-known work in fashion.

Long acclaimed in Deep Ellum and beyond for his murals, album covers, and more, Davies will now give a wider audience a look at his fashion line, Artwork for Humans, which he calls "wearable art that upcycles clothing and uplifts the human spirit."

His Artwork for Humans Showroom, at 3001 Canton St., will open to the public officially on Saturday, March 18.

Now in its sixth year, the fashion line was Davies' brainstorm as he shopped in local thrift stores.

"I was always buying on a budget, shopping in thrift stores," Davies says. "Regardless of the label on it, I could spot the quality of it. So I started flipping thrift store clothes."

Sometimes Davies would spy an exceptional piece, like a vintage London Fog trench coat with a stain or other visible flaw, and this sparked an idea: he tried painting over garment flaws to create wearable art.

As the idea developed, he brought his own identity as an artist to the clothing. The lines of the graphics he paints are simple, and he adds uplifting words and phrases to the garments, as well.

Davies says he wants to "take a beautiful (or not beautiful) piece of clothing and inject creative intent into it" by mixing the power of encouraging imagery and encouraging words. He calls himself "sadistically optimistic" and wants the clothing to affect more than just the wearer.

"After you see it or just pass by it, you’re left with the resonance of that clothing," he says.

It's also not lost on him that by working with thrifted clothing, he's helping to reduce the carbon footprint of the fashion industry. Globally, the fashion industry is responsible for 8 to 10% of global carbon dioxide output.

In his six years of creating his wearable art, Davies' garments have been favored by local musicians from Cameron McCloud to Erykah Badu, who wore a sweatshirt Davies created especially for her at her recent birthday party.

The new showroom is the next step for Davies, providing one space to display his art and another space for a "boutique" for Artwork for Humans. After the grand opening, he'll open the boutique on Sunday afternoons for walk-ins and on Wednesdays by appointment.

The grand opening celebration is set for Saturday, March 18 from 2 to 8 pm; it is free and open to the public.

Jerod Davies

Erykah Badu with Raekwon wearing Artwork for Humans.

Davies invites attendees to wear or bring a light colored hoodie, sweater, or jacket to the event and he'll "tag" it live at the party.

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Cool Deep Ellum shop named one of America’s best indie bookstores

Deep Vellum Books, independent bookstores in Dallas

Deep Vellum Books/Facebook

Dallas' Deep Vellum Bookstore claimed bragging rights as one of the 20 best independent bookstores in America

Dallas' Deep Vellum Bookstore is claiming new bragging rights as one of the 20 best independent bookstores in America, according to a new guide from Condé Nast Traveler.

The list was published in celebration of Independent Bookstore Day on April 25 — but every day can be Indie Bookstore Day when you're supporting your local shop rather than a national chain like Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Indie bookstores and physical media have been having a much needed renaissance in today's digital (and AI slop-filled) era. More than 400 new bookshops opened in 2025 alone, the American Booksellers Association reported, and local bookstores are welcome third spaces for many literature loving individuals.

Deep Vellum won the title as the best indie bookstore in the Lone Star State, outshining several other popular Texas booksellers. Located at 3000 Commerce St. in Dallas' Deep Ellum neighborhood, Condé Nast said the bookshop serves as "one of the country’s premier translators of contemporary global literature."

"As esoteric as its collection may seem, the bookstore itself makes exploration approachable," wrote editorial assistant Kat Chen. "Crack into a can of craft beer, gaze at the wall plastered with polaroids of smiling patrons, and tuck into an engrossing read on one of the tweed armchairs."

Deep Vellum was founded by Will Evans in 2013 as a community-focused literary arts center and nonprofit publishing house for diverse international literature, as well as local Dallas writers. The bookstore soon followed in 2015, and operations have now expanded to five publishing imprints that produce half English-original works and half international literature.

This mighty bookshop and publishing house has long proved its staying power even after its federal funding was axed last year. In early April, the organization revealed it would launch its inaugural Deep Vellum Music and Literature Festival from July 10-12, 2026.

"Through literary readings, author panels, spoken word, live music performances, and community activations this festival will bring voices from across Texas and around the world," a press release said.

Until then, Condé Nast provided some recommended reading for Dallas bibliophiles that want to check out some (new-to-you) literary and psychological fiction: Tram 83 by Fiston Mwanza Mujila (translated by Roland Glasser) and Miss MacIntosh, My Darling by Marguerite Young.

dallas indie bookstore deep ellum bookstores conde nast traveler