The leper jacket

This jacket draws inspiration from the story of Jesus touching the leper in Luke 5:12–16, a moment where healing occurs not through distance or spectacle, but through human contact. Though Jesus could have healed the man with a word, he instead chose to touch him publicly, confronting the social stigma surrounding leprosy and overturning the belief that the unclean could contaminate the holy. In this moment, holiness moves in the opposite direction: the purity of compassion restores dignity to the marginalized. The garment translates that narrative into a contemporary context, reflecting how people experiencing homelessness are often treated as modern “untouchables,” ignored, avoided, or perceived as unclean due to visible hardship and lack of access to hygiene or safety. Constructed from a distressed leather jacket layered with flannel patchwork and thick doubling of fabric, the piece echoes the functional layering common in survival dressing while avoiding caricature or exploitation. Scrap fabric as grime and surface distress allude to both physical hardship and the historical imagery of leprosy without directly reproducing it. Integrated thermochromic fabric activated heat allows the hood and shoulders to change color when touched, visibly recording warmth transferred from one body to another. In doing so, the garment makes connection visible, transforming touch into a moment of acknowledgment. What was once hidden, ignored, or stigmatized is brought to the surface, reminding viewers that the act of recognizing another person’s humanity can itself rewrite social narratives.