Often unappreciated, but never unnoticed - welcome to the show that celebrates Black contributions to fashion. Hosted by fashion educator Kimberly Jenkins, this five-part series explores moments in history when Black Americans demanded respect, challenged norms, built community and imagined the future - all through what they wore. From The Fashion and Race Database, Tommy Hilfiger’s People’s Place Program and Pineapple Street Studios.
https://global.tommy.com/en_int/collection/detail/-the-invisible-seam
episode 1: No Blueprint
They fell in love with fashion. They remixed looks, dressed our favorite characters, ignited the industry, took what others might’ve seen as scraps and made them beautiful. They carved out a space for themselves. Featuring Jeffrey Banks, Ceci, Romeo Hunte, Law Roach, Letesha Renee, Darnell-Jamal Lisby, Miko Underwood, Brandice Daniel, Jasmine Guy, Connor McKnight, Monica Miller, April Walker, Monica Morrow, Boz Bradshaw and Randy Cousin.
Syllabus:
- Throughout history, Black people have always had that “special sauce” that has created a style tradition that is uniquely resourceful and innovative. The book Stylin': African-American Expressive Culture, from Its Beginnings to the Zoot Suit takes us through that history.
- Black people have seen the influence of their style travel across the globe, and the book, How to Slay: Inspiration from the Queens and Kings of Black Style, provides a complete survey of how we “slay.”
- We all have a story about that certain thing we wore that made us feel special or seen. Dressed in Dreams: A Black Girl’s Love Letter to the Power of Fashion inspires us to remember what those things were, and explains how it’s vital in keeping our culture alive.
- When host Kimberly Jenkins had the opportunity to meet the late fashion legend André Leon Talley, he joined her at Parsons School of Design as she hosted a screening of the documentary, The Gospel According to André, in effort to give Talley his flowers.
- Fashion veteran Bethann Hardison also has a motherly connection to a “Different World” star referenced in our upcoming episode on HBCU style.
- How many Black fashion designers throughout history can you name? Podcast guest Elizabeth Way provides us with the much-needed book, Black Designers in American Fashion, as an essential reference guide.
- Guest Darnell-Jamal Lisby penned this profile on the admired Willi Smith and speaks about Smith’s design approach in this episode.
- The late designer Patrick Kelly showed Black fashion design hopefuls just how far you could make it in an industry known for being famously exclusive. Which is why we recommend the piece, “Patrick Kelly Was the Jackie Robinson of High Fashion”.
- A contemporary of our podcast guest Jeffrey Banks, along with the late designers Willi Smith and Patrick Kelly, our profile on Stephen Burrows celebrates the fashion designer who dressed our bodies to dance and move.
For a transcript of this episode, please visit fashionandrace.org/database/ep1-no-blueprint.
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