My freshman year final draping project. I intended to create an outfit that addresses the current volatile political landscape in the United States through the denunciation of white supremacy, imperialism, and state sponsored violence. To do so I called on elements of my culture as an African American woman from Harlem, New York- incorporating stylistic elements from revolutionary Black social movements such as the Harlem Renaissance, The Black Panther Party, and Black Dandyism. I sought inspiration from the personal style of fashion icons @solangeknowles and @wisdm and famous Black Dandies such as @dapperdanharlem I also referenced my 27-page dissertation titled, “Fashioning Black Male Identity Through Personal Style: Global Trends of Black Dandyism” (2025). The use of denim and patchwork make reference to a history of resourcefulness under the system of chattel slavery while the red top stitching represents the bloodshed of Black people from the Transatlantic slave trade to the modern day. Through this outfit I highlight how Black Americans have used personal style and cultural translation as a tool of resistance against Western hegemony, despite the fact that “a man was lynched yesterday”…
