The Black Fashion Designers exhibition ad FIT displays the work of 60 designers, and shows their diverse perspectives which make fashion more creative and and inclusive.
These two garments immediately drew my eye because of their bold print and vivid colors. A 1940s silk garment made with kente cloth, which is a strip- woven fabric from Ghana and Togo. Apparently, it was originally worn to indicate royal or religious status. I believe the reason this was included in this exhibition was to convey the idea that these designers truly remained true to where they came from. African Americans have adopted the kente pattern as a pan-African symbol of their roots. The fact that it was usually worn by those with an upper level amongst society truly reflects the fact that the individuals who wore such garments wore them with pride and with their chin up. Personally, i found it so interesting that the curators acknowledge the problem of using race as a lens through which to view fashion design. As I was reading the FIT website, it came to my attention that even today, black designer make up only about one percent of the designers covered by VogueRunway.com, the most comprehensive online site for viewing collections from fashion weeks around the world. Again, this will be a very personal opinion, but it gets to me knowing that these designers who have such a strong, bold and beautiful cultural background, and transmit them through the art of fashion, till this day, do not get the recognition they deserve. It was a very beautiful exhibition that not only showed me these beautiful creations, but also taught me a lot about the challenges faced by black designers and how their experiences have changed over time. Also, it was amazing to see the differences in designs! Yes, they were all black designers who shared very similar roots, yet each of them had a way of conveying individuality and personal identification. I really loved it!
