The image of the Virgin of Guadalupe is one that is intertwined with Latinx heritage and her identifiable symbols have been appropriated as an expression of individuality, identity, and pride.
Akwete is a decorative cloth with complex weave designs, creating intricate geometric patterns, made with many vibrant colors. It is usually made into wrappers for women to wear and it is made by the Igbo women of Nigeria.
In a late 18th-century painting organized by skin tone, Agostino Brunias has depicted a range of colonial Dominican fashions from the wealthy elite to the poorest people whom they enslaved.
Willi Smith was the popularly renowned designer behind Williwear, a womenswear line that opened in 1976. He was known for his innovative blend of the newly-emerging concept of streetwear with high fashion.
Harlie Des Roches, a historical costumer and living historian, lays out some necessary historical truths about the Black presence in Europe and her own experience in living history.
This important painting of a Black Haitian deputy, once enslaved, commemorates his participation in the assembly that abolished slavery in France in 1794. He wears the tricolored uniform of a deputy of the French National Convention and only his gold earring speaks to his Colonial ties.
This dignified portrait by Diego Velázquez depicts his enslaved Black assistant, Juan de Pareja, who was a skilled artist in his own right.
This striking plaid ensemble designed by Elizabeth Keckley for Mary Todd Lincoln was on the cutting edge of fashion, but also in good taste – embracing the latest French trends while relying on a distinctively American plaid and minimal trimmings in light of the ongoing Civil War.
Patrick Kelly was the first American designer ever to be admitted to the Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter, which governs the French ready-to-wear industry. He unapologetically incorporated his Southern Roots, racial imagery, and expressions of Black joy into his designs; stating “I want my clothes to make you smile.”
15th century – Late Byzantine Silk Damask Dress and Taffeta Tunic
The Fez and the Ottoman Path to Modernity
1869 – Red Silk Dress
katazome (stencil printing)
1905 – André Derain, Lucien Gilbert