Black Designers in American Fashion

This book explores the hidden histories of Black designers in American fashion, highlighting their contributions to building the country's global fashion reputation. It traces the experiences of Black designers from slavery to the Civil Rights Movement, showcasing their multifaceted practices and ongoing influence on American and global style.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 29 July 2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Black designers have made significant contributions to American fashion, yet their achievements often go unnoticed. This book, inspired by an award-winning exhibition at the Museum at FIT, delves into the hidden histories of Black designers during a time when discussions about representation and racialized experiences in the fashion industry have reached unprecedented heights.

Chapters by leading and emerging authors and curators explore how Black designers played a pivotal role in shaping America's global fashion reputation. From enslaved 18th-century dressmakers to 20th-century "star" designers, the book traces the evolving experiences of Black designers across different periods, including slavery, segregation, and the Civil Rights Movement.

Black Designers in American Fashion demonstrates that Black designers maintained diverse practices that continue to influence American and global style today. By intertwining fashion design and American cultural history, the book fills critical gaps in the history of fashion and provides valuable insights and context for students of fashion, design, American and African American history, and culture.

Weight: 764g
Dimension: 163 x 241 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350138469