BLACK DRESS II: HOMAGE @Pratt Manhattan Gallery

House of Zinda / Designer: Zinda Williams (2016) for Pratt Manhattan Gallery's exhibit Black Dress II: Homage

A decade after the groundbreaking Black Dress exhibition, Black Dress II: Homage returns to Pratt Manhattan Gallery, celebrating the creative force of Black designers in fashion. Opening in time for NY Fashion Week and Black History month, the latest iteration expands on the original exhibit's mission, showcasing a diverse range of work that intertwines artistry, history, and cultural identity. The scrapbooks of Clara Branch inspired curator Adrienne Jones, who was a long time mentee. The exhibit is co-curated by Rachelle Etienne-Robinson and features both emerging and established designers whose work redefines narratives in fashion. Keep reading for a look inside...

FROM THE DEEP IN THE WAKE OF DREXCIYA WITH AYANA V. JACKSON @NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN ART

The Self-Forgetfulness of Belonging Will Never Be Mine I as part of the FROM THE DEEP exhibit at the National Museum of African Art

Taking a break from school and work, we road trip to DC for the annual White House Egg Roll. While the boys took a moment to detox from the drive, I make a brief stop at the National Museum of African Art to check out the latest exhibit, From the Deep In the Wake of Drexciya with Ayana V. Jackson. Inspired by the 1990s techno band Drexciya, Anya V. Jackson presents a fusion of costume, sound, scent and video offering visitors a multi-sensory experience. Keep reading for a look inside.

The Story of Newark Fashion: Atelier to Runway @The Newark Museum

Installation view of The Story of Newark Fashion: Atelier to Runway @Newark Museum

With a glimpse of the iconic New York City skyline, the vibrant streets of Newark, New Jersey breed sophistication, craftsmanship and culture. In the mid-20th century, Newark's fashion repertoire emerges with designer Wesley Tank and milliner Emily Miles. Their innovative work paves the way for a burgeoning fashion scene and visionaries like Shavi Lewis, Narcisco Rodriguez and Jerry Grant. The Newark Museum's new exhibit, The Story of Newark Fashion: Atelier to Runway celebrates the evolution of the city's fashion scene, tracing its roots and paying tribute to its pioneers. Keep reading for a look inside... 

VIRGIL ABLOH "FIGURES OF SPEECH" @ BROOKLYN MUSEUM

What is Virgil Abloh? No, 7 (2017) photograph by Juergen Teller in Virgil Abloh "Figures of Speech" @BrooklynMuseum

Look here, look there--something fresh, something said. Something high, something low--all created with vision, passion and inspiration. Virgil Abloh "Figures of Speech" has landed at the Brooklyn Museum, after originating in Chicago and making stops in Atlanta, Boston and Qatar. With context, "Powerful" describes the installation honoring the last 2 decades of Abloh's legacy and "Considerate" describes the man being honored. A proverbial Jack of all Trades, Virgil Abloh shattered all limitations of "designer" or "artist," instead identifying as "Maker." Keep reading for a look inside...    

NEW DAILY PAPER FLAGSHIP ON DELANCEY ST

First Daily Paper Flagship in the Lower East Side of NYC on the corner of Christie and Delancey Streets

Survival of the fittest transforms the NYC retail landscape as a pandemic, civil unrest and a hotly contested election trigger store shutterings, job loss and an overall sales slowdown. Amid the chaos, a ray of hope has sprouted on the corner of Delancey and Christie Streets. Daily Paper, a brand founded by Dutch friends Hussein Suleiman (whose family is from Somalia), Abderrahmane Trabsini (whose family is from Morocco) and Jefferson Osei (whose family is from Ghana), opened its New York Flagship in the Lower East Side on October 24th. This is the first store outside Amsterdam for the Black-owned fashion brand. Keep reading for a look inside the captivating space...

WEDNESDAY WINDOW: BLACK FASHION DESIGNERS @FIT MUSEUM

[L] Patrick Kelly dress (F/W 1986) / [R] Duro Olowu ensemble (Fall 2012) at FIT's #BlackFashionDesigners exhibit ending May 2017

Adjusting to life in limbo--while on a fast train to a frightening future--has its ups and downs. Five seasons of Gossip Girl later, I'm finally securing socks + shoes at a reasonable pace and ambling towards an advanced state of lurking indoors. While unable to share street-side snaps at the moment, keep reading to see photos of the Museum at FIT's Black Fashion Designers exhibit I had neglected to post...

INSPIRING BEAUTY: 50 YEARS OF EBONY FASHION FAIR

Opening wall of Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair at the George Washington University Textile Museum

At a time when society supported segregation, Ebony Magazine founder John H. Johnson and wife, Eunice W. Johnson, afforded people of color an unexpected gateway to fashion. Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair at The George Washington University Textile Museum summarizes five decades of Fashion Fair, the cultural extravaganza that brought designer clothing to African American audiences. The exhibit, with stunning life-like mannequins donning relatable pieces by still-relevant designers, highlights how the essence of black beauty fared in the challenging climate of a Jim Crow society. Keep reading to see more...