BLACK DESIGNERS IN AMERICAN FASHION

Elizabeth Way

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc., London, UK

Year 2021

Pages 184

Black designers have made major contributions to American fashion; however, many of their achievements have gone unrecognized. This book uncovers hidden histories of Black designers at a time when conversations about representation and racialized experience in the fashion industry have reached all-time highs. In chapters from leading and up-and-coming authors and curators, this book uses previously unexplored sources to show how Black designers helped build America’s global fashion reputation. From enslaved 18th century dressmakers to 20th century “star” designers, via independent modistes and Seventh Avenue workers, the book traces the changing experiences of Black designers under conditions such as segregation, slavery, and the civil rights movement. It shows that within these contexts Black designers maintained multifaceted practices which continue to influence American and global style today. Interweaving fashion design and American cultural history, this book fills critical gaps in the history of fashion and offers insights and context to students of fashion, design, and American and African American history and culture.