Photos By Gail
Designer Grace Wales Bonner states, “the aim with Wales Bonner is to bring Afro-Atlantic Spirit to the idea of European luxury and elevate Black representation within fashion.” This white wool Tuxedo (2017) is inspired by the Pan-Africanist leader Haile Selassie’s crowning as emperor of Ethiopia in 1930. Continue reading Eye On Design: Wool Men’s Tuxedo By Grace Wales Bonner
Photos By Gail
Artist and designer Beau McCall uses buttons to tell stories “about African-American life, love and experience,” noting “buttons are universal. There are those that express class differences, political views, and cultural issues.” His jacket, The Revolution (1995) communicates black American Afrocentricity through the colors of the pan African flag.
Continue reading Eye On Design: The Revolution Levis Denim Jacket By Beau McCall
All Photos By Gail
The most acclaimed garment from John Paul Gautier’s fall 1995 collection were his colorful, Hooded Jumpsuits. The printed dot patterns, shaded and sized to follow the shape of the body, were computer generated.
Continue reading Eye On Design: Hooded Jumpsuit By Jean Paul Gaultier
Photos By Gail
In 1970, fashion critic Bernadine Morris wrote that designer Stephen Burrows maintained “an absolute disregard for all the established laws of color. Does a dress have a red top? He’ll make the sleeves lime, the middle peach – and he’ll add orange stockings for good measure.”
Continue reading Eye On Design: Multicolor Stripe Rayon Dress by Stephen Burrows
Photos By Gail
Pauline Trigère (1908 – 2002) was a Franco-American couturière. She was most famous in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s, and designed novelties such as the jumpsuit, the sleeveless coat, the reversible cape and the embroidered sheer bodice. She reinvented ready-to-wear fashion, matching form to function with bold prints and architectural silhouettes to create a distinctly modern female aesthetic.
Continue reading Eye On Design: Multicolored Checked Cotton Dress By Pauline Trigère