Out of the 6,000 dress objects in Columbia's Fashion Study Collection, which is dedicated to the study and research of fashion history, only 20 can be attributed to Black and African American designers. This imbalance is inexcusable, but not uncommon. As New York Times fashion columnist Vanessa Friedman observed in a recent op-ed, most major fashion and costume archives collect and display contributions from a well-known roster of white, Western designers donated by wealthy patrons and, in doing so, are preserving a biased history of fashion.This has created silences in most collections and perpetuates a cycle of what is collected and what is understood as having value.The menu above features the four themes of this exhibition that we urge you to explore: Expanding the Canon, Street Style, The New Luxury, and Taking Up Space. Below are articles that are meant to support this page's content. More articles will be added shortly. We truly hope this page and exhibition can be a learning opportunity that celebrates black style, artistry, and innovation.
