Black Fashion Fair – Volume 015 Images
Communities are not only a place of comfort for those within, but also a form of heritage through which those on the outside and outside understand movements and moments in history. Black Fashion Fair is one such movement, a community of black designers, image makers, and creatives, and like most great things, it was started by one person. 2016 Twitter thread.
Founder Antoine Gregory is a multi-talented fashion creative, stylist, and brand director who works to tell “the stories of often forgotten Black designers while documenting and preserving the past, present, and future of Black fashion.” Planned Top Shop. The influence of Black culture on broader culture and fashion society is immense, but Black designers are rarely allowed agency or ownership over their cultural milestones, instead obscuring creators and their communities. , he never limited his work to a specific audience.
The Black Fashion Fair is inclusive in its own right and aims to involve everyone interested in the contributions and influence of Black people in fashion, art, design and popular culture. Initially a directory, it evolved into a global community, and Gregory had plans to eventually become an organization. But for now, there’s a new book that aims to amplify the voices of those who have been historically erased from these stories.
Created with support from Warby Parker, Volume 0: Seen brings together a hand-picked team across 200 pages, including Atlanta-based photographers AB + DM, who serves as director of art and photography, to explore the world of black fashion. We shine a spotlight on black fashion, past and present. future. The book features work by established and up-and-coming creators, including LVMH Prize finalist Bianca Saunders, former Fashion Easter’s Mowalola Ogunlesi, Brandon Blackwood, and Hanifa’s Anifa Mvumba. It also features a wealth of essays and interviews with black writers, scholars, and activists. ricky bird And Bethan Anderson.
Presented by Black Fashion Fair
There are also three physical covers, two featuring supermodels Maria Borges and Aleya Ali (photographed by AB+DM), one featuring Joan Smalls (photographed by Kill Lemons), and more. Also includes a digital version by former Dazed 100er Amber Pinkerton. Inside, the editorial is brought to life through looks by esteemed Black designers, including Pyer Moss, Theophilio, Luar and Sergio Hudson.
At the launch of this publication, we interviewed the founder of Black Fashion Fair to talk about archives, imagination, and how the entire project came together.
Presented by Black Fashion Fair
Hello Antoine! You talked about the specific importance of this publication and the importance of bringing the spirit and values behind Black Fashion Fair to life into something physical. For example, why are IRL publications more important than online films or digital zines?
Antoine Gregory: [Because] When I went to bookstores and libraries, I couldn’t find any books about black fashion, style, or culture. There was nowhere else you could browse, explore, or find anything similar to what we’ve created here. In order for us to create value for Black fashion designers, artists, and image makers, there has to be something that can be touched, felt, and seen beyond the screen—art that can be communicated and shared. By being passed down, value is created not only as a physical object, but also as something that is discussed and carefully scrutinized by people.
Having a physical publication also marks the presence of an incredible, curated roster of talent, including up-and-coming models, established models, writers, photographers, and designers. There is something global and communal about the idea of not just who appears in a publication, but the physical, tangible objects that are passed down.
The publication has a truly global feel, featuring amazing creators, from fashion heavyweights Pyer Moss’s Kerby Jean-Raymond to British rising star Bianca Saunders. How did you decide who to include?
Antoine Gregory: I am proud to be part of the culture and community, but I also need to give AB + DM great support. We started by curating a list of people we thought were great but didn’t necessarily have the access or representation their work deserved, and built our list from there. We started filming in late November to December, so everything moved very quickly. I’m also very grateful to the designers I have personal relationships with for trusting us and lending us their clothes. Grace Wales Bonner lent me her collection for a while to take to Jamaica for a photoshoot. I think the implicit trust we have in the designers we work with speaks volumes about the community-driven organization we strive to be.
Presented by Black Fashion Fair
The international community you’ve built both online and offline seems vast, but there’s a lot of overlap. Have you seen a domino effect regarding communities based on or started by BFFs?
Antoine Gregory: Of course! All of the designers we profile are friends and collaborators, and we share various resources such as factories, embroiderers, and networks. There is definitely some kind of friendship where we support each other in every way as part of a family. If you look at Volume 0, all of our designers have worked with us before, we have long-term relationships of mutual growth and development, and we attract like-minded people.
It is noteworthy that unlike other fashion shoots where the photographer is on-site to execute the vision of the fashion editor or client, it gave the photographer free reign and full agency during the shoot. Masu. Why is it important to you?
Antoine Gregory: I wanted to give black image makers the agency to create the images they want to see. This is also based on mutual trust. I explained the theme to them and let them proceed with the production. The result is beautiful imagery that values Black designers and their work. This is the “Peyer Moss Couture 001 Collection, which spotlights inventions and innovations contributed by black people.” For example, “modern everyday life” was not only beautiful, but had such historical significance that it could be truly appreciated and captured through the lens of Black image makers. Because it was already out there, it wasn’t covered in any editorials, it wasn’t very mainstream. Note.
But similarly, Black designers and image makers are often stripped of agency because their work is seen as not for everyone, but only for Black people. . Being black is not a monolithic or universal experience. Some designers put blackness at the center of their work, others don’t, but both deserve to be appreciated and consumed rather than segregated and limited to black audiences. Masu. Valuing Black designers and image makers is about protecting and promoting their agency.
“Being black is not a monolithic or universal experience. Some designers put their blackness at the center of their work, others don’t, but there are many ways to box in and limit a black audience. rather, both deserve to be appreciated and consumed.” – Antoine Gregory
Why is storytelling like yours so important when it comes to Black art?
Antoine Gregory: Storytelling is what our people have always done. It was the only way to tell our history. Since we didn’t have a written history or physical archives, oral stories, at best, were the only way to preserve and pass on history. I decided that simply telling the story wasn’t enough, visual history was essential. When I was studying fashion in higher education, there wasn’t much mention of black creators, designers, and image makers in the curriculum, but it was something I had to research on my own time, and sometimes by chance. There were times when I stumbled.
For example, I first discovered Andre Leon Talley through Mariah Carey. Simply because I’m a fan of her music and he styled her during the campaign for her album ‘Mimi’s Liberation’. Mention of black designers is also limited in scope, always referring to either Patrick Kelly or Stephen Burrows, although there were countless other black designers beyond these two names. Despite their limited availability, Kelly and Burroughs’ work has not been archived or photographed as extensively as their white counterparts, leaving far fewer references available. I am.
Volume 0 of Black Fashion Fair chronicles the history of black fashion as it is happening in this moment. We’re not waiting for what’s happening now to be fondly remembered or archived 20 years from now. We exist while we have the space and opportunity to shine a light on amazing designers like Isaiah Rankin that most people probably don’t know about, as well as current designers that people are discovering today. Black designers of the past may have faded into obscurity due to the fact that no one was documenting their work at the time and the actual garments were not preserved, but storytelling , keeping those designers and their work alive in a way that stands the test of time. .
Presented by Black Fashion Fair
You mentioned your time in higher education and the lack of black people in your studies and around you. As a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, you have promoted educational initiatives through Black Fashion Fairs, including your partnership with the Brooklyn Sewing Academy.
Antoine Gregory: I graduated from FIT twice (Department of Fine Arts and Fashion Business Management). In both cases, I was one of only two or three black people in my class. From there, I knew that my experience would be reflected in my career. There were times when I was the only black person in the company. It’s no fun being the only person who looks like me and having to explain to my professor why Rick Ross is my professional reference.
My experience at one of the world’s top art and design schools inspired me to advocate for others who look like me to have the opportunity to occupy that space. Through a partnership with Brooklyn Sewing Academy, young and emerging fashion students can learn to sew fashion illustrations and create patterns for free. These are the types of skills that will help you develop a strong portfolio that is essential to getting through the door, and equality of access and opportunity is what we promote. Ultimately, we want BFF to become its own research documentation, teaching, and design institute. Our ultimate goal is to provide the types of programs that facilitate access to spaces from which we have traditionally been excluded.
What do you want people to take away from this book?
Antoine Gregory: This is a proof of concept. A lot of people needed it to exist because what we do and what we’re seen to do is important. This also serves as a call to action for the fashion industry. In compiling a 200-page directory full of black talent, including two of the biggest models of our time on the cover, there is no excuse for not being able to find black designers. Give black designers and image makers the opportunity to create and have ownership over their work. Volume 0 set the blueprint for where we want to go further as a publication and as an institution.
Presented by Black Fashion Fair
Source link
