'A Moment to Breathe.'
Navigating grief through craft, why the bindi matters, exploring Latin American fashion and fashion academics who stand up against racism.
Hello everyone,
This week’s newsletter coincides with the start of the trial of Derek Chauvin, the police officer accused of – and responsible for the untimely death of – George Floyd. It shouldn’t take the senseless, bias-based death of racialized individuals for platforms like The Fashion and Race Database to become popular, or for the voices crying out for human decency to finally be heard. But, here we are.
The Fashion and Race Database is, unfortunately, indebted to George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others who have died at the hands of race-based and systematic violence. It wasn’t until there was the confluence of a pandemic and witnessing the “evidence” of Black people dying on our smart phones last year that corporations, institutions and the general public began to address this in an active way.
In my own experience since last June, I was overwhelmed with interest in the re-launch of the database, and I was especially sought out for consulting work with numerous companies and institutions to address issues of diversity and inclusion. I’m dismayed that, as I write this in March, progress has been slow going. There’s been stagnation, as a result of unreadiness, risk aversion and simply a lack of buy-in. I meet with the task-forces designated by those companies and institutions to work on matters related to racism, “blind spots,” and a general lack of inclusion, and, more often than not, these individuals are either (or both) racialized, gendered, and hold limited power.
To put it bluntly, the individuals shouldering the bulk of “the work” are women and, often, racialized women. While I try to maintain my optimism and manage my stamina in bringing about real, lasting, change, those with the greatest amount of privilege (I’m looking at you, visionary leaders) need to front these efforts – and that means getting their hands dirty and building new models.
The title of this week’s newsletter, ‘A Moment to Breathe,’ borrows from my colleague, artist and educator Mia Wright-Ross, who let me know that she had a new installation about to open at the Museum of Arts and Design – you can learn all about it towards the end of the letter. I think the title truly speaks to this moment we are living through, and the historic trial that started yesterday. Additionally, we are exploring the nuances of Latin American fashion, revisiting the bindi, and turning a spotlight on a collective of concerned academics who are seeking to address racism in fashion schools in the UK.
From The Library: Contemporary Latin American Fashion
This week, FRD Researcher Laura Beltrán-Rubio is exploring Latin American fashion through various sources that attempt to survey and bring nuance to this broad topic.
The word “fashion” is often thought of as a “misnomer” in Latin America. Paradoxically, Latin American fashion has become more and more desirable around the world. Latin American designers have become increasingly visible, even when they have had to face economic, political, and social crises in their home countries. Latin American garment workers, on their part, produce what is worth billions of dollars in clothes for the global fashion industry. And for Latin Americans around the world, fashion is a tool of resistance and identity construction. This reading list offers a variety of angles from which to understand contemporary fashion in Latin America.
The Migration of Fashion, Part 2: Intersections of Fashion, Race and Identity by Sandra Mathey García-Rada (Open-access Articles)
Fashion Culture | The Venezuelan Diaspora and Fashion by Maria Eugenia Escovar & Mónica Sordo & Yliana Yepez (Lectures & Panels)
meXicana Fashions: Politics, Self-Adornment, and Identity Construction by Aída Hurtado & Norma E. Cantú (Books)
9 Popular Fashion Trends That Have Roots in Latin Culture by Anna LaPlaca (Open-access Articles)
Made in Mexico by Remake (Films & Documentaries)
‘The Library’ and the ‘Reading List’ is where we collect and organize countless educational sources all in one place. Referenced by educators, students, fashion enthusiasts and curious minds, this multi-faceted repository provides an expanding selection of tools for learning about all matters connected to fashion, appearance, power and the impact of ‘race.’
Do you appreciate our content and research? Learn about our sponsorships or support us with a one-time or monthly, sustaining donation!
Objects That Matter: The Bindi
An object often appropriated and in need of broader understanding in terms of its significance, we revisit guest contributor Kanika Talwar’s profile of the bindi:
The bindi is a colored dot worn on the center of the forehead. The etymology of the Hindu word “bindi” derives from the ancient Sanskrit word bindu, meaning particle or drop. All over the Indian subcontinent, the bindi is referred to in other languages as kumkum, sindoor, teep, tikli or bottu. Made from vermillion powder and sindoor, people of South Asian descent wear the bindi to signify their marriage status or as a cultural symbol. Children and single people are also known to wear the bindi. Sometimes, parents will mark their babies with bindis to ward off the evil eye.
Read on about this powerful, wearable symbol.
'Objects That Matter' gathers numerous fashion objects outside of the Western lens and provides a brief history, showing why they matter, as many of these items have been widely appropriated or referenced.
The Directory: Fashion Academics Creating Equality (F.A.C.E.)
About F.A.C.E.:
FACE is co-founded by Sharon Lloyd, Course Director Southampton Solent; Pascal Matthias, Senior Teaching Fellow at the Winchester School of Art and Andrew Ibi, Course Leader Liverpool John Mores University.
Formed to challenge the lack of Black and Brown academics in the system, which directly impacts the experience of all young creatives but especially Black and Brown students, FACE demands acknowledgement of the contribution of Black culture and creativity, to history, society and to fashion.
Visit the F.A.C.E. website from our Directory page and familiarize yourself with their aims and mission.
The discourse on fashion and race threads through a vast network of like-minded endeavors. ‘The Directory’ catalogues other sources of information and inspiration.
The Calendar: ‘Mia Wright-Ross: A Moment to Breathe’
About the installation, running March 26-April 11:
An art installation in The Theater at MAD combining leather tapestries, performance, film, and the rhythmic beats of a sewing machine needle, A Moment to Breathe examines the healing process as it relates to grief—familial, ancestral, and global—and the instinctual commitment of a craftsperson to create through sorrowful experiences. The installation challenges viewers to reconnect to the humanity behind luxury craft, value artisanship as a skill for meditative healing, and realize the necessity of the Black African American artisan.
Two of the artist’s monumental leather tapestries and a large sewing machine will be on view alongside film produced with collaborators Akeema-Zane and Starnilas Oge. At select times, the artist will be present on stage working at the sewing machine, giving audiences an immediate experience of the artist’s journey as she creates representations of grief’s weight felt through personal and collective consciousness.
To ensure safe social-distancing, up to ten persons may view the installation at a time. A Moment to Breathe is on view Fridays through Sundays from March 26–April 11, and the artist will activate the installation on April 2 and 9 from 6–7 pm.
About the artist
The Museum’s ninth Artist Fellow, Mia Wright-Ross is a leather artisan, designer, educator, and entrepreneur. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Wright-Ross studied art from the early stages of her youth and continued her exploration through her studies at Parsons School of Design.
Visit the dedicated page for this installation on our Calendar for more information.
A global network of events, conversations and opportunities will continue to evolve the discourse on fashion and race. ‘The Calendar’ remains on the pulse and keeps you looped in.
That’s it for now. Please stay safe and we’ll see you next week.
Yours in service and solidarity,
Kim Jenkins
The Fashion and Race Database Team: Rachel Kinnard, Daniela Hernandez, Kai Marcel, Laura Beltrán-Rubio and Anthony Palliparambil, Jr.