December Monthly Theme: Race and Retail
Since the rise and proliferation of department stores in the 19th century, retail spaces have provided both a stage for fashion and a portal for us to fashion our identities through the practice of shopping. Traditionally, what we shop for has been guided by the taste and schemes of professional buyers, shop owners, manufacturers, magazine editors, the modeling industry and so on. Yet by the 21st century, shopping has been influenced by influencers, and has broadened beyond our imagination by megabrands and endless websites. Throughout this entire timeline, the construct of race and trickle-down effect of colonialism has impacted the everyday experience of consumerism. Join us throughout the month of December as we examine both the confining and liberating aspects of race and retail.
-Kim Jenkins
Founder & Principal Researcher, The Fashion and Race Database