Statement Piece

Statement Piece

Author: Pineapple Street Studios | The Fashion and Race Database | Tommy Hilfiger May 4, 2022 Duration: 33:38
All white, top hat, Sunday best, black beret, denim - these have been tools of protest and catalysts for change throughout history. Now we’re unpacking the relationship between what we wear and what we believe. Featuring Angela Tate, Richard Thompson Ford, Elizabeth Way and Miko Underwood.  Syllabus:  What does anti-Blackness and anti-transness have in common? The groundbreaking scholarship in the book, Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity, reminds us that true justice must be fought at the intersection of race and gender. What did Black people wear when they were ready to make a political statement? Guest Angela Tate gives us an idea in her essay, “Fashioning the Protest.” Before there was Venus and Serena, there was Althea Gibson. Back in the 1950s, the tennis star made an impact when she decided to wear the same athletic uniform often worn by the White, tennis club elite. Guest Angela Tate introduces us to Althea Gibson's Tennis Whites as a pivotal moment in fashion history.  Historian Tanisha C. Ford’s award-winning scholarship in Liberated Threads: Black Women, Style, and the Global Politics of Soul shows us how Black women in the 1960s through the 1980s used beauty culture and their style of dress as a tool for liberation around the world. A material that has touched every one of our lives and holds a turbulent labor history, we provide a short profile of “Cotton,” locating its various origins, and how Black creatives are reckoning with it.  The book, Empire of Cotton: A Global History, is a bookshelf essential, as it provides a thorough survey of modern, global capitalism’s most necessary clothing material. Learn more about guest Miko Underwood’s journey through fashion and justice through her essay, “Red, White and Indigo: The Hidden Commodity of the Slave Trade” (published on Juneteenth) where we also include a link to her fashion film, Red, White & Indigo: The Untold Story of American Denim. For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://fashionandrace.org/database/ep3-statement-piece/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fashion educator Kimberly Jenkins guides listeners through a compelling five-part series titled The Invisible Seam, which meticulously traces how Black Americans have used clothing as a powerful language. This podcast moves beyond mere aesthetics to uncover stories where style became a tool for demanding dignity, subverting social norms, and forging resilient communities. Each episode focuses on specific historical moments, revealing a legacy of innovation and imagination that has profoundly shaped global fashion, yet often remains overlooked. The conversations delve into the deeper meanings woven into fabric and silhouette, exploring how personal and collective identity is expressed and contested through what we wear. Produced through a collaboration between Pineapple Street Studios, The Fashion and Race Database, and Tommy Hilfiger’s People’s Place Program, the series offers a rich, narrative-driven examination of culture and history. Listeners will find a thoughtfully researched and deeply human exploration of the intersection where personal adornment meets social change. The The Invisible Seam podcast doesn't just recount history; it illuminates the enduring influence of Black creativity and resilience, offering a new lens through which to understand the very fabric of American life and its sartorial expressions. It’s an essential listen for anyone curious about the true stories behind the styles we take for granted.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 8

The Invisible Seam
Podcast Episodes
The Connecting Thread [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:22
In this bonus episode, our host Kimberly Jenkins has reflective, candid conversations with designers Clarence Ruth, Megan Renee and Johnathan Hayden. They discuss their inspirations, trajectories and cultural influences;…
Loose Threads [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:10
Fashion academia and the fashion industry don’t often talk to each other, but that’s exactly why we have this podcast. In this bonus episode, Kimberly sits down with Randy Cousin, who leads The People’s Place Program at…
There Will Be No More Doors [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:04
When some of us go through doors, we take them off their hinges. What does the future of fashion look like, and how do we get there? Featuring Aria Hughes, Brandice Daniel, Law Roach, Randy Cousin, Ade Samuel, Connor McK…
The Best, The Brightest, The Dressed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:58
1900, 1987, 2018 - three moments when HBCU fashion culture expanded perceptions of being Black in America. We explore what it meant then—and today. Featuring Darnell Jamal-Lisby, Ceci, Jasmine Guy, Elizabeth Way and Moni…
Rhythm and Muse [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:59
When hip-hop’s popularity skyrocketed in the 90s and early 2000s, designers and stylists embraced—and dressed—their tribes. And the world took notice. Featuring Monica Morrow, Boz Bradshaw, Elena Romero and April Walker.…
No Blueprint [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:35
They fell in love with fashion. They remixed looks, dressed our favorite characters, ignited the industry, took what others might’ve seen as scraps and made them beautiful. They carved out a space for themselves. Featuri…
Introducing: The Invisible Seam [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:33
Often unappreciated, but never unnoticed - welcome to the show that celebrates Black contributions to fashion. Hosted by fashion educator Kimberly Jenkins, this five-part series explores moments in history when Black Ame…