Theme for this month

Race and the Runway

Since the early 20th century, the theatrical fashion display stage–or what we commonly know now as the runway–presents itself to us as both the fulfillment of a designer’s collection and a mirror that reflects shifting beauty ideals and the cultural zeitgeist. Throughout (Western) fashion history, the runway has showcased models who embodied beauty ideals perhaps out of touch with reality, but symbolized a dream. Although the runway represents a mere snapshot of fashion as a performance, its impact and related business practices reveal a trickle-down effect of colonialism and racial constructs. Join us throughout the month of September as we examine the modeling industry, question who gets to be a “fashion design genius,” and the iconic fashion designs and editorial campaigns that revealed both the progress and regress of this trillion-dollar industry.

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Original photo by Valentin Angel Fernandez.

What’s been In The News
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New scholarship on FRD

Reimagining Family Reunion Memorabilia as Visual Archives

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Dotted across the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ front lawn in Richmond, Virginia, members of the Ford-Monroe family embrace in long hugs. It is mid-July and the sun is beaming. The group stands out with their matching green tote bags (Fig.1). Elders’ eyes light up as they are greeted by family. Teenagers with airpods reluctantly accept hugs. Younger kids eagerly run around the lawn—becoming fast friends with other kids their age. Strollers holding the family’s newest members are fussed over. It’s as if the heat from this hot day has no effect on making rounds to see family members. In total, there are about 40 people. With busy work schedules and family members coming from Central Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Maryland, the Ford-Monroe’s family reunions are treasured.

Similar family reunion weekend traditions are shared across the Deep South during the summer months by other families like the Tharpe and Thorpe family and the Mabry-Jackson family. The Tharpe and Thorpe hold their reunion every year in Macon, Georgia, while the Mabry-Jackson family meets every other year for a reunion. Their past reunions have been held in Orlando, Florida, Connecticut, and North Carolina.

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Native American Braids

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Description

Braids are formed by weaving three strands of hair in an interlocking pattern, starting at the nape of the neck and securing them at the end. They are worn traditionally by men and women of different Native American tribes across Turtle Island (otherwise known as “North America”) and carry spiritual significance for many individuals. [1] More broadly, braids communicate Indigenous identity, values, and beliefs. [2]

Braiding styles and usage vary significantly between Native American cultures and individual choices. For example, Blackfoot men have traditionally worn three long braids with a topknot, while women’s styles vary between loose hair and two long braids. [3] Plains Indian men often wear two long braids, and Kiowa men adorn their two long braids with fur wrappings. Kiowa women sometimes also wear two braids. Historically, Lenni Lenape women have been symbolized by their very long braids, and the stereotypes perpetuated by the white gaze have falsely claimed that they never cut their hair. [4]

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Fashioning Bad Bunny: A Mini Syllabus

Fashion, as an inherently political and expressly visible marker of identity, has been central to Bad Bunny’s performances in and beyond music.

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Does Freedom of Speech come at a cost for the Black fashion model?

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*Disclaimer: This research was conducted as part of the MA Fashion Studies program at Parsons Paris - The New School, under the guidance of Morna Laing. In accordance with New School guidelines, all interviews have been anonymized to ensure confidentiality. This academic paper is also an abbreviated version of my full research study. Due to word count limitations, direct quotes and references from interviews are not included.

I remember seeing Anok Yai open Prada’s Spring/Summer 2018 runway show, being the first Black model to do so for the Italian brand in the 21st century. She was establishing her status as a Black Supermodel alongside rising talent like Adut Akech, Alton Mason, and Mary Ukech. Someone at the top of her industry, representing people like me. Then one day, I saw her series of tweets explaining how she had been blackballed for speaking up for herself when working for a prominent Spanish clothing brand. At this moment, I wondered how speaking up for yourself resulted in punishment. My scholarly interest in representation and identity within the fashion industry made this the perfect opportunity to explore whether freedom of speech comes at a cost for Black Fashion models.

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Travel escapism and the exoticization of South America in American Vogue

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The 1970s was a decade marked by economic recession, laying financial pressures on multiple American citizens. Yet, crisis or not, the idea that “the grass is always greener on the other side,” as the saying goes, began to take hold. Within this context, magazines such as Vogue started to increasingly promote and represent exotic destinations, both through written travel features, and through advertisements created by airlines and hospitality companies worldwide, inviting readers to travel to far-off destinations, such as South America. 

Throughout the decade, South America is referred to in American Vogue as “unusually free,” “passionately wild,” “ancient,” and “dazzling,” alluding to warm tropical biomes, and painting it as a space of timeless allure, a fantasy carefully crafted for their readership. [1] These representations are rooted in exoticism, a practice that frames cultures as unusual, and radically different from the familiar, often reducing them to stereotypes serving Western fantasies. [2] Beyond the glossy pages and beautiful getaways, the magazine’s narratives also hide stories of self-exoticism, where Latin American companies themselves adopt and amplify these same stereotypes to appeal to foreign audiences, selling their countries of origin as lands of mystery. [3] Together, both dynamics illustrate the way in which Vogue has shaped and continues to shape Latin American identity for its readers.

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Interview with Artist Ojo Agi

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During the month of July, we are exploring one of the foundational elements of the construct of race—skin. To deepen our understanding of its significance, Lauren Bell, FRD’s Social Media Assistant, interviewed interdisciplinary artist, researcher, and educator Ojo Agi. Agi’s work critically examines identity, placemaking, and practices of care. In their conversation, Lauren asked about Agi’s artistic process, her journey as a researcher and educator, and how her work engages with identity—particularly through the lens of skin.

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Essays & Opinion

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