| abstract |
This dissertation project is a historical journey of Black Apparel Designers and their contributions and influence on American society. From 1850 to the present, twenty Apparel Designers, seven Influencers and four Entertainers are used to represent Black impact and influence. Through contributions by craft and design, Black Apparel Designers in America have carved their existence politically and socially. Fashion Design has always been a documental historical tour de force in every society since the beginning of time. Through Apparel Design we can document American history from the Black perspective and show the importance of that contribution. The reason for delving into the Black experience through Fashion lenses is because of its relevancy and the lack of it's coverage in American history. The story has yet to be told in its fullness. The pieces of the puzzle of American history must be learned for the completion and the mending of our nation.
In a chronological timeline and juxtaposing Black Apparel Designer's profiles with American politics will show the shaping of what we now refer to as the United States of America. This will be manifested from slavery, the antebellum era, The Civil War, Emancipation, the Industrial Revolution, Jim Crow, The Depression, World War I and II, the Civil Rights Era, The Sixties Revolution, The 1970s, 80s, 90s and the millennium decades. Each of these eras interwoven with the Black experience will tie the threads of the intrinsic nature of what is America.
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