The Invisible Seam

Pineapple Street Studios | The Fashion and Race Database | Tommy Hilfiger •global.tommy.com

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 Americans demanded respect, challenged norms, built community and imagined the future - all through what they wore. From The Fashion and Race Database, Tommy Hilfiger’s People’s Place Program and Pineapple Street Studios.

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Episodes

The Connecting Thread

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; their challenges, hopes and triumphs. Each designer competed in the inaugural New Legacy Challenge, a design competition developed through a partnership between Tommy Hilfiger’s People’s Place Program and Harlem’s Fashion Row. The New Legacy Challenge 2.0 will bring in three new...

Feb 24, 2023•29 min

Loose Threads

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 Tommy Hilfiger to talk about why representation matters, the danger of erasure and so much more. 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/adchoice...

May 25, 2022•26 min

There Will Be No More Doors

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 McKnight, Letesha Renee and Zairion Lester. Syllabus: Amidst the social turmoil of 2020, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Robin Givhan provides a bird’s eye view in the critical piece, “Fashion’s Racial Reckoning”. What does a fabric historically worn by Ghanian royalty have to do ...

May 18, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 5

The Best, The Brightest, The Dressed

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 Monica Miller. Syllabus: The impact of HBCU style has extended beyond the campus, reaching the tv screen and the runway. Guest Darnell-Jamal Lisby takes us on a journey through its history in “Styling the Quad: Fashioning the Legacy of HBCU Culture.” “Welcome to Homecoming!” celebrat...

May 11, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 4

Statement Piece

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 f...

May 04, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 3

Rhythm and Muse

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. Syllabus: The multi-billion dollar fashion industry didn’t become so profitable on its own. Check out the book, Free Stylin': How Hip-Hop Changed the Fashion Industry, where author (and guest) Elena Romero breaks down how hip hop fashion went “from the ‘hood’ to the runway.” Wha...

Apr 27, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 2

No Blueprint

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. Featuring Jeffrey Banks, Ceci, Romeo Hunte, Law Roach, Letesha Renee, Darnell-Jamal Lisby, Miko Underwood, Brandice Daniel, Jasmine Guy, Connor McKnight, Monica Miller, April Walker, Monica Morrow, Boz Bradshaw and Randy Cousin. Syllabus: Throughout history, Black people have always had...

Apr 20, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Introducing: The Invisible Seam

Apr 13, 2022•4 min

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