With just one week left to view "The Seeds This Soil Holds" at The William Way Center in Philadelphia, I thought it best to do a recap on the success of one of my most heartfelt projects to date. For those who don't know, "The Seeds This Soil Holds" was my immersive chapbook installation that brought together my poetry alongside images of Black Queer joy and resistance. Read more about the inspiration on my previous post. Firstly, HUGE thanks to Ream Editions and Philadelphia Printworks for their help in creating the posters and corresponding merch which are all available online. The total exhibit included nine 40x26" photographic silkscreen prints, six poems, a hanging silkscreen ink on canvas installation and a multimedia...
Last year I was awarded a research grant by the John J. Wilcox Archives at the William Way Center here in Philly. I'd originally reached out to the archives a few years ago to learn more about "UNITY, Inc.," a grassroots organization founded by James Roberts and Tyrone Smith in the '90s, after watching a short documentary about queer life in Philly narrated by Essex Hemphill, who is one of my favorite poets. I knew that Hemphill spent some extended time in Philly in his later years to complete the iconic anthology "Brother to Brother" following the untimely death of his dear friend and collaborator Joseph Beam, an extraordinary writer, activist and Philly native who died due to AIDS-related illness. When I received the grant my...
Naomi Campbell in Comme des Garçons 1989 by Peter Lindbergh for Six Magazine no.3 1989 I've been doing a lot of thinking about the stories an archive tells. I'm obviously talking about fashion archives but it's very easy to draw parallels between this practice and "larger" institutions - museums, libraries, history-holders etc. Why we collect what we collect and what we choose to preserve says so much about how we see and move within the world. It's the subjective business of placing value on stories that is such serious work because so many of the messages are communicated on subconscious levels. Who is left out of these histories and who is tasked with the telling of these histories is most important.  Issey Miyake "East...
Romeo Gigli S/S87 Photography by Paolo Roversi When shopping for The Archive there are a few designers who are always at the top of the list of recent acquisitions. Issey Miyake, of course - never a huge focus on the “pleats,” but I am obsessed with the earlier, archival pieces in natural, handmade fibers and daring silhouettes. Vintage gold. Issey Miyake Yellow Cotton Overcoat Another designer that makes my heart race is Romeo Gigli, whose global approach to design shook the fashion space from the 80s through the early 2000s. No one could distill as many diverse historical references into a resplendent and chic collection quite like Romeo Gigli. You could always feel the hand in his work. Unexpected draping...
 Next month will be a wild seemingly non-stop vintage extravaganza with two major textile shows happening back-to-back - The Brooklyn return of A Current Affair and The Manhattan Vintage Show (click the links to get your tickets) While show-prep is in full swing I took some time for a photoshoot! Before being a full time vintage dealer I was a stylist working on editorial and styling projects in NY, LA, MIA, London, Paris and more. I love the narrative aspect of building complete, impactful looks and capturing a vibe. I talk more about my life as a stylist in a previous post.  Now on to the look! This look represents everything I love about vintage fashion and styling. It...
