Nell L'arrangeur’s Post

On Saturday 6th July, the Costume Institute of the African Diaspora will be holding it's 3rd Biennial Dress Conference entitled: Sa Lapo Ki Nou Ladan (The Skin We’re In): Explorations into Skin Politics. CIAD’s third biennial dress conference investigates the relationship between skin and culture and looks at how skin has been used as a descriptor and signifier of identity and existence across the African Diaspora and the wider world. Skin has been used as a canvas for creative and cultural expression as well as being viewed of as a “costume” or dressed appearance in some fields. The very existence of the diaspora population is, in part, the result of false beliefs about dark skin and the behaviours of people who possess it. This conference will focus on three areas of examination around the topic of skin politics: Colourism/ Featurism and Texturism; How and why do these areas of phenotypic identity continue to be challenging within the 21st century. Scarification and Body Modification; How the body has been used as a canvas of cultural, emotional, or political self-expression. Digital Racialisation: How technology and generative systems have been used to improve the relation to skin shade dynamics. For more information visit: https://lnkd.in/eeDzHcH2 And see the QR below for tickets.

https://lnkd.in/gVN3WaUB "Colorism, prejudicial attitudes towards people with darker skin tones, like all -isms, creates a toxic environment for anyone who does not fall into the ideal category. When major media sources, like Bollywood in India, reinforce the oppressive attitude of discrimination based on skin color, it adds to the normalization of colorism and resulting social hierarchies, perceptions, and stigma. Moreover, Bollywood and its films are not consumed in a vacuum. In the current environment of Black Lives Matter, especially following the killing of George Floyd in the U.S. and the subsequent international protests, it is pressing to highlight the ways in which Bollywood contributes to biased and marginalizing practices of colorism, as a form of racism. This is especially important given the number of Bollywood actors, directors, and producers who publicly denounced racism in America, offering solidarity to Black Americans, while staying silent about the prejudice happening in their own communities. In this article, I will focus on colorism in India. India’s film industry actively reinforces and reproduces colorist attitudes; commodifies colorism; and disenfranchises women, lower castes, and indigenous people. There is a disconnect between the progressive values publicly stated and those practiced by leaders in Bollywood. I argue that Bollywood’s desires for respectability among upper class Indian and diasporic audiences emboldens its attitudes about class, caste, and color, contributing significantly to the power and reach of colorism."

[picture description included after 3 dots] These names represent only the individuals we know. The violence faced by trans people is vastly underreported, as is the broader context of systemic hate and erasure we endure. Each name in this image marks a life stolen, a future cut short, and a profound reminder of society’s failure to protect its most vulnerable. Beyond these names lie countless others, unrecorded and unacknowledged, their stories lost to apathy and silence. On this Trans Day of Remembrance, we must honor their memories not only with grief but with action. Advocacy, systemic reform, and cultural transformation are necessary to ensure that no more dreams are extinguished by hate. We deserved more time. We deserved recognition. We deserved dreams, not vigils. . . . Header Text: We Deserve Dreams, Not Vigils Names and Ages of Individuals Listed: Pauly Likens, 14 Nex Benedict, 16 River Goddard, 17 Tayy Dior Thomas, 17 Jazlynn Johnson, 18 Dylan Gurley, 20 Boo Alex Taylor Franco, 21 Kenji Spurgeon, 23 Meraxes Medina, 24 Tai’Von Lathan, 24 Redd AKA Barbie, 25 Africa Parcilla Garcia, 25 Michelle Henry, 25 Cocoa Quaneshia Shantel, 29 Kassim Omar, 29 Honee Daniels, 37 Andrea Dora Dos Passos, 37 Diamond Brigman, 36 Sasha Williams, 36 Righteous Terrence Hill, 35 Liara Kaylee Tsai, 35 Kitty Monroe, 43 Yella Clark, 45 Santonio Coleman, 48 Monique Brooks, 49 Reyna Hernandez, 54 Background Description: The image features a soft, pastel-toned background with colors resembling a sunrise or gradient sky. Three lit candles with flame shapes are placed in the foreground. The flames appear to reflect the colors of the trans flag (blue, pink, and white). Text Styling: The header We Deserve Dreams, Not Vigils is written in bold and alternating blue and pink colors, representing the trans pride flag. The names are listed on both the left and right sides of the image, grouped and aligned vertically by age in the same order that was read above. #TransDayOfRemembrance #TransRights #HumanRights #WeDeserveMoreTime #EndTransViolence

Did You Know? 🌍✊🏿 In the 1970s, the Afro and Dashiki became more than just fashion—they emerged as symbols of cultural resistance and black pride during the Black Power movement in the African American community. The Afro: Embracing natural hair was an act of defiance against Eurocentric beauty standards. Wearing an Afro was not just a style choice; it was a political statement celebrating black beauty in its purest form. The Dashiki: This colorful, loose-fitting garment, rooted in West African tradition, became a visible expression of African heritage. In a time of heightened political activism, wearing a Dashiki symbolized a rejection of Western conformity and a return to African roots. This fashion history reminds us of the powerful role that fashion plays in shaping identity and creating movements. Fashion can be a tool for empowerment, a reminder to stand tall and proud in our cultural heritage. So, how are you using fashion to express your roots and tell your story today? Share your thoughts! #FashionHistory #CulturalPride #AfrocentricStyle #BlackPowerMovement #AfricanHeritage #IdentityThroughFashion

Setting out on the journey of Dawat Book and as a woman myself, I'm moved by Mehnaz's resilience and the beauty she brings into the world through her art. Her journey is a powerful reminder of the strength of the female spirit and the profound impact of creativity. Let's celebrate Mehnaz and the countless others who craft hope, beauty, and happiness, even in the most trying times. Explore her collection and let her art light up your space: https://lnkd.in/gpT_TRED

As #Pride month comes to end, I thought I would say a brief word as a clothier, ally and history minor. I’ve heard time and time again “men wear this” and “women wear that” but that doesn’t make sense because historically, clothing was never about gender. As humanity dawned, we certainly weren’t picky about what clothes we wore as we fought to stay alive as a species. Even as civilization dawned, the rules of clothing were almost always based on class (Peasants wore this, royalty wore this): -In Ancient Rome and Greece, everyone wore togas -14th century, tights and a skirt were common place -Aztecs wore war skirts for increased movement (as also did the famous Scotsman William Wallace of Braveheart). -In Japan, there's the Hakama, a formal skirt for tea ceremonies, weddings and the martial art Kendo -There is even historical records of both men and women wearing corsets In fact, the only times cultures were really strict on who wore pants was based on riding horses! If you look up pictures of Attila the Hun, he’s always in pants because the Huns utilized horses to conquer. Although there have been some gender clothing rules throughout history, our modern idea of men in suits and women in skirts didn't really take form until the 19th century in the UK. This is most likely where our current day gender rules emerged. So, for only 200 out of the 300,000 years humans have existed has the “men wear pants” and “women wear skirts” rule been strictly enforced. History tells us clothing isn’t about gender, it’s about who you are whether that be a warrior, empress, healer or performer. I would be honored to help you get into clothing the reflects who you are. As a clothier, ally and history minor, I'm here to support you and your clothing choices. #TwinCitiesCustom #CustomClothes #History

For the past 248 years, the United States has been governed by 44 white men and one Black man all of whom wore dark suits. This has profoundly—and subliminally—shaped what we think power should look like in this country. Kamala Harris, if elected, could transform our notions of power. As a woman of South Asian and Black heritage, her face alone will stand apart from those that came before her. But in this essay I argue that she can also use her clothing to assert other aspects of her identity. There an argument that clothes aren’t important at a time when democracy is at stake. But image matters mightily in politics. And her sartorial choices could help us reimagine what power looks like and pave the way for other minorities to ascend positions of power. 🥥 Rather than just co-opting the masculine uniform, she could wear garments that read more feminine. This would normalize the notion that a woman can govern. 🥥 What if she occasionally wore garments that reflect her parent’s cultures. What if she showed up in a sari, or in textiles from the Caribbean? This would normalize the notion that America is a land of diversity and a child of immigrants can govern. 🥥 Ultimately, the goal is to arrive at a place where it doesn’t matter at all what she wears. A place where Americans are able to pick their leaders based on their policies without being biased by gender and race. We’re not there yet though. So clothes still have a role to play.

New article live on Trill Mag! "Responsible Representation" focuses on the appropriation of clothing and accessories from certain cultures, more specifically on their intended use and their historical and cultural significance. Read below! https://lnkd.in/gB3_7mJp