The Schomburg Center's 'Showing Out' Exhibit Celebrates Black Fashion History In Harlem

Upper West Side NY

28 September, 2021

2:07 PM

Description

Columbia Daily Spectator BY VINCENT HOU SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 Giant LED displays show Black models striding on stage in vibrant, dramatic garments that are met with steady rounds of applause as the cheers from an exuberant crowd echo throughout the exhibition space. It is with this spectacle that the second-floor gallery of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is suddenly transformed into a time machine that projects audiences into Harlem fashion's heyday in the late 20th century. This era is the focus of the exhibition "Showing Out: Fashion in Harlem," which includes archival images, papers, and videos celebrating the 55th anniversary of the Harlem Institute of Fashion. The exhibit is available for in-person viewing at the Schomburg Center until Sept. 30, open to all who would like to explore and experience local fashion history. Born amid a crucial historical moment during the waning days of the Civil Rights movement and the early days of the Black Power movement, the Harlem Institute of Fashion was founded in 1966 by Lois K. Alexander-Lane. It later expanded to include the National Association of Milliners, Dressmakers and Tailors and the Black Fashion Museum, providing education and opportunities for Black community members with aspirations in fashion. From 1979 to 1996, Alexander-Lane partnered with Harlem Week, an annual event celebrating the culture and community of Harlem, to produce breathtaking runway shows, which became highlights of the annual event. Thousands of residents would show up to cheer on models and designers on the runway, a sight that can be beheld in the archival footage of Harlem Week provided by cinematographer Kerwin DeVonish. Peter "Souleo" Wright, the curator of the exhibit, shared the empowering intentions behind Alexander-Lane's founding of the Harlem Institute of Fashion. "Her mission with these organizations was to collect, document and preserve Black fashion garments, as well as to provide classes and professional development and opportunities for exposure and economic empowerment of Black designers, because there really wasn't a lot of opportunity for them within [the] mainstream," Souleo said. Souleo's exhibition breathes new life into this mission, as the use of modern technology in "Showing Out: Fashion in Harlem" conveys Alexander-Lane's work to present-day audiences in an enhanced manner. The huge interactive displays at this exhibition, for example, enable audiences to scroll through historical images of runway shows and read digital copies of the book on Black fashion published by Alexander-Lane. "You're touching and swiping through photos and information. I think that is very current with the technology of today and bringing that history alive. So I think it'll speak to a large intergenerational audience," Souleo said. Queen Bilquis, also known as Cynthia Harmon, a designer whose work was featured in Harlem Week, shared memories of the atmosphere of love and community fostered by the fashion week. "Families, cousins, everybody came out to see the show at the Black Fashion Museum, even see people screaming your name," Queen Bilquis said. "It's so beautiful to see your family. It is powerful to see all that work you struggled over the two, three days [become] a soul on its own." According to Queen Bilquis, fashion is more than mere apparel to Black Harlem; it delivers a message of hope, pride, and positivity. "We come from people who've been really destroyed on a mental or spiritual level, so when we came back we got to make it look good," Queen Bilquis said. "It's called 'we got to make something out of nothing.'" The community's creativity and craftsmanship was well on display at the exhibition, which also features four original pieces from Harlem's runway shows. Queen Bilquis's glamorous olive-colored dress is a testament to "modest fashion," as it displays her love for dramatic extravagance while still abiding by the dress code defined by her Muslim faith. Nigeria Moshood's white dress featuring large human-face emblems, meanwhile, celebrates traditional visual representations of his African heritage. Amid calls for greater equity in the fashion industry, the Schomburg Center's "Showing Out" exhibit calls attention to milestones in Black fashion history that are often overlooked or deliberately obscured. "We talk about Black Lives Matter in all areas in all industries. Fashion is one of those spaces where we have been excluded and oppressed and stolen. I think this is just one area where we can help support each other and support our creatives. I think by spotlighting the Black fashion creators, we can help bring that message forward," Souleo said. "Now you take it to another level…" Queen Bilquis added. "Pass the baton of love, respect, fashion creativity. Go in!" Staff writer Vincent Hou can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow Spectator on Twitter @ColumbiaSpec. Founded in 1877, the Columbia Daily Spectator is the independent undergraduate newspaper of Columbia University, serving thousands of readers in Morningside Heights, West Harlem, and beyond. Read more at columbiaspectator.com and donate here.