Black fashion literature is one of the most influentially visual markers we have. Despite the industry’s deeply-rooted barriers of discrimination and stereotypes, it remains a powerful instrument – tapped by Black creatives who have cultivated an entire genre purely based on reflections of human and cultural expression.
But, trying to simplify that into an edited list of must-reads is as misguided as the notion that just one month or a single holiday could ever fully appreciate the Black artists who alter fashion’s history.
So, for this reason, the following compilation of coffee-table titles is by no means complete or encyclopedic. It is merely a piece of a growing, inspiring collection of interviews, photography, essays and tell-all memoirs that not only share how the African diaspora shaped the modern market we know today but illustrate cradled gems of wisdom and history you won’t find anywhere else.
Ahead is a small gathering of the ongoing celebration of Black fashion’s finest and how they continue to fearlessly redefine fashion thus far.
Posing Beauty: African American Images from the 1890s to the Present
Profiling the works of more than one hundred photographers, including the stunning work of Carrie Mae Weems and Eve Arnold, Posing Beauty challenges our most basic assumptions about what it means to be “beautiful.”
Women of Color Photographers Month #wocpmonth #featurefriday sistog and our mentor Dr. Deborah Willis
— My Sisters & Me™ (@MySistersandMe) March 9, 2018
Dr. Deborah Willis is a contemporary African-American artist, photographer, curator of photography, photographic historian, author, and educator. #posingbeauty
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The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History
Pulitzer Prize-winning fashion journalist Robin Givhan gives a beautifully meticulous account of the historic Battle of Versailles fashion show, held on November 28, 1973, in the Palace of Versailles to raise money for its restoration. Racked with in-fighting, overblown egos, nominal budgets and technical difficulties, the event inadvertently pitted French and American fashion designers against each other — the Americans with little chance of matching their refined and well-crafted design standards. But against all odds, the American spirit, led by the domination of its fearless models — 10 of whom, in a revolutionary move, were African American – turned the audience and the fashion world upside down.
Crowned: Magical Folk and Fairy Tales from the Diaspora
From Kahran and Regis Bethenourt, the dynamic husband-and-wife duo behind CreativeSoul Photography, Crowned: Magical Folk and Fairy Tales from the Diaspora is a collection of extraordinary fantasy photos that boldly reimagines powerful portrayals of classic fairy tales featuring Black children.
Vintage Black Glamour
Chocked full of rarely-seen photography of some of the most prolific Black entertainers, writers and models of the early part of the 20th century, this highly-acclaimed publication shines a much-needed spotlight on many of whom are sorely neglected—until now.
Supreme Models: Iconic Black Women Who Revolutionized Fashion
The first-ever art book devoted exclusively to celebrating Black models from past and present, Supreme Models wonderfully fills that void with revealing essays, interviews and breathtaking photography.
The New Black Vanguard: Photography Between Art and Fashion
Curator and critic Antwaun Sargent showcases artist portfolios of fifteen of the brightest contemporary fashion photographers, including Tyler Mitchell — the first Black photographer hired to shoot a cover story for Vogue — that centers around the role of the commercial Black image and the transformation of its reconceptualized future.
How to Slay: Inspiration from the Queens and Kings of Black Style
One of the few surveys of Black fashion and style ever published, How to Slay by award-winning journalist, editor (and bonafide tastemaker!) Constance C.R. White is an opulent illustration of Black style from the 20th century to the present. With striking imagery of some of the most celebrated figures of our day — Josephine Baker, Naomi Campbell and Miles Davis, just to name a few — the book explores the foundation of why the Black trends of this era are so influential throughout popular culture.
Dandy Lion: The Black Dandy and Street Style
Described as “high-styled rebels” by author Shantrelle P. Lewis, Dandy Lion celebrates Black men with a shared fondness for color and refined fashion, both vintage and new. Throughout the book, the concept of self-expression is amplified through personal style and swagger by way of a carefully curated selection of photographs that personifies the brilliance of this subculture.
Kwame Brathwaite: Black is Beautiful
In the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, Kwame Brathwaite used his photography to popularize the political slogan “Black Is Beautiful.” From his stunning studio portraits of the Grandassa Models to behind-the-scenes images of Harlem’s artistic community that include Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln, this book offers a wonderful exploration of Brathwaite’s life and work.
Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem: A Memoir
For decades, Dapper Dan discovered groundbreaking ways to inspire and thrive in a world designed to privilege white Americans over others. His riveting memoir isn’t only about fashion, but a personal account of the American dream ingrained in history, survival and self-determination.
To be continued…
