When curated design exhibitions and scholarship constantly seek to identify identities, the Museum at FIT presents a show Black Fashion Designers, just to find that there is really no particular identity, nor specific issues attached to all designers of African descent. The show comes to examine the impact made by them on the world of fashion for the past six decades. This excellent show, which includes some wonderful and historically-significant pieces from the permanent collection of the Museum, some of which were acquired for the show, all illustrate a variety of styles created by more than 60 designers. Spanned from dressed by 50s designer Ann Lowe, who entered the pantheon of fashion design when creating the wedding gown for Jaqueline Bouvier when she married JFK, through the work of Patrick Kelly during the 1980s, and to the contemporary fashion of Lagos-based designer Maki Oh’s and Tracy Reese. The show illuminates designers that are often overlooked, showcasing some magnificent pieces, and this where its strength lies.
