By Lashawnda Becoats
“African-Print Fashion Now! A Story of Globalization and Style” is a new exhibit, at The Mint Museum Randolph, about the history and globalization of African-print fabric from its origin to its current day influences on trends that shape style and fashion around the world.
Organized by the Fowler Museum at UCLA in association with Vlisco Netherlands B.V., the exhibit is set up in four sections to give the viewer an opportunity to experience the exhibition through various themes such as “It All Starts with Cloth,” “Portraits in Print,” “Regional Styles, Fashion Preferences,” and “New Directions.” The exhibition includes almost 100 contemporary fabrics, portraits from the 1960s and 1970s, and videos.
In addition, the garments are from the Fowler collections, private loans, and extensive archives from the Dutch textile manufacturing company Vlisco.
“This exhibition aligns with our mission to explore the meaning of fashion in a global 21st-century context,” said Annie Carlano, Senior Curator of Craft, Design, & Fashion at the Mint. “From the bold, dynamic cloth, to the inventive, sculptural silhouettes, the textiles and fashions in this exhibition have inspired and infiltrated Western fashion, art, music, and popular culture.”
The exhibit is open from October 7 through April 28, 2019 at the Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road in Charlotte. www.mintmuseum.org