Detail, Reginald Van Lee.
In The Way We Wore: Black Style Then (Glitterati Incorporated), Michael McCollom chronicles African-Americans fashion from the 1940s through today. Featuring snapshots of over 150 black men and women’s most unforgettable “style moments”, The Way We Wore includes personal photographs taken from the author’s own family and circle of friends, a circle of 100 fashion insiders, outsiders, and beautiful people that includes Oprah Winfrey, James Baldwin, Carmen de Lavallade, Iman, Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks, Tracy Reese, Patrick Kelly, Kimora Lee, Bobby Short, Bethann Hardison, Tookie Smith, and Portia LaBeija, among others.
Also: Jean-Pierre Laffont’s ‘Turbulent America‘
The late, great Geoffrey Holder eloquently observes in the book’s foreword, “One should not enter a room and expect ambiance; one should enter a room and become it. Those that grace the pages of The Way We Wore took that concept and ran with it. Through the reader will witness the evolution—and, in some cases, the faux pas—of fashion and design, it is in the personal flair that an individual bestows to each outfit that creates the look…. Like a yearbook, you will come back to this work again and again. Though you may not know the people personally, you will recognize them. Michael has carefully chosen pictures and people that exhibit the historical framework of African-American influence on fashion, design, and culture.”
1978, Newark, New Jersey. Douglas Says.
Indeed, this exquisite collection of photographs encompasses the tremendous variety of fashions begun by the African-American community and guided international fashion culture. Some outfits are dynamic and outrageous—elaborate hairstyles and chunky shoes, enormous earrings and funky glasses—yet their wearers’ vitality and pride leap from the page. Other styles are striking in their elegance and composure. World War II servicemen in their uniforms, women in haute couture gowns, children dressed for Sunday morning church service; gorgeous shots like these transcend fads, engendering the book with a sense of heritage and history befitting the legacy of African-American style and culture.
May 1960, New York City. Arlene Hawkins, Owner of Arlene Hawkins Cosmetics.
A marvelous journey from Harlem Renaissance to Hip-Hop, The Way We Wore celebrates the innovative and captivating history of African-American fashion over the past century. With photographs like Gwen Mazer walking her pet ocelot while wearing a wool herringbone cape with matching trousers by Eric Lund taken in Italy during the 1970s. The Way We Wore is equal parts regal and real—a must-have for any collector of contemporary fashion and style.
1978, Newark, New Jersey. Linwood Allen, Designer.
