CULTURAL COLLAGE

In fashion, as in art, one of the biggest challenges is for an outfit to be greater than the sum of its parts. In this sense, I look to some of my favorite collage works for inspiration.

Heralded as the most important American collagist, Romare Bearden produced an incredible array of multi-element works dealing with the subject of African American culture during the civil rights movement.

As a former social worker, musician, journalist, and scientist, Bearden's artwork combines a multitude of different elements to produce a social commentary.

A great number of his collage works focus on the daily rituals of African American life in the South.

I love the disparate elements he incorporates into the works--from newspaper and magazine clippings to watercolor, fabric, and construction paper, they all combine to form a multifaceted depiction of civil rights-era African American culture.

This outfit, like Bearden's collage, is somewhat of a mishmash of different elements that I hope work together to create something interesting.

I combined the bold, bright colors of Bearden's collage with a watercolor-print scarf and a few printed elements to represent the various layers of his collages.

I'm wearing a vintage Yves Saint Laurent blazer, J. Crew sweater, thrifted scarf, vintage leather skirt, Betsey Johnson tights, and Divided shoes.

[Bearden images from negroartist.com, businessweek.com, artregister.com, and negroartist.com, respectively.]