Black creativity has had a profound influence on British culture, but it is often referenced – and appropriated – without proper acknowledgement. Now, London’s Somerset House is seeking to redress the balance in The Missing Thread: Untold Stories of Black British Fashion. Spanning from the 1970s to today, the exhibition surveys four major themes: Home, Tailoring, Performance and Nightlife. This is not just a fashion show; the curators at the Black Oriented Legacy Development Agency (BOLD) have placed each garment within a broader socio-political context. Clothes are shown alongside artworks, cultural artefacts, music, memorabilia, videos and installations. The message: fashion is not created in isolation. Instead, it is part of a wider conversation and provides fertile ground for celebration, expression, protest and critique.
Bianca Saunders
Sharp tailoring. Draped fabrics. Minimalist shapes. Bianca Saunders’ collections sit between tradition and modernity. The designer makes garments that push the boundaries of binary gender and challenge established definitions of “masculine” and “feminine”. At the same time, Saunders’ clothes pull influence from her British-Jamaican heritage. She is a recipient of the prestigious Andam Grand Prix Fashion Award.
Jennie Baptiste
“Black art has always been around, like the Harlem Renaissance which came about in the 1920s. We have always existed within this creative space and will continue to do so.” Photographer Jennie Baptiste sees fashion and style as markers of Black British identity; her pictures show us elaborate styles from the Dancehall scene whilst celebrating the impact of youth culture and music in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Nicholas Daley
Nicholas Daley is the recipient of GQ’s Designer Fashion Fund 2022. Now, as part of a celebration of fashion’s new wave, The Missing Thread features exclusive new commissions from the London-based creative. Community, craftsmanship and culture are central to his body of work. Daley draws on his Jamaican-Scottish roots and incorporates bespoke textiles, ethical sourcing and innovative repurposing.
Elieen Perrier
Eileen Perrier has been making portraits of visitors to the Afro Hair and Beauty Show since 1998. Each year, she finds a different stand-out backdrop upon which to stage her shots. For the above picture, Perrier has selected a billboard featuring glossy lips. The wider series documents 1990s rave-influenced styles whilst paying homage to legendary West African studio photographers Sanlé Sory and Malick Sidibé.
The Missing Thread: Untold Stories of Black British Fashion
21 September – 7 January | somersethouse.org.uk
Image Credits:
1. Bianca Saunders ‘YELLOW’ SS20 campaign. Shot and Styled by Ronan McKenzie.
2. Jennie Baptiste, Pinky, 2001 (Stylist Chinyere Eze, Make-up artist Brenda Cuffy).
3. Nicholas Daley SS 23 modelled by Zakia Sewell. Photo by Piczo.
4. Eileen Perrier, Untitled 1, Afro Hair and Beauty 1998 © Eileen Perrier.Image Credits:
1. Bianca Saunders ‘YELLOW’ SS20 campaign. Shot and Styled by Ronan McKenzie.
2. Jennie Baptiste, Pinky, 2001 (Stylist Chinyere Eze, Make-up artist Brenda Cuffy).
3. Nicholas Daley SS 23 modelled by Zakia Sewell. Photo by Piczo.
4. Eileen Perrier, Untitled 1, Afro Hair and Beauty 1998 © Eileen Perrier.
