TWENTY-FIRST
CENTURY TUX
This look is based on the archetype of the classic nineteenth/twentieth century tuxedo shirt. The tuxedo consists of many layers - the base shirt (intended to be used as an undergarment), a selection of interchangeable collars and cuffs, the necktie, and the jacket or overcoat. The details or ‘accessories’ of the tuxedo become the main focus of the garment as they are the elements meant to be visible over the undergarment shirt. My aim in this look is to bring these elements - specifically the collar and cuffs - to the forefront of the design, further emphasizing their importance in the creation of the tuxedo look by integrating them into the garment itself instead of functioning as add-ons.
As opposed to the time consuming practice of dressing layer by layer, the design incorporates the different elements of the tuxedo into one garment, creating the tuxedo look and layering within one shirt. It is a manifestation of the timeliness and rapidness with which we dress ourselves today.
Additionally, as the tuxedo was originally designed for men, I have attempted to create a more gender neutral silhouette, combining both ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ interpretations of the modern tuxedo shirt into the design.
The shirt Is made In two different fabrications, a traditional shirt poplin as well as a tech fabric.
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About
As a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, my heritage has always been a source of inspiration, but it has rarely been represented through a positive/non colonial lens within the fashion industry. In my work, I aim to shine light on the beauty of both Indigenous tradition as well as contemporary Native American culture.
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