Ebony Armor

100% silk satin (dress), fabric remnants and embroidery (jacket)

An article, in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology, discovered that black women in leadership experience many psychological challenges. It revealed that they did not allow adversities to break their resilience to strive for leadership. In the middle ages, soldiers wore suits of armor for protection against weapons. Ebony Armor is a modern-day suit of armor which symbolizes the resilience of black women. It visually expresses the juxtaposition of strength and vulnerability in one design. It also battles the ongoing fight for textile waste minimalization. Ebony Armor cross references pre-consumer and post-consumer fabrics, black women’s empowerment, a suit of armor, and fiber art. The design purpose is to create garments from upcycled fabrics that celebrate black women achieving excellence even in the face of adversity. Ebony Armor seeks to inspire black women to overcome their challenges and transform them into something confident and beautiful.