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Jacket, top, and skirt designed by Damali and worn by Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole

African American Museum

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    Object Details

    Designed by

    Damali Afrikan Wear, founded 1991

    Worn by

    Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, American, born 1936

    Description

    An African-inspired ensemble designed by Damali and worn by Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole consisting of a short-sleeved crop jacket (.1), a long-sleeved fitted shirt (.2), and a wide circle skirt (.3).
    .1: Cropped jacket with short dolman sleeves and a rounded stand-up collar made from multiple fabrics in muted brown tones. The body and sleeves of the jacket are made from a dark brown satin with raised design of swirling lines. The collar is made from a gold, green, and eggplant design of diamonds. There is one (1) patch pocket sewn at the proper right front made from a textured fabric with a deep brown short piled velvet interspersed with chevrons in orange and cream. The seams down the center of the side panels on the front and back, the edges of the pocket, and two (2) bars across each side of the collar are trimmed in shiny gray piping. The jacket closes at the center front with one (1) black snap. A large round dark brown decorative button is sewn on the proper right front opening. The jacket is lined with a burgundy satin. There is a designer label sewn at the center back interior neck made from white fabric with machine-embroidered black text reading "DAMALI".
    .2: Long-sleeved fitted shirt with v-neck made from multiple fabrics in gray tones. The center front bodice is made from a mid-weight olive gray cotton printed with a cream design of alternating undulating stripes of large circles and small circles. A panel of cream satin with brocaded striped sections bisects the center front just below the bust that has a gray circular sunburst brocaded design at the center. The sides and back of the bodice are made from a taupe and black slubbed fabric. The straight cut sleeves are made from a gray and cream fabric with a brocade palm leaf repeating design. Shiny gray piping is sewn along the shaping seams of the bodice on the front and back, at the top and bottom edges of the center decorative panel, and along the sleeve seams. The shirt closes at the center back with an invisible plastic zipper that extends from the center back hem to just below the back yoke. The shirt is not lined. There is a designer label sewn at the center back interior neck made from white fabric with machine-embroidered black text reading "DAMALI" and an additional tag sewn below it reading "DRY CLEAN ONLY".
    .3: Olive gray calf-length circle skirt with a wide waist band. The waist band and the top half of the skirt are made from a mid-weight olive gray cotton printed with a cream design of alternating undulating stripes of large circles and small circles. The bottom portion of the skirt is made from a dark olive gray knit blended fabric. The seams joining the two fabrics and the seam around the bottom of the waist band are trimmed in shiny gray piping. The skirt closes at the side waist with a metal zipper and a metal hook-and-eye. The waist band is lined with gray synthetic fabric, the rest of the skirt is not lined.

    Credit Line

    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Johnnetta Betsch Cole

    Date

    2012

    Object number

    2015.209.7.1-.3

    Restrictions & Rights

    No Known Copyright Restrictions
    Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

    Type

    jackets
    shirts
    skirts

    Medium

    synthetic fiber, cotton, and piping, with plastic and metal closures

    Dimensions

    H x W (.1 flat): 20 1/2 × 33 1/2 in. (52.1 × 85.1 cm)
    H x W (.2 flat): 25 × 57 in. (63.5 × 144.8 cm)
    H x W (.3 flat): 34 1/2 × 64 1/2 in. (87.6 × 163.8 cm)

    Place used

    Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America

    See more items in

    National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

    Classification

    Clothing - Fashion and Historical

    Exhibition

    Cultural Expressions

    On View

    NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 050

    Data Source

    National Museum of African American History and Culture

    Topic

    African American
    African diaspora
    Clothing and dress
    Design
    Fashion
    Fashion design
    Local and regional

    Metadata Usage

    CC0

    Link to Original Record

    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5ec0c2734-cccc-40b8-8add-5012acfebd46

    Record ID

    nmaahc_2015.209.7.1-.3

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