Making Space at the Armory
Caftan
Style As Liberation and Cultural Exchange
September 28, 2025
Various Spaces
A journalist, stylist, creative director, author, and editor-at-large of Vogue, André Leon Talley left an indelible mark on the fashion industry with a boundary-breaking career and style setting caftans, emphasizing bold, culturally diverse aesthetics and being a possibility model for Black creatives who wanted to work in the fashion and media industries. Inspired by this legendary fashionista, his iconic caftans, and his role in the world of fashion, this vibrant, multifaceted program explores fashion’s role in self-expression, freedom, and diasporic encounter.
The day includes panel discussions with industry historians, designers, educators, and community activists that examine the role of fashion as a tool for resistance, cultural preservation, and cross-cultural dialogue. Participants include: outgoing president of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Joyce F. Brown; award-winning author and CUNY Graduate Center Professor of History Tanisha C. Ford; Artist and Founder of The Institute of Black Imagination Dario Calmese; curator of the Met Costume Institute’s Superfine: Tailoring Black Style exhibition Monica Miller, and journalist, award-winning editor, cultural curator, and Founder of Native Son Emil Wilbekin.
In addition to an afternoon of conversation, a curated display of garments honoring André Leon Talley’s legacy will be on view.
Gallery
Support
Making Space at the Armory is made possible with support from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF).
Public support is provided by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature as well as the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council under the leadership of Speaker Adrienne Adams.
