TWO-NESS.
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“It is a peculiar sensation, this double consciousness… one ever feels his two-ness, an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two un-reconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder” (W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk).
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Winter 2022
The idea of contrasting colors first came to me when I saw a trend of Black women dyeing their hair in two different colors, split right down the middle. There was something about this duality that intrigued me. It also reminded me of the internal conflict I feel as a Black woman existing in this world. My desire to succeed is sometimes stifled by the skin I live in. It feels like I have to choose one identity, one place to exist in. Two-ness tears the notion of one choice apart. All of the different pieces of ourselves is what makes us who we are. Get rid of the notion that Black and Beautiful don’t coexist. That Woman and Leader don’t coexist. That Fear and Strength don’t coexist. This collection is about embracing the power of all that you can be. Where all of you is valued, accepted, cherished, and nurtured. Where there are no limits to your potential. Where you can feel at home and free in your own skin.
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Photography by Gracie Hammond
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