Fashion can be a tool of liberation. It can be used in a powerful way to express oneβs personal identity and break down societal expectations.
North Star uses fashion to reclaim and rework symbols of American identity in the revolutionary tradition of African American aesthetics.
The collection takes a range of garments, including a jacket, crop top, and tank top, upcycled from the highlighter yellow uniforms commonly worn by construction workers and crossing guards as a point of departure. The deliberate choice of this eye-catching color serves as a reflection on the labor of people of color, specifically reflecting on moments when black people are thrust into the limelight, or paradoxically and purposefully rendered invisible. The striking yellow is complemented by the use of red, white, and blue gingham, a visual stand-in for the colorway of the American flag and a distinctive element in North Starβs design language. The collection also incorporates a floral print by the late black British textile designer Althea McNish, known for her groundbreaking work in the mid-20th century. McNishβs designs, inspired by her Caribbean heritage, revolutionized textile design, contributing significantly to black British fashion and design canon. Specifically, a cropped button-up shirt and durag are crafted from a textile called βGrenada Bloom,β designed by McNish for Liberty London.
Photography: Malachi Smythe
Models: Ev Delafose, Rachel Cassandra Gibbons
Lighting: EdoΜlia Stroud
Design, Styling: Jonathan Michael Square
@NORTHSTAR.NYC
