the seed of an idea.

The seed grew from my trip across the states, from Ohio to California, driving from city to city and watching the land around me morph by hour’s passing. In one fell swoop it was pasteurized vast plains, snowy rockies, plateauing tableland, canyons of red rock with ranges shown beyond Delicate Arch. It was hoodoos, narrow river channels hugged by skyscraper rocks, the joshua tree sprinkled desert, salted night skies and it was all new. It was beautiful & unfamiliar. It was mine.

However, it lacked a familiar face, one as mine. From then I couldn’t shake the thought that so few African Americans have seen what I saw on that trip. I hope for this truth to change. I hope for a future where the wilderness—trails, parks, forests, and deserts are filled with individuals who look like me. Who can claim it as their own.

Adjacent to the collection of garments, the thesis includes a series of educational resources in the form of postcards that offer information on various African American trailblazers in the outdoors.

the earth smells old and warm and mellow

is comprised of a thesis collection and supporting educational resources that serve as a revival of black culture and its roots in the wilderness. As a physical collection, it connects the rich history of African Americans in nature to the principles and philosophies of indigenous African tribes.

Through non-disruptive, muted tones achieved by natural dying with black bean, black tea and walnut extract, the collection expresses indigenous African tribes' reciprocal relationship with the wilderness. The collection also exemplifies the intentions behind utilizing the resources accessible to you by working with only natural, secondhand and up-cycled materials. Versatility and adaptability are core concepts for outdoor clothing and these generally technical concepts are represented in an organic manner through transformative garments with the use of cinching, natural waxing and removability.

The ultimate design goal is to communicate the imminent possibility of functionality in minimal, circular design while juxtaposing elements of society’s modern impression of functional clothing.

The wilderness has long been a symbol for freedom and the truest expression of biodiversity. Despite false beliefs and representations, the outdoors has a long standing history of discrimination, oppression, and trauma tied to the backs of African American and Black marginalized communities. The individuals in those stories were not provided freedom, but rather fear of the outdoors. There are many unrepresented Black founding stories that deserve to be shared. The brutal histories have systematically pushed African Americans further away from access, a level of safety, and acceptance in the wilderness – a fear that has been passed down through generations. In order to create relevancy to outdoor landmarks, we must celebrate African Americans, the trails they have blazed, and the substantial impact they have made on the outdoors. Through this, proper and true diversification will be established. 

A dream has been planted that one day the biodiversity that we grip so tight with fervor will come to reflect the diversity of the individuals that walk the trails. This work serves to share the volume of extensive research that supports and acknowledges all of the history of the American wilderness, celebrates the African Americans that contributed to these free spaces, and builds a commitment to creating more representation through increased accessibility, comfortability, and education within the outdoors.