Material Institute

Don't mind us, we're just planting seeds. 🪴

Tape Dress 📐

Designer: Serenity Sandifer
Model: Dejah Miller
Materials: naturally dyed bamboo cotton blend, eyelet transfer technique

#lbd #littleblackdress #knitweardesign

Abyss 🕳️

Designer: Cierra Wyche
Model: Cydney Leah
Materials: iron dyed light stretched bamboo cotton blend

#lbd #littleblackdress #knitweardesign

Cursed Dress 💀

Designer: Shanti Broom
Model: Elijah
Materials: analog knit cotton yarn, pattern inspired by plaid, model sewn-in

#lbd #littleblackdress #knitweardesign

Hoshizora 🌌

Hoshizora is a dress dedicated to loved ones who’ve passed being the Japanese word for starry heavens: where ancestors reside.

Designer: Trinity Carter
Model: Sonder Simiya
Materials: naturally dyed bamboo yarn

#lbd #littleblackdress #knitweardesign

The Heirloom Dress 🗝️

Designer: Denisio Truitt
Model: Ten Spencer
Materials: logwood and iron dyed bamboo yarn, elastic salvage yarn

#lbd #littleblackdress #knitweardesign

Blue Matter 🌀

Designer: Blue Matter
Model: Melany Cutno
Materials: indigo dyed knit wool dress, synthetic expression hair

#lbd #littleblackdress #knitweardesign

Multi-hyphenate 🔀

Designer: Sam Touche Bowler
Model: Gabriella
Materials: iron liquor and pomegranate dyed cotton fleece, bamboo yarn, copper shield

#lbd #littleblackdress #knitweardesign

Cosmic Lily Pad 🪷

Designer: Kayvon Kousha
Model: Vanessa Praman
Materials: bespoke knit - model sewn in, golden horsehair thread

#lbd #littleblackdress #knitweardesign

Tawawa Paper Dress 👗

Designer: Alaina Newell
Model: @m4hea
Materials: paper yarn, linen-cotton yarn, cyanotype

#lbd #littleblackdress #knitweardesign

Eyelet Cross Dress ⚔️

A closer look at work from our recent Little Black Dress Industry Panel 🖤

Designer: Chealsea Coleman
Model: Melany Cutno
Materials: 100% Italian cotton dyed with black walnut and iron liquor

#lbd #littleblackdress #knitweardesign

You can look at it, long as you don’t grab it 🫦

A closer look at work from our recent Little Black Dress Industry Panel 🖤

Designer: Tia Bernard
Model: DJ Flowerchild
Materials: 100% merino wool, lace design using eyelets, roping, ruffles, cable stitch

#lbd #littleblackdress #knitweardesign

Mob Wife 👠

A closer look at work from our recent Little Black Dress Industry Panel 🖤

Designer: Gregory Johnson III
Model: Serenity Sandifer
Materials: pinstripe knit, reconstructed screen door

#lbd #littleblackdress #knitweardesign

LBD for a Baddie 💅🏾

Designer: Material Junkie
Model: Serenity Sandifer
Materials: felted wool and alpaca, iron liquor and pomegranate dye

#lbd #littleblackdress #knitweardesign

www.eventbrite.com/e/music-show...

Music Showcase Saturday

Meet The GET tracking vocals, cello, piano, and guitar for “De los tiempos que eran antes.”

Meet Whitney Mixon tracking vocals for "Sorry"

Sam wants to communicate his gratitude to his friend and confidant for trusting him throughout the process.

The jumpsuit was designed to be separated, the sleeves removable, decisions made to prioritize the full autonomy of the individual.

Sam chose light blue, Mr. Willie’s favorite color — representing the sky and freedom — and wove the sleeves to symbolize the community that is honored to support Mr. Willie now that he’s free.

Sam and Willie have become close confidants, and after conversations over ice cream in which Mr. Willie described the jumpsuits he was forced to wear while incarcerated, Sam and Willie started sketching out ideas for a jumpsuit that would feel empowering to wear.

Somehow, Willie never gave up and, a half century later, got the attention of a judge who ordered his release in 2021. Mr. Willie and Sam met through his beloved community.

Willie pled guilty, but never received parole. In the 1970s Louisiana laws changed, requiring mandatory life sentences for certain crimes. As a result, Willie was forgotten. He lost all of his family and grew old in prison with not a single visit or dollar on his books.

Willie was falsely accused and convicted in Jim Crow New Orleans when he was 24 years old. He was presented two options: plead guilty and try to get parole for good behavior after 10.5 years or go to trial and likely get the death penalty by an all white jury.

Woven Denim Jumpsuit 🧬

Willie Ingram spent 51 years in Louisiana State Penitentiary for a crime he did not commit. Below, in brief, is Mr. Willie's story and the background on the garment inspired by it — designed by Samuel Touche Bowler.

Corseted Walnut Jumpsuit 🌰

Designer: Chelsea Coleman
Materials: walnut-dyed corseted denim

#jumpsuit #walnut #naturaldye

"Hi, Mom" 🧤

Designer: Kayvon Kousha
Model: Kayvon’s mom
Materials: indigo-dyed denim, leather, red madder-dyed thread, shells

#jumpsuit #denimstyle #naturaldye #indigo

Meet James Johnson Jr. tracking vocals for “Track 3.”

Ancestral Realm Travel Suit 🪞

Designer: Denisio Truitt
Materials: indigo-dyed modular denim

#jumpsuit #denimstyle #naturaldye #indigo