Jacket, top, and skirt designed by Damali and worn by Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole

Object Details

Designed by

Damali Afrikan Wear, founded 1991

Worn by

Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, American, born 1936

Description

An African-inspired ensemble designed by Damali and worn by Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole consisting of a short-sleeved crop jacket (.1), a long-sleeved fitted shirt (.2), and a wide circle skirt (.3).

.1: Cropped jacket with short dolman sleeves and a rounded stand-up collar made from multiple fabrics in muted brown tones. The body and sleeves of the jacket are made from a dark brown satin with raised design of swirling lines. The collar is made from a gold, green, and eggplant design of diamonds. There is one (1) patch pocket sewn at the proper right front made from a textured fabric with a deep brown short piled velvet interspersed with chevrons in orange and cream. The seams down the center of the side panels on the front and back, the edges of the pocket, and two (2) bars across each side of the collar are trimmed in shiny gray piping. The jacket closes at the center front with one (1) black snap. A large round dark brown decorative button is sewn on the proper right front opening. The jacket is lined with a burgundy satin. There is a designer label sewn at the center back interior neck made from white fabric with machine-embroidered black text reading "DAMALI".

.2: Long-sleeved fitted shirt with v-neck made from multiple fabrics in gray tones. The center front bodice is made from a mid-weight olive gray cotton printed with a cream design of alternating undulating stripes of large circles and small circles. A panel of cream satin with brocaded striped sections bisects the center front just below the bust that has a gray circular sunburst brocaded design at the center. The sides and back of the bodice are made from a taupe and black slubbed fabric. The straight cut sleeves are made from a gray and cream fabric with a brocade palm leaf repeating design. Shiny gray piping is sewn along the shaping seams of the bodice on the front and back, at the top and bottom edges of the center decorative panel, and along the sleeve seams. The shirt closes at the center back with an invisible plastic zipper that extends from the center back hem to just below the back yoke. The shirt is not lined. There is a designer label sewn at the center back interior neck made from white fabric with machine-embroidered black text reading "DAMALI" and an additional tag sewn below it reading "DRY CLEAN ONLY".

.3: Olive gray calf-length circle skirt with a wide waist band. The waist band and the top half of the skirt are made from a mid-weight olive gray cotton printed with a cream design of alternating undulating stripes of large circles and small circles. The bottom portion of the skirt is made from a dark olive gray knit blended fabric. The seams joining the two fabrics and the seam around the bottom of the waist band are trimmed in shiny gray piping. The skirt closes at the side waist with a metal zipper and a metal hook-and-eye. The waist band is lined with gray synthetic fabric, the rest of the skirt is not lined.

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Johnnetta Betsch Cole

2012

Object number

2015.209.7.1-.3

Restrictions & Rights

No Known Copyright Restrictions

Type

jackets

shirts

skirts

Medium

synthetic fiber, cotton, and piping, with plastic and metal closures

Dimensions

H x W (.1 flat): 20 1/2 × 33 1/2 in. (52.1 × 85.1 cm)

H x W (.2 flat): 25 × 57 in. (63.5 × 144.8 cm)

H x W (.3 flat): 34 1/2 × 64 1/2 in. (87.6 × 163.8 cm)

Place used

Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification

Clothing-Fashion

Exhibition

Cultural Expressions

On View

NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 050

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Topic

African American

African diaspora

Clothing and dress

Design

Fashion

Fashion design

Local and regional

Record ID

nmaahc_2015.209.7.1-.3

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5ec0c2734-cccc-40b8-8add-5012acfebd46