“When I started researching [for Hell's Kitchen], I knew there were certain brands I wanted to incorporate just because they're great signifiers of the 90s, but FUBU felt like a strong one. It felt like Ali needed to be in that because she, in some ways, is in a moment where she's trying to stick her ground, right? She's a teen who was just trying to say, ‘Look at me. I'm here. I'm my own woman,’ even though she's still on a journey…I’m trying to connect her defiance with the defiance of hip-hop culture in a world that sort of didn't appreciate Black bodies.”
This week we welcome Tony Award-winning costume designer Dede Ayite! You’ve seen her designs in Broadway shows like Appropriate, Days of Wine and Rose, Hell’s Kitchen, and Jaja’s African Hair Braiding—and that was just for this 2023-2024 season! We dive into why research is her favorite part of the design process, what she hopes audiences receive from her work, and what it felt like making history as the first Black woman to win the Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Play.
Recommendation: Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Shout out: Whitney White, Jocelyn Bioh, and Jaja’s African Hair Braiding cast
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