Welcome to the

Black Fashion Week Exhibit Page

Connecting Threads: African Fashion in Chicago

Greetings and welcome.

In 2025, as part of our 10-year anniversary, Black Fashion Week was honored to co-curate the exhibition Connecting Threads: African Fashion in Chicago at the Field Museum. This landmark exhibition celebrated the designers, textiles, and cultural traditions that continue to shape African fashion in Chicago.

The exhibition highlighted Chicago creatives who are advancing African fashion through craftsmanship, storytelling, and cultural preservation.

Each designer was thoughtfully integrated into the exhibition experience through portrait installations, mannequins, video storytelling, curated display cases, and immersive wall displays. Every placement within the exhibition was intentional—designed to illustrate how African textiles, patterns, and cultural symbols continue to influence contemporary fashion.

A Special Thank You

Black Fashion Week would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Field Museum for entrusting us with the opportunity to help bring the vision of African fashion in Chicago to life within one of the city’s most respected cultural institutions.

Explore the Exhibit Gallery

We hope visitors to this page can imagine themselves walking through the exhibition—experiencing the textiles, garments, and artifacts that illuminated Chicago’s connection to African fashion traditions.

Browse our full gallery to see highlights from the exhibition and discover the designers and cultural symbols that defined this historic showcase.

Continue the Movement

Although the exhibition has officially closed, the celebration of African fashion continues.

You can support the movement by exploring our Adinkra Symbol Collection, which includes:

• T-shirts
• Tote bags
• Mugs
  

Visitors can also discover The Little Black Boutique Guidebook, a curated guide featuring Black-owned fashion boutiques organized by neighborhood throughout Chicago.

Limited quantities of these items are still available at the Field Museum Gift Shop.

We hope this exhibition inspires you to continue exploring African fashion in Chicago and to support the designers and cultural traditions that keep this legacy alive.