Too Much Fashion: An ode to Black creative resilience
Opening reception: Friday, August 1, 6-9pm
Curated by Ilene Sova and Byron Armstrong, Too Much Fashion is a group exhibition featuring the dynamic practices of Ojo Agi, Benny Bing, Veronica Dorsett, Kachelle Knowles, Kriss Munsya, Ehiko Odeh, Adetona Omokanye, Janice Reid and Gordon Shadrach..
Derived from a favourite catchphrase of the late Andre Leon Talley, Too Much Fashion evokes the influence of Black culture on the world of fashion. Whether the Black Dandy, heavy metal Cowboy culture, the Sapeur movement in Africa, hip-hop streetwear — like Canadian designer Adrian Aitcheson’s Too Black Guys or Garie Adamson’s 100 Miles — or the migration of Jamaican Rude Boy/Rude Girl “stylee” to the UK, Black culture has left an indelible imprint on style across the globe. Talley, often adorned in grand capes and flowing gowns calling back to African royalty, was a larger than life representation of the impact of Blackness on the fashion world.
Like Black artists, Black creatives in fashion chipped away at the glass ceiling of an industry where a different standard dictated who and what was beautiful, breaking ground through steady years of determination and effort which finally led to recognition of their talents. In Canada, trailblazers like Bijette Spencer catwalked 70s runways so Denise McLeod and Hondo Flemming could break colour barriers on 80s magazine covers. The 90s legends Charlene Francique and Stacey McKenzie slayed so Winnie Harlowe could make history in the 2000s showcasing the complexity of Black complexion and the beauty of diversity. As artists pull inspiration from the world around them, so too can fashion be an influence from which to draw — literally and figuratively.
At a moment when Black bodies and identities remain sites of political tension and cultural appropriation, Too Much Fashion insists on celebration, visibility, and self-definition. The exhibition resists erasure, offering a vibrant visual chorus of defiance, beauty, and possibility.