Jacket, top, and skirt designed by Damali and worn by Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole
date: label: Date
content: 2012
name: label: Designed by
content: Damali Afrikan Wear, founded 1991
label: Worn by
content: Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, American, born 1936
notes: label: Description
content: 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).
label: Description
content: .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".
label: Description
content: .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".
label: Description
content: .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.
place: label: Place used
content: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: African diaspora
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Design
label: Topic
content: Fashion
label: Topic
content: Fashion design
label: Topic
content: Local and regional
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Fashion and Historical
label: Exhibition
content: Cultural Expressions
label: On View
content: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 050
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Johnnetta Betsch Cole
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2015.209.7.1-.3
objectType: label: Type
content: jackets
label: Type
content: shirts
label: Type
content: skirts
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: synthetic fiber, cotton, and piping, with plastic and metal closures
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (.1 flat): 20 1/2 × 33 1/2 in. (52.1 × 85.1 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (.2 flat): 25 × 57 in. (63.5 × 144.8 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (.3 flat): 34 1/2 × 64 1/2 in. (87.6 × 163.8 cm)