Trendsetter: Celebrating the work of Black Fashion students at Kent State University

By | Renee Ellis

Photographed by Iyanna Thomas

Last month, Paige Darling, a now-graduated fashion design student with a minor in entrepreneurship, curated an exhibit in Oscar Ritchie Hall, highlighting the designs and work of Black fashion design students at Kent State University. Her work, as well as the work of the designers who submitted their pieces, was breathtaking. Her statement was bold and powerful: Black designers are the trendsetters. Every piece in the exhibit held a strong sense of pride and connection between each seam. There was a variety of colors and silhouettes that were representative of the different styles within the Black diaspora. However, what stood out the most to me was the intentionality behind this exhibit.

With the passing of Senate Bill 1 in Ohio, public schools like Kent State University are no longer allowed to fund diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, much like the work of this fashion exhibit. This bill, being passed into law, has many people, especially students, scared about what the future holds for them, their work, and their representation here at Kent State University. To have this exhibit displayed in Oscar Ritchie while this law was going through the State House gave a strong message both to the school and to the students. I believe this exhibit showed the school that no matter what, we are still here and we will be seen. To the students, this exhibit proved that their voices will be heard despite adversity and that their cultural expression is irreplaceable. So much could be said about the brilliance of this exhibit, but there is no one better to hear from than the curator herself! I had the privilege of sitting down with Paige Darling to get her perspective on Trendsetter - Celebrating the work of Black Fashion students at Kent State University. 

Renee: What is your relationship to this exhibit? What drew you to want to create this? 

Paige: I used to work in the building as a student intern at Oscar Richie, and I would see people doing, you know, (working on) the gallery openings and being a part of that, helping set up, and I was like, it would be so much fun if we had something for the fashion students. So it was kind of like, (I worked there my sophomore year), so it was a two-year idea. Then I went to Italy in my junior year, and when I came back, I don't know, I still had this idea. I thought it would be something nice to do for the fashion students. I hadn't seen anything fashion-related in that space anyway. It just was kind of an idea that stuck with me, and I was just like, okay, this is my last year, my last hooray; I'm gonna actually do it this year. 

Renee: So it was like a celebration of fashion students a little bit?  

Paige: Yeah. The whole thing was about celebrating the Black fashion students on campus. I just wanted us to have that, especially since that's why the whole thing is named Trendsetters, too. I feel like the Black community - we are trendsetters, but we don't get the credit for that or get the acknowledgment. I want to showcase and celebrate the new trendsetters who are coming into the industry and who are making moves and making noise currently, especially in our space. 

Renee: That flows perfectly into my nice question! My next question, which you answered perfectly, but again, Trendsetters is such a futuristic name for an exhibit, I believe, when I read a lot of the descriptions [of the pieces in the room] are soaked in a lot of history; what was your hope for the people to connect with and what is the message behind the name? Which is, like you mentioned, wanting to highlight the fact that the Black community is the trendsetters, but we don't get the credit for it. Can you touch on a bit of the history aspect of it and how so much history made its way into the exhibit? 

Paige: I don't know. I feel like we naturally design with our personal histories in mind. I know that I do, and I believe that's probably [why so much history made its way into the gallery]. I know Bri, one of her pieces, like her illustrations, is inspired by Black hair, I think. Ababa stood out to me because hers tied into Jamaican culture. 

Renee: You know, my mother is half Jamaican! I believe that is probably why I was drawn to her piece. I thought that was so beautiful to see that represented - not just black culture, but a niche within the culture as well. 

Paige: And Harmony is Nigerian; she's also in the front. She's next to Ababas, and the front piece is inspired by, I believe, African architecture. No, no, actually, no, that one's inspired by her going to the markets with her mom. So, I think [we’re] just big into our personal history. I think as designers, we're finding ourselves. You can kind of find yourself within your past, and how it all jumbles together and mixes. 

Renee: Got you. 

Paige: I hope that was an articulate enough response! 

Renee: Absolutely, that is a beautiful quote! “As designers, we are finding ourselves and we find ourselves within our past.” It's beautiful. So, tell me more about your love of fashion and who/what inspires you to design and create.

Paige: So my mom was really big into getting me to do stuff, like when I was trying to find what I was interested in, and I tried so many things and I hated so many things. I'm not a sports person, never been a sports person, but she got me into sewing when I was in the first grade or something. I just kept sticking with it and kept coming back to it. So, when people were like, you know, deciding what they're gonna do in their career, I was like, well, I'm gonna go into fashion, which is my second nature because I've been doing it forever anyways. I think my inspiration comes a lot from, like I said, my life and my mother. I think about my experiences with her and growing up with her a lot. She instilled in me early on that whenever you leave the house, you always look presentable, and I always took clothes as a confidence boost and something that makes you feel good. It’s almost like a shield, like a good way to present yourself and give the first message as to who you are. 

Renee: Like an armor. 

Paige: Yeah, almost. So I [consider that] in how I design. I'm always looking for clothing. I want my clothes to make women feel confident and really sure of themselves. I think that's my identity, and I think that's what clothes should do. 

Renee: Let me ask you this: Are you a political person at all? 

Paige: Um. I would say yes, but I don't think I'm very knowledgeable about politics. I won't say if you're black, you should, or you’re most likely into politics, but I went to a PWI and I've always been to very White schools, and I've never feared talking about race. I've always wanted to celebrate and talk about race, and it's always been a subject I've been interested in, and how it intertwines with current life.

Renee: Perfect. 

Paige: So I would say maybe not politics, but race and diversity, and those subjects have always been important to me to discuss. Because I always felt like I didn't have Black people around me all the time, or like I was lacking that representation, and I craved it. So I'm always looking to bring that forward. 

Renee: Yeah. I feel like a lot of Black designers, especially if you go to a PWI, experience that to some degree. Given the current political climate, what are some of your worries for cultural expression and fashion, but what are some of your hopes? 

Paige: That's a great question. Worries for cultural expression in fashion: I think I worry that Black designers won't have the space to be publicly showcased and to get the roles. [Especially] in the industry, because I think that's a big portion of it. You have to be in the industry and be in the background to be able to bring the representation to the front. Because you have to have the people who know what they're talking about, and that have lived the experience to properly showcase it in campaigns, design, whatever it might be. 

Renee: Yeah. 

Paige: So I think with rolling back DEI initiatives and just racism being even more prevalent, like it's always there, but with our current president, it's even more out there, you know, people feel emboldened to say things that they probably wouldn't have felt like saying before. I worry that it wouldn't be in people's minds to have diverse teams and to allow Black people to showcase their message and do what they do best.

Renee: Hopes? 

Paige: Can you repeat your question? 
Like how you phrased it? 

Renee: Yeah, what are your hopes for a cultural expression in fashion? Which I can see that being a hard question because there is so much working against us right now. 

Paige: Yeah, I guess I would hope that we do get the opportunities and that we're recognized for the trends and aspects that we bring to the fashion industry. 

Renee: Yeah. Like, despite all - 

Paige: Yeah, despite it all, we still have that space, and we still get the opportunities. I think that's the biggest thing. Because when you don't have people in the room, then that's when you get campaigns and things where people are like, “You obviously didn't have anyone Black on your team.” And I think we also just have unique stories to tell. 

Renee: Absolutely. Yeah, you see some campaigns and it's like, “You did not run this by anybody.” 

Paige: 
You didn’t run this by any diverse team at all. There was no diversity, equity, or inclusion in the room. 

Renee: Or you picked people who you knew would let you get away with what you want! Are there any other dream exhibits you wish to create or any other aspirations in the curation space? 

Paige: I don't know, because someone asked me, um, Marcus asked me. He works with, well, I don't know his role, because at first he was in a DEI role, but with all the different DEI stuff

going on, he doesn’t anymore. But I had worked with him when I was an intern, and he asked me, “Oh, is this something that you want to do?” And I was like, I don't know. And I think when it opened, and so many people came up to me and were like, “Thank you so much for doing this,” and I saw the appreciation people had for it - it made me think, oh, maybe this is something that I would want to do. And I could see myself in this role. Like I said, naturally, I'm always talking about diversity and Black people and Black women especially. Because it's my reality, and it's something I’ve just always been passionate talking about. So I could see myself doing this. I would love to be able to do this again for Kent or maybe as a side hobby in a gallery space when I'm working. And when I become better connected with the different Black communities of fashion that I'm in, and wherever I go after this. I would love to do this again; it was so nice, and it was nice to see the appreciation people had for the designers. They were grateful to showcase their work, and the people coming in were excited to see other Black designers and celebrate their friends and their family. And then people were also like, “I've never been to Oscar Richie,” so I liked being able to bring new people into that space, too. 

Renee: You have a good talent for it! 

Paige: Thank you! 

Renee: You really do. 

Paige: I feel like I had a lot of impostor syndrome around it. I feel like I had a lot of help, so at times I'm like I don't know if it was me that did it, but I don't know, it kind of battled with that internally, trying to figure, like, did I do it or did I not?

Renee: I feel like for a lot of creatives, that's the constant battle. Because when it's coming out of you, it's like, you don't see it the way the other people receive it. We get the end product, we get the result, so it looks so nice and polished, it's like, I don't even know the half of it, and what it took to get there. From the outside looking in, it looks incredible. 

Paige: Thank you. I really appreciate it. I'm really proud of it and I'm really happy with how it turned out. It turned out even better than I imagined. 

It was an absolute pleasure to sit down and speak with Paige Darling. She was so poised and eloquent, but more importantly, getting her perspective on such an impactful exhibit was wonderful. Sitting and speaking with her, I was like a sponge, soaking in all that she had to say and being inspired by someone around most of our age range being able to curate a full exhibit in Oscar Ritchie Hall. Hopefully, we will continue to see more work like Trendsetters at Kent State, and students will be inspired by Paige to let their vision shine and to elevate the community around them.