Evergreen Style: Juneteenth with Maria Brown

Juneteenth marks a monumental moment in the history of the United States. It commemorates the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation that occurred on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas. While this executive order liberated people of African descent from enslavement within the country, the struggle for freedom did not end.

Descendants continue to confront parallel systems of oppression in every aspect of life. This often manifests in resistance by way of creative expressions that support sustainability and showcase ingenuity. Every year on this date, many descendants pause to reflect on the resilience of their ancestors and celebrate their legacy. The Threads of Freedom exhibit at the Tacoma Art Museum is one such example in the Puget Sound.

Threads of Freedom exhibit banner

Tacoma Art Museum

In this interview, I explore how one of the featured designers—Maria Brown—is leveraging fashion as a tool for empowerment. By integrating ancestral practices and techniques, Maria is on a journey to thread culture and identity into design to encourage a more personal, purposeful approach to fashion.

JeLisa: What is your earliest memory of sustainability, particularly in terms of fashion?

Maria: My mother would sew our clothes and fix my father’s clothes. When I was 13, I would reuse household items to try to make jewelry.

JeLisa: Did this experience influence your current work? Why or why not?

Maria: Yes! I use fabric scraps to make textile jewelry and toys. 

JeLisa: What does your work entail?

Maria: I mostly use secondhand fabric in my sewing, design, and alterations business. If I need to purchase new fabric, I purchase fabric made from natural fibers (e.g., cotton, linen). When I make toys, I use smaller fabric scraps to stuff the toys. I only stuff toys with natural fiber fabric scraps. I also teach sewing lessons and work during a visible mending workshop once a month. For both, I encourage the use of natural fiber fabrics and upcycling clothes. I also encourage the purchase of high-quality secondhand clothing versus purchasing new clothing.

JeLisa: Right on! Can you tell me a little about your upcoming workshop, Redefining Luxury–The Black Experience of Sustainable Practices?

Maria: The workshop covers the history of fashion in Africa, what different regions are known for, and how sustainability practices became displays of resistance. It then covers the sustainability practices of enslaved persons in America and how those practices have been passed down through the generations. Part of the workshop is designed to encourage attendees to engage in sustainable fashion practices. In addition to those things, we hope to encourage others to set their own fashion trends through mending and other sustainable practices.

JeLisa: Why do you think it is important to highlight the Black experience in sustainable fashion?

Maria: Black people have always used what is available to make what they want. And historically, we've always been very good at it. There are Black fashion brands that make high-quality clothing with natural fiber fabrics while encouraging others to set their own trends.

JeLisa: Is there a technique from anywhere across the African diaspora that is a part of your design practice? If so, what is it and why is it meaningful?

Maria: Hand sewing is part of my design practice. Of course, it is not unique to anyone in the world, but it helps me to feel connected to my ancestors and our history.

JeLisa: Taking all of this into consideration, what does Threads of Freedom represent for you?

Maria: When I started this journey of putting together the workshop, I did not have an appreciation for African fashion. Through research for this project, I learned that most of what is sensationalized as African fashion is produced in China. The week before my research began, I visited the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, BC, where I saw an exhibit on textile printing from India. Part of the exhibit was devoted to information about cotton and the Trans-Atlantic trade of enslaved people. That was when my eyes were opened [to] authentic textile printing and African designs. 

About five books into my research, I felt appreciation and release. Catharsis. Threads of Freedom represents the connection to the past. It represents an appreciation for my ancestors that was on hold for so many years. It represents the fact that deep inside I could recognize the lie that was meant to represent my past. Mostly, it represents my awakening – awakening to the truth and being able to use the truth of the past to forge ahead to the future. 

JeLisa: Beautiful. What does the future of sustainable fashion look like to you?

Maria: The future of sustainable fashion looks like resistance against Black dollars going where they aren't appreciated. It looks like Black designers taking center stage and all of us using our creative voices in acceptance of creating and supporting fashion that has meaning, be it the appreciation of handmade designs or fashion prints that send messages.

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In honoring Juneteenth, we acknowledge the rich heritage and spirit that has shaped communities of African-descended peoples in our community and beyond. This story is a testament to how local designers from the diaspora are challenging perceptions of luxury by threading history into works of wearable art. 

To learn more about Maria’s contributions to the Threads of Freedom exhibit at the Tacoma Art Museum, view the details on the website.