This past May, I had the pleasure of attending Beyond Fashion Fest in Iowa City. Launched by Iowa native Andre Wright, it was a weekend of fashion, comedy and fun. As a Black woman, witnessing a brother move in his own creative lane was inspirational. I walked away from the festivities thinking, “How did he […]
Humanize My Hoodie
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Paris, Milan, New York … Iowa City? Designer Andre’ Wright works to establish Fashion Activism Institute in downtown IC
Fashion wasn’t the focus of last year’s racial justice protests, but what demonstrators wore — Black Lives Matter T-shirts, face masks reading “I can’t breathe” — became part of the message. Andre’ Wright understands the role of fashion in activism better than anyone, and now he’s teaching others how to use clothing to send a […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Andre’ Wright creates space in downtown Iowa City for BIPOC people to heal, create and protest
It was the kids who came up with the name. When designer and Humanize My Hoodie co-founder Andre’ Wright accepted an offer from Revival owner Sheila Davisson to make use of her then-vacant Ped Mall space, he didn’t have a name in mind. All he had was a vision, to “really show this community what […]
Posted inCOVID-19
‘When is enough enough?’ Hundreds gather in Iowa City to remember George Floyd and other victims of racism and police violence
It was obvious before you reached the Pentacrest on Saturday that the protest rally scheduled for noon was going to be different. Clinton Street was blocked off from Washington to Jefferson, and a traffic barrier at Dubuque Street kept cars off Iowa Avenue. The streets weren’t blocked for a march, but to allow the hundreds […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Documentary following Humanize my Hoodie founders at New York Fashion Week to screen in Cedar Rapids
Humanize My Hoodie — a movement aimed at raising awareness of the implicit bias in how American society views people of color — is coming to Cedar Rapids on Thursday. The latest project for co-founders Jason Sole and Andre Wright is a 30-minute documentary focusing on their lives and work, culminating in their journey to […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Humanize My Hoodie receives a shout-out from John Legend
By outfitting the world in sweatshirts bearing the phrase “Humanize My Hoodie,” Jason Sole and Andre Wright hope to spark conversation about the intersection of fashion, prejudice and violence. That conversation has been furthered by none other than John Legend, after the 10-time Grammy winner posted shout-outs to Sole and the Humanize My Hoodie movement on social media Tuesday
