Artistic Explosion During the Harlem Renaissance
A Background of the Harlem Renaissance:
The New York City neighborhood of Harlem greatly showcased the artistic explosion that was being popularized in many Black cities across America following the Great Migration. Due to harsh laws and economics toward African Americans in the south, hundreds of thousands moved north. Harlem was one of the most popular destinations for those traveling north. With alcohol being illegal, underground speakeasies were created, which also housed many outlets of the artistic explosion.
Fashion During the Harlem Renaissance:
Just like the explosion of other visual arts during the Harlem Renaissance, the art of fashion was no different. Fashion started to resemble the "personality" of the time. Men started to prefer "zoot" suits, which consisted of high-waisted, baggy trousers, as well as a long suit jacket. Hats with feathers were also commonly attached. The fashion scene among women in Harlem was notably different than that of the rest of the country and the world during the Harlem Renaissance. Women started to prefer fashion that was labeled as "elegant" and "flamboyant". This includes magnificent dresses that may have included stones, high heels, and silk gloves. The women of the Harlem Renaissance can be contributed to the creation of this type of style, which became widely popular. It is also important to note that the fashion styles of both the men and women were made to also be comfortable for activities such as dancing. This shows how the art of fashion during the Harlem renaissance was connected to other forms of art and showcases the personality of the Harlem people.
Coco Chanel is probably the most popular contributor to fashion during the Harlem renaissance. Due to the women of Harlem designing and making their own clothes, it is hard to pinpoint a prominent figure inside of Harlem. However, Coco took inspiration from the fashion from her home country of France, as well as American fashion, including that of the African American community. Her work was widespread and positively received around the world. A notable part of her work was how she replaced the extra materials with beads and embroidery when making clothes. Her work with jewelry also closely resembles that of the African American women in Harlem. She is still known all around the world today, especially for the founding of the company Chanel.
Coco Chanel
Music During the Harlem Renaissance:
Along with the explosion of other arts, music is one of the most important when thinking about the Harlem Renaissance. A new style of music emerged from this era: Jazz. Jazz became extremely popular and would commonly be performed at speakeasies. Jazz was soon considered a true symbol of African American culture and identity. Many musicians gained massive success during the Harlem renaissance, but there are a few that popularized the music worldwide.
Cab Calloway is one of these musicians. Cab was born in New York and went to college to become a lawyer. However, after college, he discovered his true passion for music. He then went on to perform in different nightclubs and soon met and was mentored by fellow Harlem Renaissance legend musician, Louis Armstrong. He then went on to create a band that included soon-to-be famous musicians, such as Chuck Berry. Cab became known for his personality and stage performances. He broke multiple records, especially with his song "Minnie the Moocher" which I have included a video below of one of his actual performances. This song made Cab the first black musician to sell more than one million records of a song. It also contains aspects of classic African American spirituals such as a simple call-and-response. In my opinion, Cab was very ahead of his time when it comes to his music and performances.
Hey! I found it very interesting when you mentioned how the clothing, especially for women, was super elegant. However, it was still comfortable so they could do activities. I am surprised during this time period, that women's comfortableness was something even considered. Even today it can be hard for women to find pants with large pockets because clothes for women tend to not always be practical and more about the look. I wonder, why that was? I'm also interested in what brought about their clothes to be so different than the rest of the world. Was it because when they went to dances they wanted to look really nice?
ReplyDeleteHey Caroline! I think it was because the majority of women made their own clothes during that time, so they could easily design their clothes the way they wanted, making it both comfortable and elegant. The comfort aspect of their clothes definitely had inspiration from dancing. The elegance aspect had more to do with the increase in wealth that was being shown in African American communities and the emergence of the African American middle class which showcased new materials and clothing that would have been previously unavailable to them.
DeleteHey Andrew, I didn't even think of the fashion when researching for my blog. I really enjoyed your details in describing the clothing of the time, and reading your blog makes me want to look into the clothing of the Harlem Renaissance more. I'd like to learn about the black designers of the time and what design aspects were distinctive to their work. Maybe our class will stumble upon something on our trip that can speak more to the fashion of the Harlem Renaissance.
ReplyDeleteHi Andrew! I enjoyed reading your post, especially the past where you talked about fashion. Having a prominent figure such as Coco Chanel promote the African-American culture through clothing I think was highly beneficial in extending the effects of the Harlem Renaissance overseas. Also, it seems very interesting how connected was the community of Harlem at the time, with Cab Calloway being mentored by Louis Armstrong, or Marian Anderson collaborating with Florence Price. I would really like to see this more in today's music industry. I feel it is now more rivalry than compassion, and the focus is on who will be involved in the next scandal, rather than on delivering a meaningful message.
ReplyDeleteHey! It didn't even think about including fashion during this era into my studies. What an interesting take! I enjoyed the new perspective you brought to the table as well as the information you gave specifically on Coco Chanel. What made you focus on fashion? Have you taken a costumes class at Centre by chance?
ReplyDeleteI think fashion is pretty cool, and while researching I noticed the way they dressed was very unique so I decided to go with fashion. I have not taken a costumes class, but that does sound interesting.
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