fashion

Dressing up is steeped both in fantasy and reality. Children dress up as cops and queens and bring their fantasy selves to life with badges and tiaras. In adulthood, sartorial choices tend to be less about play and become more pragmatic.

For the first time since 2016, African Fashion Week will bring vibrant prints and innovative silhouettes to the Boston runway.

Boston is known for many things, but fashion is not one of them. That’s why Bethann Hardison’s presence at the Museum of Fine Arts on May 4 was a sartorial delight.

Joy isn’t a word often associated with the world of high fashion. But for Patrick Kelly, a Black, queer designer whose designs reigned on runways in the 1980s, joy and love were the main priorities.

Visitors to Bow Market in Somerville’s Union Square can now spot the vibrant colors and chic silhouettes of local designer Joelle Fontaine in the windows. Fontaine opened the first brick-and-mortar shop for her brand Kréyol at the end of May and has quickly become a part of the local business marketplace.

On Saturday, May 14, models strutted down the runway of the 2022 MassArt fashion show, displaying months of work by the graduating seniors of the fashion design program. Titled “404 Not Found” the show featured work by 21 students exploring themes such as race, gender, grief, the environment and inclusivity.

Earlier this month, theo tyson was appointed to be the Penny Vinik Curator of Fashion Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

This summer, the ICA Boston will present its first exhibition devoted to work by artist and designer Virgil Abloh. “Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech,” will delve into the artist’s work in fashion, painting, music and design.

Joelle Fontaine has been working in the fashion industry for years, but in 2020 she’s really hit her stride. Fontaine’s brand, I Am Kréyol, launched the Artisan Collection this year, featuring both garments designed by Fontaine and accessories and home goods by female artisans from around the world. In this way, the brand has become what Fontaine always wanted: a celebration of diverse female artists.

On Nov. 21, the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem transforms its galleries into a runway. Instead of the latest fashion week collections, visitors will find more than 108 mannequins sporting historical and contemporary outfits designed by pioneering women.

Boston resident and artistic jack-of-all-trades Hashim Wali always had a flair for fashion. Now he’s channeling that sensibility into his new product, myBrim, a set of changeable brims that tuck into the folded rim of knit beanie hats.

Linwood Fashion Group, a coalition of Boston fashion designers, transformed a residential street in Roxbury into an urban runway show called “Fashion on the Hill” on Saturday, Oct. 6, presenting original designs.