Kimberly Jenkins is the founder of The Fashion and Race Database and Artis Solomon Consulting. Artis Solomon offers consulting on fashion history and cultural awareness, and is a one of a kind learning platform that is supported by subscribing universities and museums globally. Kim formerly held the position of Assistant Professor of Fashion Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University and lecturer at Parsons School of Design and Pratt Institute. She has spent over ten years studying the impact of our clothes and how we express ourselves, through the lenses of politics, race, psychology and anthropology. She is best known for introducing the course "Fashion and Race" at Parsons, and for working as an education consultant for Gucci in Europe and Asia to support their efforts in design and cultural awareness. Most recently, Kim co-produced and hosted the podcast, "The Invisible Seam," in partnership with Tommy Hilfiger, highlighting the underrepresented contributions Black culture has made to fashion.
In this episode, Kim and I discuss how she became interested in the cultural contexts of dress, how she became disenchanted and then excited again by building much-needed communities and databases within the industry, on looking to fill voids within the industry, and how her journey blossoming towards an authentic career has led to invaluable conversations and communities.
