Explore Black History

July 2, 2020

This dress was created for the portrait of Breonna Taylor by the artist Amy Sherald. The painting was commissioned for the cover of "The Great Fire," the September 2020 special issue of Vanity Fair guest edited by Ta-Nehisi Coates paying tribute to the racial justice uprisings of spring 2020. The painting, and by extension this dress, serves as a "piece of inspiration to keep fighting for justice" for Breonna, and as a work of "promise, witness, (and) remembrance."
The dress designer, Jasmine Elder, stated that she "designed this dress in the midst of what felt like a war zone for African American people in our own homes. Learning of Breonna Taylor's murder was horrifying. Like many I felt helpless and angry. Creating anything bright and beautiful during a time that was anything but bright and beautiful felt almost miraculous." And while the style of the dress is the same in the portrait, the color of the dress in the portrait was changed to turquoise. Sherald spoke about the change of color in Vanity Fair: "'painting someone posthumously, I wanted it to feel ethereal but grounded at the same time,' Sherald says. She tried a rainbow of options, yellows and reds and pinks, but none felt quite right, until she invoked the portrait itself. ‘Breonna, what color do you want this dress to be? Please, tell me what color you want this dress to be,’ Sherald says she mused. Then she hit on blue, a shade that echoes Taylor’s March birthstone, the aquamarine. 'The color that I chose almost had a resplendence to it. The monochromatic color allows you to really focus on her face. The whole painting really becomes about her.'" As for the design, Elder noted that, “I wanted it to be something that her mom would love and her fiancé would love because I knew for this painting, it would be like her forever dress.”

Emerald green, bat wing maxi dress designed by JIBRI owner and designer Jasmine Elder. The dress was commissioned by the artist Amy Sherald for her portrait titled, Breonna Taylor. The solid color, size 14-16 dress is constructed from matte stretch crepe and features batwing sleeves, a deep V-neckline, a cinched high waistline, and an attached sash. The bodice of the dress is cinched at the waist by an interior elastic band. This results in the top of the dress blousing out slightly over the waistband. This elasticized waistband also creates gathers below the waist. The wide sash at the waist is the same fabric as the dress. It is stitched at the bottom center of the bodice, over the elasticized waistband. The sash ends are pointed and are longer than the dress. They are intended to wrap around the waist to be tied at the back. The skirt is floor length and A-line shaped. The skirt features two thigh-high slits to the left and right of the front, center creating a wide, rectangular panel at the front. The dress also features two pockets along the side seams, just below the waist. The dress is not lined and the white, elasticized waistband is visible at the interior waistline. A white fabric label with black printed text is sewn to the interior center neckline reads, [JIBRI] on the front and [Made in the U.S.A. / DRY CLEAN ONLY / www.jibrionline.com] on the back. A small, square, white, fabric label on top of the main label has black text on the front that reads [1].

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Clothing - Fashion and Historical

Black Lives Matter

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Amy Sherald

National Museum of African American History and Culture

2022.12

dresses

Unknown – Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

crepe with thread and elastic

H x W x D (Flat): 57 3/16 × 61 7/16 × 1 15/16 in. (145.2 × 156 × 5 cm)
Waist: 26 3/4 in. (68 cm)

Object Name • Dress commissioned by Amy Sherald for her portrait of Breonna Taylor

nmaahc_2022.12

NMAAHC

DRESS COMMISSIONED BY AMY SHERALD FOR HER PORTRAIT OF BREONNA TAYLOR

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

2020s

Elder, Jasmine • Sherald, Amy • Taylor, Breonna • JIBRI

Gwinnett County • Baltimore County • Baltimore • United States • North and Central America • Georgia • Maryland • Norcross

Design • Activism • Art • Black Lives Matter • Clothing and dress • Fashion • U.S. History, 2001- • Race relations

City • Norcross • County • Gwinnett County • State • Georgia • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America • City • Baltimore • County • Baltimore County • State • Maryland

Unknown - Restrictions Possible