On black style: black style in the blogosphere

Abstract

This creative research project titled On Black Style: Black Style in the Blogosphere is an explorative study of black style and black identities as seen through the fashion blogosphere. It explores how the fashion blogosphere has allowed individuals of Black African descent to advance sartorial representations of black identities in fashion media, as well as visualizations of black style. Data were collected from two groupings of voluntary participants. The first involved 2 fashion bloggers of Black African descent; the second involved 36 individuals of Black African descent from the Greater Toronto Area and Montréal who were recruited as street style participants. Themes drawn from analyses of the findings include post-black style, the problematic portrayal of black subjects in fashion media, and the incalculable influence of black style in the fashion blogosphere. Presented as an online fashion magazine, On Black Style features 20 street style participants. It is viewable at www.onblackstyle.com.