Think about pretty much anything we consider to be quintessentially American and the story goes a little something like this: African-American folks invented it and then white folks stole it, claiming it as their own. This cycle of cultural highway robbery applies to jazz, rock and roll, and even our beloved greaser fashion.
Thee Teen-Aged and Union have come to set the record straight with their “Trust the Process – The Angry Voices of Watts” collection. The collection and lookbook take inspiration from Life Magazine’s 1966 “Watts: Still Seething,” which features a color photo series by photographer Bill Ray examining life a year after the 1965 Watts Riots/ Watts Rebellion. The collection simultaneously pays homage to the people of Watts who put their lives on the line in 1965 to protest unfair living conditions and to reexamine “greaser style.”
Alyasha Owerka-Moore and Chris Gibbs, (of Thee Teen-Aged and Union respectively) reminds us of the roots of the pervasive style and in so doing, re-emphasize a nearly-forgotten chapter in the history of black style.
The collection ranges from $15-$270 and can be shopped at Thee Teen-Aged.
