Man's top
Brand
Denim Tears
(American, founded 2019)
2023
Cotton
Gift of Denim Tears
Object number2023.47.2
American designer Tremaine Emory uses Denim Tears to illuminate African Diasporic histories. “Late Capitalism,” coined by economist Werner Sombart, refers to the current period since WWII, marked by globalized corporations, markets, and labor and mass consumption. Although Emory juxtaposes this idea with images of Harlem, Georgia, his family’s hometown, representing “culture and community,” the prominence of cotton in his design, including his signature cotton wreath print, points to enslaved African Americans’ forced contribution to globalized economic networks.
DescriptionShort sleeve button up cotton shirt, notched collar, printed image of a cotton field and sky with Late Capitalism printed in white textExhibitions