Celebrating Black joy: Columbus artist teams with Abercrombie & Fitch for new collection
In the aftermath of George Floyd's death in May 2020, a moment that sparked widespread protest and a call for solidarity, visual artist Francesca Miller cast her artistic gifts to adorn Downtown Columbus with messages of hope.
Instead of illustrating the pain felt within the Black community, Miller decorated building walls and wooden panels with images representative of Black beauty, strength and resilience.
Less than a year later, the Bexley resident would lend her creativity to help spearhead Abercrombie & Fitch's latest capsule, "For Justice, For Joy Collection," a clothing collection that celebrates Black joy and showcases its visual forms with a selection of distinct pieces.
Considering the brand's recognition, Miller, 24, said she was shocked when the American retail giant emailed her for the project.
"I was like this is a spam email," she said. "When they reached out I was like this has to be a joke. I was completely shocked, I really was."
Miller acknowledges that she's never actually shopped at the retail giant, but after several conversations with company executives, the brand gave her the creative reins while providing the platform to convey her artistic message.
"It was refreshing to be working with such a big name company and you could tell it was genuine," she said. "You can tell they wanted to help with the movement.
"They could've worked with other artists who work with other brands, but they chose local, which speaks volumes about how intentional they're being."
Corey Robinson, senior vice president and head of Design & Merchandising, said the brand decided to contact Miller after several employees came across her work while marching in Downtown Columbus last summer. He said the vibrant imagery and messages of joy depicted in her work on the walls of the Columbus Commons and Ohio Theatre were in line with the company's goal to support people of color.
"There was magic in her expressive use of color and the way people smiled when seeing her work, even during such tough times," Robinson said. "We reached out to (Miller) in hopes that we could spread that same message through this capsule, which aligns with our company’s ongoing goal to support and uplift the BIPOC community, and we’re ecstatic with the results. She, and her artwork, radiate joy and we couldn’t be happier to have partnered with her."
The Miller-led capsule was launched on July 8 after about six months of preparation, and is currently available in Abercrombie & Fitch stores across the country and online for international purchase.
The collection includes three T-shirts; one filled with the words "Beauty, Brilliance and Resilience" on the front and Black women angelically dancing on the back. ; the second shirt has the name of the collection on the chest area and a small painting of two figures on the back; and the last shirt has a painting of Columbus artist CarolineINSPIRES Bennett placed at its center, who served as a major influence for the collection.
"I'm very intentional and love when everything gets connected, so I was really intentional about who and what I chose to reference for the designed pieces and shirts," Miller said.
Like Miller, Bennett, 27, said she was shocked but thrilled to find out one of her images would be used for the collection. And even in the weeks since its release, the singer and poet said, "I'm still on cloud 10,000."
Following Floyd's death, Miller joined other artists to paint murals that veered away from images of anger and protest, but instead, highlighted the joy and fearlessness Black families and communities embody.
"I just really wanted to highlight that our story goes beyond oppression and trauma and anger," Miller said. "That definitely is a part of our story and it is necessary to keep telling, but I just want to highlight that we're more than that. We do more than cry, march and protest. We laugh. We dream. We love."
As Miller spent months working on the collection, she wanted to promote the same messaging. Rather than place outward signs of jubilance, she pictured how elation comes in different forms — stillness, calm and silence.
"We, as people of color, need to be reminded of our side of the story," she said. "Joy is available to us. We can laugh and love despite what we experience in this world. That's probably a top priority in my art in general."
Since the collection's release, Robinson said customers and those who follow the brand, have enjoyed the project. More important, the collection has fostered deeper discussions inside and outside the company about the importance of telling similarly holistic stories.
"The purpose and intention of the collection is to spark discussion and it’s heartwarming that people have truly taken that intention to heart," he said.
Bennett said it's also a great opportunity to enlighten and educate those outside the Black community, as they are often unfairly misrepresented in other mediums. The Tulsa-born artist said the next step is for Abercrombie & Fitch to utilize more people of color in its projects.
"My hope that it continues and people begin to see more Black and (Latino) faces in A&F because, why not?" she said. "And the fact (Miller) was able to use me, some Black chocolate girl with big nostrils and blue hair, that's not celebrated in the world. That's why I'm honored."
In time, Robinson said the "For Justice" collection will continue incorporating new voices and serve as a vessel for further perspectives to be shared with the world.
Going forward, Miller said she's looking forward to collaborating with other international brands and to continue showcasing the various layers that makeup people of color.
"My goal with my art is to work with businesses, organizations and create art for them," Miller said. "I love painting people's grandmas, but if feels like I'm serving a greater purpose when I get into the commercial art world. It's exciting to me. I love collaboration and team building. For so long, people acted like art doesn't have a place in that space."