Jeremy O. Harris' First SSENSE Collection Is Inspired by Black Trailblazers
Fashion

Jeremy O. Harris' First SSENSE Collection Is Inspired by Black Trailblazers

It was only a matter of time until fashion's favorite playwright Jeremy O. Harris dabbled with his first full collection. The polymath is not only an avid luxury shopper, but counts many big designers as his close friends.

Today, Harris was announced as the inaugural partner under SSENSE's new cross-disciplinary platform SSENSE WORKS, which will continue to partner with a different creative going forward. His debut collection counts Black writers and artists like Zora Neale Hurston, Ethel Waters and photographer Tyler Mitchell as the sources of inspiration for this project. It will also capture Harris' rich, prismatic style, as well as the intimacy of his words (text from an unreleased work is featured throughout select garments).

"It is a humbling honor to be invited by SSENSE to continue my exploration in shifting the perception of who theatre is for and how one integrates new communities into one of our world's oldest art forms," Harris said in a statement. "Moreover in this moment of an unprecedented stasis of theatre globally it is a privilege to be able to commemorate the energy of artists like Zora Neale Hurston and Adrienne Kennedy."

In addition, the project will raise funds for American Playwrights with 100% of Harris' royalties donated to The Bushwick Starr's Pet Project Grant with the goal of reinstating the New Deal's Federal Theatre Project. (The retailer will also donate a portion of net proceeds from the collection to The Bushwick Starr's Pet Project Grant to provide financial relief to playwrights during the pandemic.)

The gender-neutral collection features 20 pieces including t-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, trousers, a jacket, skirt, tote bag and socks. Prices range from $40 - $360 and is available now exclusively at SSENSE.

Photos courtesy of SSENSE