History
The 10Dresses Project was the brainchild of one persistent woman, Rebecca Russell.
Initially, Rebecca's vision was to create a rotating art installation of 10 Dresses that would showcase a fusion of history, textiles, fashion and art. The original idea came to her in 2021 while shopping in her local JoAnn Fabric store. She came across several bolts of reproduction Kente fabric and wondered to herself what 10 dresses spanning 200 years of American fashion would look like all created in the same Kente fabric. Rebecca began developing the idea and believed in the merits of the expression as an art form, a discussion piece and an exploration into American and African history. Unfortunately, the pushback she received was fierce, and Rebecca eventually capitulated on the original idea (though she hasn't given it up completely).
Not wanting to give up on the spirit of the idea of merging art, history and fashion, Rebecca set out to re-brand The 10Dresses Project and breathe new life into the organization. She filed for non-profit status and lit a fire under the mission and vision. Today, the 10Dresses Project is all about bringing fashion & history to local communities and igniting sparks everywhere it can.
Clothing tells a story! And all the elements that go into clothing - patterns, design, fabric, sewing, trimming, and blood, sweat and tears (truly!) - make up the WHOLE STORY of what it means to clothe ourselves. Understanding that history on an intimate level, and preserving all those skills and stories, is critical.
Rebecca believed strongly enough in its importance to start The 10Dresses Project and we believe you will believe in its importance, too!
