Three Of Tuskegee’s Proudest Sons Bring Bold, Heritage-Focused Designs To Life With Taliaferro Union, HBCU Excellence Ensues [Exclusive]

Proud sons of Tuskegee formed by its storied historical past, Alvin and Alarie Percival and David Banks are honoring Booker T. Washington’s imaginative and prescient with each sew of their Taliaferro Union clothes line.

The model takes its title from Washington’s center title, “Taliaferro,” derived from the Italian “Tagliaferro,” that means iron cutter or blacksmith. The Percivals and Banks draw on this image of power and craftsmanship to information their work, linking their designs to Washington’s teachings on labor, ability, and self-determination.

“We’re three sons of Tuskegee, not simply the college however the metropolis,” stated David Banks, born on campus like his co-founders, whose great-grandfather was named Taliaferro and has a wealthy household historical past with the varsity. “We grew up within the shadow of the varsity, spending summers at camps, going to all of the soccer video games and also you’re form of simply itching to your flip as a result of your dream is to someday be on the college.”

Equally, the Percival twins have deep ties to the historic Alabama establishment. Their mother and father graduated from Tuskegee, and the brothers spent a lot of their childhood immersed within the rhythms of campus and city life. Alarie Percival described rising up working the land, reflecting the agricultural basis Washington promoted.

“We’re from the nation, so all of us grew up mainly on farms,” he informed BOSSIP. “My dad was additionally a Tuskegee College alum, majored in agriculture. So we grew up working the land, rising no matter you’ll be able to consider underneath the solar and elevating herds of sheep and goats. So we simply felt like what Booker T Washington stood out to do at Tuskegee Regular, which is now Tuskegee College, aligned with us having an identical background in agriculture and our curiosity in clothes and wonderful tailoring. We felt prefer it [Taliaferro Union] was an ideal match.”

“It form of like that full circle second,” added his brother Alvin Percival.

Taliaferro Union’s collections draw instantly from Tuskegee’s archives and historical past. The Archive Revival Assortment revives century-old campus uniforms and athletic attire, together with collegiate cardigans, chenille-letter pullovers, and yellow tracksuits as soon as worn by the Tuskegee swim workforce.

“One in every of Booker T. Washington’s most well-known quotes was, ‘Solid down your bucket the place you might be,’” stated David. “And that’s form what did right here. We didn’t have to look far and large for inspiration. We actually simply searched proper underneath our ft. Tuskegee has such a wealthy visible archive and legacy that it didn’t take a lot digging to uncover issues that impressed us.”

The Singing Home windows Shirt stands out as a centerpiece of the gathering.

Impressed by the stained glass of the Tuskegee College Chapel, the home windows depict the liberation of the Israelites and the African American journey from slavery to freedom.

“That is an iconic piece that generally will get overshadowed, as a result of lots of people are extra aware of the Booker T Lifting the Veil monument on campus, however not lots of people acknowledge the stained glass home windows, that are encased inside the TU chapel,” stated Alvin. “In order that was form of a aim for us, which David pieced collectively superbly. We have been in a position to simply replicate that on a shirt and in a phenomenal approach.”

The designers see their model as a mirrored image of Tuskegee’s distinctive tradition and the power that comes alive amongst college students and alumni. Tuskegee is thought for “The Shed,” a bit the place fanatical undergrads don their faculty’s crimson and previous gold and belt out their famed “Ball and Parlay” chant. The pleasure is infectious, permeating the air of the east-central Alabama city with a spirit that rivals, and infrequently surpasses, that of different HBCUs.

“My principle on that’s, Tuskegee is a small city in Alabama, it there’s no actual main metropolis shut by, so quite a lot of what you must do to entertain your self is on campus along with your friends,” stated Alvin. “So I believe us not having as a lot proximity to different issues, I believe that provides us that leg up on camaraderie and college spirit that no different faculty rivals.”

That very same pleasure extends past the campus gates as Taliaferro Union channels its faculty spirit into motion, giving a portion of every sale again to Tuskegee College.

“I believe an enormous a part of our mission too, isn’t solely simply to inform the story, however to do one thing impactful as properly,” stated David. “So all of the assist that we get, we put additionally again into the varsity.

Alarie additionally emphasised that the model fills a niche out there for well-made, lasting collegiate attire.

“Whenever you have a look at the background of a few of these classic items,you study in regards to the faculty having a tailoring program,”stated Alarie. “They realized to stitch their garments and do all these trades and we form of bought away from that as a result of in as we speak’s instances, we’re inundated with quick style. I needed to get again to high quality items that should final.”

He continued,

“An enormous driver for me personally with this mission is throughout undergrad, I didn’t actually buy quite a lot of faculty paraphernalia. Some issues have been okay, however I simply didn’t discover something that actually spoke to me that I needed to maintain. I believed that as a complete, we may fill a niche of what the market’s lacking. That’s actually what I believe the legacy I’d like to depart is, that we wish to put one thing on the market that we may be pleased with. High quality pushed, that leaves an enduring impression, and scratches the artistic bug in all of us.”

“We wish to create future heirlooms,” added David Banks.

Finally, the founders see Taliaferro Union as an ongoing connection between previous and current that reverently honors their beloved T.U., thou pleasure of the swift rising South.

“It’s about storytelling and being the keepers and tellers of our personal story from our personal perspective,” stated David. “It’s simply nonetheless exhibiting that you are able to do a factor that you simply set your thoughts to.”

“Our garments communicate volumes to your complete storyline of Tuskegee College in addition to us and the way we assist to bridge the hole of sharing that imaginative and prescient of one thing that we admire,” stated Alvin. “Hopefully, folks can respect that.”

Discover Taliaferro Union on-line and on social media @TaliaferroUnion, the place each piece comes stitched with TU pleasure.

The put up Three Of Tuskegee’s Proudest Sons Deliver Daring, Heritage-Centered Designs To Life With Taliaferro Union, HBCU Excellence Ensues [Exclusive] appeared first on Bossip.

About The Author