Voice of America - VOA News on Nostr: One-of-a-kind Black American quilting tradition collides with retailer Target ...
One-of-a-kind Black American quilting tradition collides with retailer Target
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Gee's Bend quilts, a unique Black American quilting tradition, have become popularized and collides with corporate America through a limited-edition collection launched by Target. The collection, inspired by the quilts' designs, sold out in many stores. However, the five Gee's Bend quilters who contributed to the collection received a flat rate for their work instead of pay proportionate to Target's sales. This one-off partnership with Target benefits only a small number of people and raises questions about meaningful change for the marginalized community as a whole. The commodification of Gee's Bend quilts has a history of problematic financial arrangements, disrupting the Quilting Bee's price-sharing structure. The Target collection was mass-produced from new fabrics in factories overseas, contrasting with the community's quilting practice of repurposing fabric. While the collection brings visibility, it hasn't necessarily translated into economic gains for the Gee's Bend community, which still faces economic challenges and needs revitalization. The collaboration with Target is seen as a way to make the designs accessible to a wider audience, but it also raises the challenge of preserving authenticity while reaching a broader market.
#Quilting #BlackAmerican #Gee'sBend #Target #LimitededitionCollection #CorporateAmerica #Commodification #FinancialArrangements #EconomicRevitalization
https://www.voanews.com/a/7607771.html
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Gee's Bend quilts, a unique Black American quilting tradition, have become popularized and collides with corporate America through a limited-edition collection launched by Target. The collection, inspired by the quilts' designs, sold out in many stores. However, the five Gee's Bend quilters who contributed to the collection received a flat rate for their work instead of pay proportionate to Target's sales. This one-off partnership with Target benefits only a small number of people and raises questions about meaningful change for the marginalized community as a whole. The commodification of Gee's Bend quilts has a history of problematic financial arrangements, disrupting the Quilting Bee's price-sharing structure. The Target collection was mass-produced from new fabrics in factories overseas, contrasting with the community's quilting practice of repurposing fabric. While the collection brings visibility, it hasn't necessarily translated into economic gains for the Gee's Bend community, which still faces economic challenges and needs revitalization. The collaboration with Target is seen as a way to make the designs accessible to a wider audience, but it also raises the challenge of preserving authenticity while reaching a broader market.
#Quilting #BlackAmerican #Gee'sBend #Target #LimitededitionCollection #CorporateAmerica #Commodification #FinancialArrangements #EconomicRevitalization
https://www.voanews.com/a/7607771.html