QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-10551

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project; The Henry Ford Collection; Black Diaspora Quilt History Project

If this quilt is owned by a museum, enter the accession number:

2020.135.1

Essay:

Fashion and cosmetics companies have long used the term nude for products made in a pale beige--reflecting lighter skin tones and marginalizing people of color. After one company repeatedly dismissed a customer's concerns, a global community of quilters produced this quilt to oppose this racial bias. To create the shirt designs, the women chose fabric that best represented their own skin tones.

"Nude is Not a Color" quilt. Quilt made solely of fabric and thread. Inspired by the experience of Bianca Springer. Designed and constructed by Hillary Goodwin in Auburn, California (machine-pieced, raw edge appliqué, and trapunto techniques). Paper-pieced pattern used in construction of the shirt/shirtdresses designed by Carolyn Friedlander. Shirt/shirtdress fabrics selected, and made by paper-piecing using the pattern purchased from Carolyn Friedlander, by over 25 quilters around the world (including the United States, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, and Australia) and then sent to Hillary Goodwin. Free-motion machine quilted (guided by hand, non-computerized) by Rachael Dorr in Bronxville, NY. Attached to the back of the quilt is a label with everyone's name on it. The designer/constructor of this quilt, Hillary Goodwin, created it in support of her friend, Bianca Springer. They were both fans of a company that produced couture garments as well as kits which they would buy to make their own similar hand-sewn dresses and skirts. In 2014, this company came out with a new collection of garments in the color "nude." (Many other companies have also used this designation for clothing, undergarments, hosiery, or makeup as well.) The "Nude" fabric of their garment line was a pale beige color--and far different than what Bianca knew as "nude." It was a color that reflected the skin tone of white women only. This designation made Bianca feel excluded and invisible to society as a woman of color. She contacted the company, thinking that the name was perhaps an oversight--reminding them that "nude" is a state of undress, not a color. That the shade they chose as "nude' reflected only people of lighter skin tone--thus marginalizing people of color. After receiving several dismissive responses downplaying her concerns, Bianca asked to speak to the owner of the company. She received an email from the owner dismissing her concerns as overblown and irrelevant--making it clear that the company had no plans to change the name of the new collection of garments from "Nude." Bianca had publicly supported this brand on her blog, so she felt a responsibility to share her experience with her readers--and received much support for her position from a broad range of women. Many decided to contact the company and use their voices to express their unwillingness to continue to support the company. Bianca continued to be involved in ongoing debates with people who did not understand her position, as well as conversations with those who did and looked to her to take the next steps--rally support, start a movement. Bianca felt a tremendous responsibility to engage and educate people, yet found it emotionally draining and overwhelming. Hillary Goodwin wanted to stand in solidarity with her friend, and with other people of color. Hillary approached Bianca with an idea--she wanted to make a statement in fabric, using not only her own voice, but enlisting the support of others. Bianca immediately supported the idea. Hillary made an online inquiry through Instagram, asking modern quilters around the world if they would be interested in making a shirtdress block in whatever color "nude" they felt best represented their skin tone, or that of people they loved. Hillary received blocks from over 25 women from around the United States, as well as around the world from places that included Brazil, Australia, the Netherlands, and Spain. The group included many women representing a range of skin color, each with a unique story to tell. Combining these shirtdress blocks with an image of Bianca posing in one of the dresses she had made from the original company in question, Hillary constructed a quilt showing a woman of color clothed in the gathered shades of "nude." With the creation of this quilt, Bianca no longer felt alone--she knew she had an ally who was willing to use her voice, her privilege, and her community to stand in support. The quilt offered Bianca an emotional reprieve and a positive redirection of energy as work on the quilt progressed--a way for this community of women to make a statement and a difference. More people became aware of the company's bias and lent their voice to the issue, demanding change. In time, the company eventually did change the name of the collection of garments. According to Hillary Goodwin, she and Bianca hope that the quilt "provides a strong testament to the power of women standing together and a recrimination of white privilege in the fashion industry and in the world as a whole."

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Nude Is Not A Color

How wide is the quilt?

93"

How long is the quilt?

82"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Overall color scheme:

Multicolor

Describe the quilt's layout:

Pictorial

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Piecing

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Applique

Describe the techniques used to make the quilt top:

Raw edge appliqué, paper piecing and trapunto techniques.

Describe the quilting designs used:

Free-motion machine quilted (guided by hand,

Type of inscription:

Multiple Names

Method used to make the inscription:

Attached label; Ink

Location of inscription:

on back

What is inscribed on the quilt?

Nicole Neblett, Tamara King, Berene Campbell, Carmen Alonso, Anne Eriksson, Silena Cauteha, Sandra Johnson, Rachel Singh, Alexandra Ledgermaid, Robin King, Lynn Carson Harris, Bianca Springer|, Chawne Kimber, Agnes Ang, Krishna Patel, Sonia Sanchez, Maita Marias, Amy Vaughn Reddy, Jess Ziegler, Michele Spiro, Rebecca Green, Kirsty Cleverly, Krista Hannebury, Phoebe Adair Harris

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

When was the quilt finished?

2017

Time period:

2000-2025

Details about why the quilt was made:

Intentionally activist

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Where the quilt was made, city:

Auburn

Where the quilt was made, state:

California (CA)

Where the quilt was made, country:

United States

Commercial name of the pattern for the top:

Paper-pieced pattern used in construction of the shirt/shirtdresses designed by Carolyn Friedlander.

Biography of the quiltmaker?

Hillary Goodwin MD is an Emergency Medicine Physician who processes the joys and challenges of her personal and work world through the art of modern quilt making. She has received several national awards for her quilts which have also been displayed throughout the world and featured in books and multiple magazines.

Nude: (n(y)ood ) the state of being undressed (NOT a skin color). I was introduced to the hand sewn garment work of Bianca Springer via social media in 2013. We were both devotees of a company that produced couture garments as well as kits which we would buy to make our own similar hand sewn dresses and skirts. In 2014 this company came out with a new collection of garments in the color "nude". The designation which appeared pale pink and far different than what she knew as "nude" understandably made Bianca feel excluded and diminished as a woman of color. She contacted the owner of the company to express her concerns a couple of times and was repeatedly dismissed. Hearing of this encounter was an eye opener for me as a white woman. How would I feel if I had to explain to my daughter that her skin tone was not the "standard"? How many other ways does my white privilege benefit me without me acknowledging it? How could I help stand in solidarity with my friend? Together we decided to make a statement in fabric. We inquired online of modern quilters around the world who might be interested in making a shirt dress block in whatever color "nude" they felt best represented them or the ones they loved. The response was encouraging . We ended up receiving blocks from over 25 women from as near as Ann Arbor, Michigan to as far as Brazil, Australia, the Netherlands and Spain. Our group includes many women of color, each with a unique story to tell. Using these blocks combined and a picture of Bianca posing in one of the dresses she made from the original company in question, I constructed a quilt of a woman of color dressed in all of our shades of "nude". Rachael Dorr then transformed the piece with her free motion quilting. There is no paint on this piece. It is constructed solely of fabric and thread. We hope that it provides a strong testament to the power of women standing together and a recrimination of a white privileged stance in the fashion industry and world as a whole.

-----Hillary Goodwin 11/23/2020

Implicit bias is something that is unknown to the person who holds a particular prejudice or stereotype. In a country with a long-standing history of racial oppression, discrimination, institutionalized and systemic racism, implicit bias is a given. When I became passionate about making, I discovered a couture company with techniques and patterns that fit my aesthetic. I supported them financially with purchases and with reviews on social media. I encouraged others to make with me and connected them with this brand. I eagerly anticipated the release of the new collection. When I saw it, I was thoroughly disappointed. The exorbitantly priced collection featured a non-diverse group of models wearing beige fabrics classified as "nude". My "nude" skin is not beige and the use of the term made it clear they did not have me in mind. I understood the racial implications for myself and reality of implicit bias in the unexamined mind. I graciously assumed this was an oversight on the part of the company. I emailed them to discuss the misnomer and to express my concerns about what it communicated. I reminded them that "nude" is a state of undress not a color. To use it to describe the color that only fits the white majority, signals white supremacy and marginalizes people of color. I immediately felt this collection was not for me. After several dismissive responses downplaying my concern, I insisted I speak with someone with greater authority on the issue. I received an email from the owner of the company who was aware of my concern from the previous messages. She unceremoniously dismissed it as overblown and my perspective as irrelevant. The entitled, privileged reply saddened me greatly and revealed that it may not have been an unconscious decision after all. She made it clear they had no plans to make the change and if I felt that was unacceptable, I was free to patronize her business no longer. I was surprised, disgusted and enraged by the dismissive, minimizing, racist revelations. I had publicly supported this brand on my blog so I shared my experience with my readers. I wanted them to know why they would see no more from me about that brand. The support for my position was overwhelmingly wonderful. Some readers immediately identified with my perspective while others had never thought of it and had "scales fall from their eyes". Many readers shared my outrage, sadness and disappointment at the owners attempt to make me insignificant. They decided to contact the company and use their voices to express their feelings and their unwillingness to continue to support the company as well. It was an emotional process that weighed heavily on me for months as the issue was discussed. I had ongoing conversations with people who did not understand my perspective, wanted clarification of my position, or to debate me on the significance of my concern. I had conversations with people who completely understood and wanted to offer support, but were looking to me for next steps. I had people reaching out to me with companies and brands that were guilty of the same offense. They wanted me to do something, say something, rally support, and start a movement. I felt a tremendous responsibility to engage and educate people, but it was emotionally draining and overwhelming. When Hillary approached me with the concept for the quilt, I was immediately in favor of it. Her concept was brilliant and the inclusion of community members as contributors meant she was using her voice and enlisting other people to do the same. I felt a psychological shift; I knew I wasn't in this muck alone. With the conceptualization of the quilt, the issue went from commiseration and emotional processing of systemic and overt racism, to a broader statement of activism. The conversations were ongoing, but I no longer had to bear the full weight of it on my own. I had an ally who was willing to use her voice, her privilege, her community to metaphorically walk beside me. The work of this quilt offered an emotional reprieve and positive redirection of energy. More people became aware of the company and lent their voice to the issue demanding change. In time, I was told the company eventually did change the name.
---Bianca Springer

Quilt top made by:

Goodwin, Hillary; Dorr, Rachel

Quilted by:

Dorr, Rachael

Other people who worked on this quilt:

Contributors from around the World including:; Neblett, Nicole; King, Tamara; Campbell, Berene; Alonso, Carmen; Eriksson, Anne; Cauteha, Silena; Johnson, Sandra; Singh, Rachel; Ledgermaid, Alexandra; King, Robin; Harris, Lynn Carson; Springer, Bianca; Kimber, Chawne; Ang, Agnes; Patel, Krishna; Sanchez, Sonia; Marias, Maita; Reddy, Amy Vaughn; Ziegler, Jess; Spiro, Michele; Green, Rebecca; Cleverly, Kirsty; Hannebury, Krista; Harris, Phoebe Adair

Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

African American

Quilt owner's name:

The Henry Ford

Source of the information on this quilt:

Museum employee

Ownership of this quilt is:

Public Museum, Library, or Institution

Quilt owner's city:

Dearborn

Quilt owner's county:

Wayne

Quilt owner's state:

Michigan (MI)

Quilt owner's country:

United States

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

The Henry Ford, all rights reserved.

When was the form filled out?

2024-08-05

Who photographed this quilt?

Photos courtesy of The Henry Ford.

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