the artist
is the healer
Enriching the conversation by providing diverse perspectives on freedom, creativity, and community.
Equity Starts at Home: A Juneteenth Message
As Juneteenth becomes more widely recognized, we’re reminded that liberation is not a moment—it’s a movement. In her latest editorial, Equity Starts at Home, OAK & ACORN founder Miko Underwood revisits the legacy of her earlier CFDA pieces, “Red, White and Indigo” and “Juneteenth: A Year in Review,” and offers a timely reflection on what freedom demands in 2025.
"SINNERS" • The Fabric of Storytelling
Explore how Ruth E. Carter’s costume design in SINNERS uses denim to reflect class, culture, and identity. Discover denim’s deep roots in African American history, Gullah Geechee traditions, and its role as a social and political icon in America.
Why We Reshored: Protecting the Future of American Craftsmanship
In an industry where outsourcing became the norm, we chose to reshore. From Harlem to Los Angeles why we’ve invested in American makers, sourcing deadstock locally, and partneried globally with mills who share our values.
Learn why reshoring is about more than business — it’s about legacy.
the making of: the rooted kimono
A fusion of history, craftsmanship and sustainability—meet the Rooted Kimono. Made from reclaimed vintage West African indigo fabric, hand-printed indigo blankets, and repurposed denim, each piece is a testament of tradition and transformation.
Miko’s Love Letter to Denim
I LOVED YOU FOR WHAT YOU ALLOWED ME TO CREATE
Every time I cut, stitched, or washed you into something new, I was not just designing—I was in conversation with the past. With those hands. With that history.
You were not just my canvas. You were my connection to something sacred.
Remaining Awake through a Great Revolution
“We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.”
Nearly 57 years later, Dr. King’s “Remaining awake through a great revolution,” eerily calls attention to the global consciousness we currently face. A triple revolution that requires us to respond boldly with hope and unity.