Branch, Clara (late twentieth century (active))
Person
Dates
- Existence: late twentieth century (active)
Biography
Clara Branch was an alumna of FIT having graduated in 1948. She became a member of the staff and faculty of the Fashion Design Department, and founded the The Soul Club, a student club at FIT, serving as the club’s advisor until her retirement in 1991. The Soul Club is best remembered for its annual standing-room only event, The Soul Fashion Show, which was held at FIT from 1971 through the early 1990s. Branch directed these shows which featured the work of young Black designers and models, and were supported by the larger community of the New York City fashion industry.
Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:
Black Rap, 1969-1971, 1969-1971
sub-sub-series
Identifier: SC.FITA.4.3.2.9
Scope and Contents
Nine different issues of Black Rap (plus two additional copies each for two of those issues), a student publication affiliated with S.O.U.L.
Dates:
1969-1971
Soul Club oral history project, 2022-2023, 2022-2023
sub-sub-sub-series
Identifier: SC.FITA.3.20.4.9.14
Scope and Contents
The Soul Club Oral History Project is an initiative of the FIT Library, inspired by the Soul Club fashion shows’ exuberance, positivity, dynamism, and joy. For this oral history project, FIT alumni and faculty members are interviewed about their participation and experience in the Soul Club. The goal of this project is to explore FIT’s rich and diverse history and uplift, amplify, and publicly share the stories of Black fashion students and faculty members as told by the community members...
Dates:
2022-2023
Additional filters:
- Subject
- African American history 1
- College students, Black 1
- Fashion industry 1
- Interviews 1
- Oral history 1