Denim Tears, founded by the multi-hyphenate creator Tremaine Emory in 2019, launched its first-ever flagship store in New York City earlier this year. Named African Diaspora Goods, its mission is to act as a cultural hub that accentuates the storytelling Denim Tears depicts, which centers on the authentic nature of the African Diaspora.
Showcased through defining collaborations with the likes of Ugg, Stüssy, Champion, Converse, ASICS, and Dior, Denim Tears’s partnership portfolio has grown to amass a place in the contemporary world that blends heritage, history, and design, with the future of fashion, even earning a spot in The Met Costume Institute’s permanent collection. To celebrate the fifth anniversary of Denim Tears, Emory wanted to open a store inspired by his parents’ video store, his decade-plus working in retail, and the vision his brand has cultivated.
Photo by Jack Sachs, courtesy of Denim Tears.
To capture the ambiance of the store’s atmosphere, Emory sought assistance from the multidisciplinary American artist and urban planner, Theaster Gates, for a collaboration. Known to communicate the complexity of Blackness in his art through land development, space theory, performance, and sculpture, Gates has enhanced his role as an artist as a proxy of change through his approach as a thinker, builder, and maker. For African Diaspora Goods, Gates took inspiration from his decade-long artistic practice of elevating, archiving, and making Black artifacts publicly accessible for a community space unlike any other.
Inside, visitors can explore over 1,000 publications on the history of the Arts of Africa—curated by Lee and Whitney Kaplan of Arcana: Books on the Arts—alongside Denim Tears seasonal collections, revealing a research library filled with books, exhibitions, periodicals, and catalogs published in Africa, The Americas, Asia, and Europe that recorded the cultures of the Indigenous people from Sub-Saharan Africa. Emory sat down with Whitewall to discuss his partnership with Gates, and how the opening of African Diaspora Goods came to light.
Photo by Jack Sachs, courtesy of Denim Tears.
WHITEWALL: In March, Denim Tears opened its first flagship store named African Diaspora Goods. Why was opening a brick-and-mortar space something you wanted to do? Why here, and now?
TREMAINE EMORY: A brand like Denim Tears only existing online at the whim of the algorithm seemed like a bleak fate.
Tremaine Emory, portrait by Katsu Naito.
Tremaine Emory and Theaster Gates Unite
WW: The store was a collaborative effort between you and Theaster Gates. Why was he someone you wanted to work with? How did your collaboration begin?
TE: He’s one of the greatest living artists in the world. He’s a world builder. And it all began with our friendship.
Photo by Jack Sachs, courtesy of Denim Tears.
WW: What about his artistic practice—from archiving to making works accessible—inspires you and inspired this store? What else is the store inspired by?
TE: Too much to write. He’s one of my favorite artists of all time. He filters the plight and glory of Black people through his art. The store was inspired by my life, my parents’ video store, my 15 years in retail, and the work my team and I have done the last five years with Denim Tears. So many things…
WW: In addition to showcasing Denim Tears collections, the store also serves as a gathering space for the community and hosts over 1500 publications on the history of the Arts of Africa—curated by Lee and Whitney Kaplan, owners of the California-based Arcana: Books on the Arts. How does bringing into this sapce spur accessibility, learning, and engagement for the community?
TE: The purpose of the book collection is to highlight you don’t get Denim Tears without the knowledge in the books.
“That’s the story, being where we are not supposed to be.”
— Tremaine Emory
WW: How will African Diaspora Goods act as a cultural hub in the future to expand Denim Tears’s storytelling?
TE: Walk through SoHo. How many stores are black-owned? How many stores have Africa over the shop front? That’s the story, being where we are not supposed to be. Nothing to expand on. Mission complete.
Photo by Jack Sachs, courtesy of Denim Tears.
WW: You have long since embraced fashion as a vehicle to share impactful stories and connect the public to the African diaspora. How do you hope the public embraces Denim Tears to learn more about themselves and the world?
TE: I make the work and move on. I can’t worry about the public and how they receive it. It’s up to them.
WW: Of what significance is it to collaborate with traditional artists in your work, like Theaster Gates and Arthur Jafa?
TE: I love the work they do and I’m so grateful to work with them. That is the significance.
Photo by Jack Sachs, courtesy of Denim Tears.
The Future of Denim Tears
WW: What do you hope the impact of your career is?
TE: Time will tell. To hope is to look to the future. I’m focused on living in the moment.
WW: What are you working on this next/this summer?
TE: I’m working on so much. Anyone who’s paying attention will see soon.
