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Available online July 15th, 2026

The Remembering

The Remembering - A 10 piece capsule collection inspired by Haitian Agriculture.
Illustration of a woman with long braided hair, wearing a black sleeveless top and a colorful floral skirt tied at the waist, accessorized with large earrings.

The Remembering is a 10-piece collection. Designed and produced in New York City, the collection was created using materials sourced from NYC's historic Garment District and explores themes of ancestry, agriculture, memory, and cultural preservation through fashion.

The collection is inspired by the life and passing of my grandmother, Cleanne Joseph Colas, who was born and raised in Roy-Sec, a rural community in Belladère in Haiti's Centre Department, close to the border with the Dominican Republic. Following her death in 2024, I began a process of journaling, reflection, and research that evolved into a larger investigation of my family history, oral storytelling, agriculture, migration, and the lasting impacts of the transatlantic slave trade on Haiti and our people.

Drawing from conversations with family members, ancestral memories, and historical research, The Remembering examines the agricultural commodities that have shaped Haiti's economy and cultural identity for generations. Through handwork, natural materials, and thoughtful garment construction, the collection honors the knowledge, resilience, and traditions carried across generations while asking how remembrance can help guide us toward the future.

More than a fashion collection, The Remembering is an act of preservation, one that transforms personal loss into collective memory and invites viewers to reflect on the histories that continue to shape who we are today.

A woman receiving a bouquet of flowers during a celebration, surrounded by people at an indoor event in front of a screen displaying social media profiles and a sign that reads 'Theresa Lang Community & Student Center.'

Questions to explore through this collection and Research

  • How can fashion function as a tool for preserving and transmitting cultural memory across generations?

  • What role does ancestral remembrance play in shaping personal identity, creative practice, and community belonging?

  • How can garments serve as vessels for oral histories that may otherwise be lost over time?

A group of women on stage in colorful outfits, clapping and celebrating in front of an audience, with two large screens displaying similar images in the background.
A woman in a bronze-colored dress speaking at a microphone during a presentation at the Theresa Lang Community & Student Center, with an audience seated and a large screen behind her.

Rice and Bean on Earrings…

White plate with rice, red beans, and small red berries on a textured glass plate with a small round object at the top

These handcrafted statement earrings honor Haiti's rich agricultural heritage and the enduring relationship between land, labor, and memory.

Featuring rice and red beans; staple ingredients deeply rooted in Haitian culture, each pair transforms everyday commodities into wearable art.

The earrings invite reflection on food, migration, ancestry, and the agricultural traditions that have sustained generations of Haitian families. Lightweight yet bold, they serve as both an adornment and a conversation piece, connecting personal memory with collective history.

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Close-up of a woman wearing a large, eating cupcake-shaped earring with white frosting and red and purple beads, against a plain background. 
The more we learn of our ancestors the closer we get to becoming the highest, most advanced versions of ourselves.

The Remembering: An Affirmation

I remember those who came before me.

I honor their labor, their sacrifices, their resilience, and their dreams.

I carry their stories in my hands, their wisdom in my spirit, and their strength in my journey.

I am rooted in the land that nourished them, connected to the traditions they preserved, and guided by the paths they created.

Through remembrance, I find purpose.

Through ancestry, I find belonging.

Through creation, I transform memory into legacy.

I am because they were.

I carry the past with gratitude, stand firmly in the present, and move boldly toward the future.

Their lives are not forgotten. Their stories continue through me.

I remember.