Hems & Brims Fall 2026 Book Drive
Dates: September 21 - November 20, 2026
Serving: Atlanta + Chicago
Building Libraries for Black Fashion Creatives | Supporting Black-Owned Bookstores
Hems & Brims Fall 2026 Book Drive brings books on Black fashion history, fashion and design, professional development, and creative industries to students and creatives in Atlanta, Chicago, and across the Hems & Brims community.
Through book donations and purchases from participating Bookshop.org wishlists, the Book Drive supports learning and creative development while supporting Black-owned independent bookstores.
Our Book Drive is focused on books related to:
Black Fashion History
Fashion + Design
Professional Development
Sustainability + Industry
We are partnering with three Black-owned independent bookstores in Atlanta and Chicago:
The Vibrary
Atlanta, GA
Burst Into Books
Chicago, IL
Call & Response Bookshop
Chicago, IL
How to Support
The Vibrary
970 Main Street, Suite A
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
Donate in person or shop their Bookshop.org wishlist.
Hours: Thurs 5–10 PM | Fri 5–11 PM | Sat 12–11 PM
Burst Into Books
119 E. 107th Street
Chicago, IL 60628
Donate in person or shop their Bookshop.org wishlist.
Hours: Tues–Fri 2–6 PM | Sat 10 AM–5 PM
Call & Response Bookshop
Shop their Bookshop.org wishlist to support the Book Drive.
No in-person donations.
Books We’re Collecting
Browse the books featured across our Book Drive wishlists.
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Stylin': African-American Expressive Culture, from Its Beginnings to the Zoot Suit (Revised) — Graham White and Shane White
Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History — Richard Thompson Ford
Liberated Threads: Black Women, Style, and the Global Politics of Soul — Tanisha C. Ford
Exquisite Slaves — Tamara J. Walker
Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity — Monica L. Miller
Something to Prove: A Biography of Ann Lowe America's Forgotten Designer: With Black and White Photographs - Julia Faye Dockery Smith
Black Designers in American Fashion — Elizabeth Way
Now You See Me: An Introduction to 100 Years of Black Design — Charlene Prempeh
Textures: The History and Art of Black Hair — Joseph L. Underwood and Tameka Ellington
The Birth of Cool: Style Narratives of the African Diaspora — Carol Tulloch
The Way We Wore: Black Style Then — Michael McCollom and Geoffrey Holder
The Quilts of Gee’s Bend – Susan Goldman Rubin
Black Beauties: African American Pageant Queens in the Segregated South — Kimberly Brown Pellum, Ericka Dunlap America, et al.
The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled Into the Spotlight and Made History — Robin Givhan
The Battle of Versailles: The Fashion Showdown of 1973 — Mark Bozek, Diet Prada, et al.
Willi Smith: Street Couture — Alexandra Cunningham Cameron
Ain't I a Beauty Queen?: Black Women, Beauty, and the Politics of Race — Maxine Leeds Craig
The Nameplate: Jewelry, Culture, and Identity — Isabel Attyah Flower and Marcel Rosa-Salas
Supreme Models: Iconic Black Women Who Revolutionized Fashion — Marcellas Reynolds
The Art of Ruth E. Carter: Costuming Black History and the Afrofuture, from Do the Right Thing to Black Panther— Ruth E. Carter and Danai Gurira
Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem: A Memoir — Daniel R. Day
Wildflower: A Memoir — Aurora James
The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir — André Leon Talley
Walking with the Muses: A Memoir — Pat Cleveland
Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House — Elizabeth Keckley
Make It Ours: Crashing the Gates of Culture with Virgil Abloh — Robin Givhan
Something to Prove: A Biography of Ann Lowe America's Forgotten Designer: With Black and White Photographs— Julia Faye Dockery Smith
Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love — Dilys E. Blum, Laura L. Camerlengo, et al.
Kwame Brathwaite: Black Is Beautiful — Tanisha C. Ford, Deborah Willis, et al.
The New Black Vanguard: Photography Between Art and Fashion — Antwaun Sargent, Deborah Willis, et al.
Free Stylin': How Hip Hop Changed the Fashion Industry — Elena Romero
Africa Fashion: A Cultural Renaissance — Christine Checinska
Africa in Fashion: Luxury, Craft and Textile Heritage — Ken Kweku Nimo
Soul Thieves: The Appropriation and Misrepresentation of African American Popular Culture — T. Brown and B. Kopano
Black in Fashion: 100 Years of Style, Influence & Culture — WWD, Tara Donaldson, et al.
The Nameplate: Jewelry, Culture, and Identity — Isabel Attyah Flower and Marcel Rosa-Salas
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Black Girls Sew: Projects and Patterns to Stitch and Make Your Own — Hekima Hapa and Lesley Ware
Textilepedia: The Complete Fabric Guide (Adapted) — Fashionary
Fashionpedia: The Visual Dictionary of Fashion Design — Fashionary
The Fashion Designer's Textile Directory: A Guide to Fabrics' Properties, Characteristics, and Garment-Design Potential (Revised) — Gail Baugh
Fashion Draping Techniques Vol. 1: A Step-By-Step Basic Course. Dresses, Collars, Drapes, Knots, Basic and Raglan Sleeves — Danilo Attardi
Fashion Draping Techniques Vol. 2: A Step-By-Step Intermediate Course. Coats, Blouses, Draped Sleeves, Evening Dresses, Volumes and Jackets — Danilo Attardi
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Be Your Own Brand: A Breakthrough Formula for Standing Out from the Crowd — David McNally
I Am My Brand: How to Build Your Brand Without Apology — Kubi Springer
How to Launch a Brand - SPECIAL WORKBOOK EDITION (2nd Edition): Your Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting a Brand: From Positioning to Naming And Brand Identity — Fabian Geyrhalter
The Fashion Business Manual: All Illustrated Guide to Building a Fashion Brand — Fashionary
The Business of Fashion: Designing, Manufacturing, and Marketing - Bundle Book + Studio Access Card — Kathy K. Mullet and Leslie Davis Burns
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Fashionopolis: Why What We Wear Matters — Dana Thomas
The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good — Elizabeth L. Cline
Sew Chinelo: How to Transform Your Wardrobe with Sustainable Style — Chinelo Bally
Want to Support Beyond the Book Drive?
Make a donation to Hems & Brims to support our broader work creating access to fashion education, mentorship, professional development, and industry opportunities for Black creatives.