by MIKE CHAIKEN
Chasity Aniece Productions is going to rock out with fashion this year as it celebrates Black History Month on Feb. 22.
This year, the production company’s “Life in Color” fashion runway series is titled, “Afropunk.” It celebrates the Black men and women who built the foundations of popular music.
Chasity Kennedy, the executive director for Chasity Aniece Productions, was asked why she chose this year’s theme.
“I picked this theme because the people deserve the real history,” said Kennedy. “When we talk about punk or rock and roll — so often the narrative starts in white spaces — and that’s not the full truth. Punk didn’t just appear out of nowhere. Rock didn’t just magically exist. The foundation of the distortion, the rebellion, and the rawness came from Black artists.
She explained, “Sister Rosetta Tharpe was shredding electric guitar in the 1940s. Little Richard was loud, flamboyant, gender bending, and unapologetic before that was ‘acceptable.’ Jimi Hendrix redefined distortion and protest through sound. Betty Davis embodied sexual and artistic freedom in a way that scared the industry. Bands like Death were playing what we now call punk before the genre even had a name. And later, Bad Brains took hardcore punk to another level, spiritually, politically, sonically.”
Kennedy said, “Black History Month felt like the right time to remind people: we were never just part of the story. We were the origin. This show isn’t about rewriting history, it’s about correcting it.”
Why does Kennedy feel music fans – especially Black music fans– should remember artists like Bad Brains or Sister Rosetta Tharpe? “When we forget them, we erase ourselves. So many of these artists were innovators who didn’t get the credit they deserved in their time. They were too different, too bold, too ahead of the culture. And that’s exactly what punk is supposed to be, disruptive.”
She continued, “If we only celebrate what was popularized and not what was pioneered, we miss the blueprint. Sister Rosetta Tharpe wasn’t just playing guitar, she was creating a sound that shaped generations. Little Richard wasn’t just performing, he was challenging gender norms and racial boundaries. Bad Brains weren’t just loud, they were proof that Black people existed in every subculture, even the ones we were told weren’t ‘ours.’” Remembering these artists is about ownership. It’s about honoring the risk they took so that self expression could exist the way it does now.”
Celebrating the men and women who provided the foundations of rock and roll is one thing. But how does this dovetail into a celebration of fashion.
Kennedy explained, “Punk and alternative culture have never just been about music, it’s about presentation. It’s about how you show up in the world. The fashion was always part of the rebellion. Safety pins, leather, distressed denim, shaved heads, those weren’t just trends. They were statements. And when you look at Black creatives, the fashion element becomes even deeper. Jean-Michel Basquiat’s raw, chaotic art translated into his personal style, oversized suits, paint-splattered everything, locs as identity. Grace Jones turned her body into sculpture. She played with androgyny, sharp tailoring, metallics, exaggerated shapes. She wasn’t following trends, she was creating visual disruption. Even someone like Prince, who wasn’t labeled punk, carried that same fearless energy in how he dressed, lace, heels, fluid silhouettes. The refusal to conform is the thread that connects all of it. Fashion is how punk speaks before the music even starts.”
Typically, when Kennedy develops her concepts for Life in Color, she provides a brief to the designers, to help guide them in their creative process. “Afropunk” was no different.
“I gave them the concept in three chapters,” she said.
Kennedy explained, “The show starts with ‘The Forgotten Origin,’ rooted in the ’50s through the ’70s. I encouraged them to research Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Little Richard, Betty Davis, Jimi Hendrix. Vintage silhouettes, grit, texture, earth tones, rebellion before it had a label.
“Then,” the executive director continued, “we move into ‘The Noise We Make,’ late ’70s and ’80s underground energy. Bad Brains. Fishbone. Grace Jones. DIY culture. Protest. Chains, deconstruction, industrial elements. This is where rebellion becomes loud and intentional.”
Finally, Kennedy said, “We close with ‘We Are Unbound,’ the future. Modern AFROPUNK energy. Nova Twins. Willow. Rico Nasty. Afrofuturism. Metallics, color, exaggerated shapes. Freedom without permission.”
Kennedy said she asked the designers to innovate rather re-create.
“I didn’t want them copying looks. I wanted them understanding the history so their collections feel intentional, not costume,” said the executive director.
Many of the pioneers of rock and roll have passed away. The pioneers of punk are elderly. How did Kennedy prep the models who are too young to remember this time period.
“That was important to me. I didn’t want them just walking, I wanted them embodying. So I broke the show down into the same three chapters for them,” said Kennedy. “I taught them about the artists. I gave them names to research. I gave them music to listen to as homework, Sister Rosetta Tharpe performances, Little Richard live sets, Bad Brains tracks, modern AFROPUNK artists. We talked about why this history matters. We talked about how rebellion shows up in posture, emotions, and energy. Once they understood the story, the movement changed.”
For a musical playlist to prepare for “Afropunk,” Kennedy offered the following:
The Forgotten Origin
Sister Rosetta Tharpe – “Strange Things Happening Every Day”
Little Richard – “Tutti Frutti”
Betty Davis – “They Say I’m Different”
Jimi Hendrix – “Machine Gun”
Death – “Politicians in My Eyes”
The Noise We Make
Bad Brains – “Banned in D.C.”
Fishbone – “Party at Ground Zero”
X-Ray Spex – “Oh Bondage! Up Yours!”
Grace Jones – “Pull Up to the Bumper”
We Are Unbound
Nova Twins – “Antagonist”
Willow – “t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l”
Rico Nasty – “Smack a B****”
Santigold – “Creator”
Yves Tumor – “Gospel for a New Century”
“Turn it up,” said Kennedy. “And remember, we’ve always been the blueprint.”
“Life in Color: Afropunk” will be held Sunday, Feb. 22. Doors open at 3 p.m. Show begins at 4 p.m. The venue is Foolproof Brewery, 800 Union Ave., Bridgeport. For tickets, visit https://linktr.ee/CAProductions
PHOTOS by MIKE CHAIKEN
Some of the models for “Life in Color: Afropunk” took part in a fashion editorial shoot during breaks for the creation of a promotional video.
