Aryana Noroozi
For theatrical producer and curator and former Inland Empire resident Kenneth Green, The Clothes Story began not as a grand concept, but as a project that quite literally came from bits and pieces of past productions he worked on as a costume and set designer. What started as an effort to clear space from a collection of theatrical costumes gathered over the years, evolved into a powerful meditation on legacy, resilience, and the untold stories of Black women.
The exhibition traces the evolution of Black womanhood from the late 1800s through the mid-20th century. Through a collection of meticulously researched historical replicas, it weaves together fashion, history, and emotion – transforming garments into vessels of remembrance.
Green, the former owner of Panache Dance Studio in San Bernardino, has spent years producing historical events and building sets for political and cultural figures, realized the discarded garments he’d once designed held stories of their own.
“We kind of lined them all up,” he recalled. “And once we lined them all up, we looked at it and said, you know, there’s a story here.”
That story grew in the wake of the George Floyd protests, when Green – like many artists – asked himself how he could contribute to healing and reflection through his craft.
“It really became a response,” he said. “You self-reflect, and say, ‘So what am I? What am I going to do? What can I do? How can I make a difference?’”
Green said that as a theatrical producer, who works primarily in the area of history, Clothes Story all began by him piecing its elements together, one at a time.
“It was kind of my legacy moment,” he reflected. “It really has turned out to be much bigger than I anticipated.”
A Living Collaboration
The exhibit’s power lies not only in its design, but in its ongoing evolution. Green works closely with local historians, archivists, and designers to bring authenticity and texture to each presentation.
The displays are arranged in what Green calls “pods” – small groupings of dresses that tell interconnected stories. One particularly striking pod brings together replicas of garments worn by Coretta Scott King, Betty Shabazz, Medgar Evers’ widow Myrlie, and gospel singer Mahalia Jackson.Jackson’s music – specifically her rendition of “Balm in Gilead” – serves as a narrative thread for the group.
“These women all lost their husbands… they were all assassinated,” Green explained. “What ties them together is that they all forged their own life, doing their own thing. That Balm of Gilead is a song of comfort… so we elevated Mahalia Jackson a little higher, not above them, but to have her energy comfort them.”
Emotion in Every Stitch
Each piece carries the weight of memory, and for many visitors, that memory feels personal.
“I had one woman come in and she saw a dress that her grandmother used to wear,” Green recalled. “She just kind of stood there and cried.”
Moments like this affirm the exhibition’s purpose: to invite reflection and recognition.
“The whole thing is to have an experience,” he said. “Where you can forget about what you’ve been doing earlier, but kind of go back and reflect on things that mean a lot to you.”
Crafting History
Every dress is a replica, recreated through detailed research and collaboration with historical costume designers. Green and his team reference archival photographs and newspapers to ensure each design stays true to its era.
“We did exhaustive research to find these replicas,” he said. “We tried to be purists… in most cases, they’re very, very close.”
For practicality, some adjustments were made: hidden zippers replace rows of buttons that once took hours to fasten, but corsets, petticoats, and period fabrics maintain the garments’ authentic silhouette.
The result is a theatrical, immersive experience that merges visual art with historical education, something that Green proudly describes as “a historical fashion theatrical experience.”
Expanding the Legacy
Just as the San Diego exhibit wrapped, the journey of The Clothes Story continues as part of The First of Their Fields, an exhibition celebrating the nation’s first Black female doctors and nurses, which opened at Harvard University on Oct. 25 and will run through Jan. 23, 2026.
Green shared that the project’s evolution mirrors the ongoing story of Black women’s resilience — unfinished, growing, and deserving of continued recognition. He hopes to one day bring the exhibit to the Inland Empire, where his own roots run deep.
“Maybe one day it’ll get closer to the Inland Empire,” he said. “That would be an absolute dream of mine.