Created by
Alba, American
Worn by
Waithe, Lena, American, born 1984
Subject of
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, American, founded 1955
Date
2017
Medium
polyester, plastic, metal and velvet trimming (material)
Dimensions
Inseam: 30 1/2 in. (77.5 cm)
Waist: 18 9/16 in. (47.2 cm)
L x W (pants): 38 1/4 × 18 9/16 in. (97.2 × 47.2 cm)
Caption
Lena Waithe is an American actress, producer, and screenwriter known for her supporting role and writing credits in the Netflix series Master of None (2015) and her original Showtime show The Chi. Waithe, a gay African American woman, used her own coming out story as the inspiration for the acclaimed Master of None "Thanksgiving" episode she wrote and starred in. Waithe wore this custom designed suit to the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2017, where she and Master of None creator Aziz Ansari won for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. Waithe became the first African American woman to win the award. During her acceptance speech, she sent a special message to the LGTBQ community by stating, "Things that make us different - those are our superpowers."
Description
Black tuxedo pants, part of a three-piece suit made by Jhoanna Alba for Lena Waithe and worn by Waithe to the 2017 Emmy Awards ceremony. Constructed primarily of a matte synthetic material, the pants feature velvet trim from hip to hem of both legs; a black plastic zipper; metal hook closure; two back pockets with one black plastic button, each; two front angled pockets; a velvet waist yoke, and single iron knife seam – hip to hem along the front legs. The interior is unlined.
Place used
Los Angeles, California, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Clothing - Costume
Type
trousers
tuxedoes
Topic
Actors
Clothing and dress
Comedy
Design
Fashion design
LGBTQ
Television
Women
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Lena Waithe
Object number
2019.1.2
Restrictions & Rights
© Alba
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd59bcb3b32-29fb-4b06-9743-5d38f458f219

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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