The origin
Humanize My Hoodie
How one garment became a statement worn by rappers, Black liberation leaders, allies, and Black youth across the country.
A memoir by André Wright
Fashion
Activist
My life as a Designer, Dreamer, and Disrupter
How a designer from Iowa City turned a hoodie into a national conversation about racial justice, and how you can use your own creativity to push for change.
Dream big. Create for good.
About the book
What you wear can start the conversation.
Fashion Activist is an inspirational memoir and a rallying cry for change inside the fashion industry. It follows André's journey from designer to global fashion activist, including the story of co-launching Humanize My Hoodie and designing clothing that sparks hard, necessary conversations about racial and social justice.
André shows how he uses fashion as a medium for activism, drawing attention to the struggles of Black and marginalized communities through fashion shows, artist collaborations, and workshops that teach fashion as a tool for empowerment and advocacy.
Part memoir, part workshop, the book closes with practical guidance for aspiring designers, educators, and anyone ready to create, organize, and disrupt in their own industry.
Inside the book
Four threads, one movement
The runway
Shows that say something
Staging fashion shows, collaborating with artists, and taking the work from Iowa City to New York Fashion Week.
The community
Representation is the point
Why underrepresented designers need a platform, and what it takes to build one from the ground up.
The workshop
Build your own brand
Hands-on advice on launching a brand, staying true to your values, and the perseverance that keeps it alive.
André Wright · Iowa City
Meet the author
André Wright
André Wright is a designer, activist, community builder, and world traveler who has dedicated his life to the underrepresented. From Iowa City, he grew Humanize My Hoodie into a national fashion activism movement, staging fashion shows and workshops that have taught thousands how clothing can inspire, empower, and spark change.
He is the founder of Wright House of Fashion, the first fashion house in Iowa, built to support underrepresented creatives. Junior Achievement named him Entrepreneur of the Year.
NYFWWork shown at New York Fashion Week
1stFashion house in Iowa
30+Countries traveled
Speaking & tour
Bring fashion activism to your campus
André visits colleges, schools, conferences, and organizations to share the story behind the book and give audiences tools to use their creativity for social good.
Keynote & lecture
Workshop
Panel discussion
Hands-on print experience
Fashion as protest
The story of Humanize My Hoodie and how a garment can carry a message further than a speech.
For colleges · conferencesBuild a brand with values
Practical steps for launching a creative business without giving up what you stand for.
For students · entrepreneursDesign, dream, disrupt
A call to dream big, challenge the status quo, and create space for underrepresented voices.
For companies · community groups
Invite André
Share a few details about your event and you'll hear back shortly. Let's build something powerful together.
wrighthouseoffashion@gmail.com
(319) 541-9790
The workshop
Become a fashion activist
Learn how to become a fashion activist and how we can use our collective power to change the system. Available as a 6-week workshop or 6-month program, virtual or in person.
Inside the workshop
Five modules
Each module builds on the last, moving from history to your own practice. Tap a module to read more.
01The history of cottonCotton's roots in oppression and in empowerment.
Start where the clothes start. This module traces cotton from forced labor to the fabric of everyday life, and asks what it means to wear that history today. It sets the foundation for every module that follows.
02Fashion activist iconsThe people who used style to challenge the status quo.
Meet the designers, artists, and wearers who turned what they put on into a statement. You'll look at how each one used clothing to be seen, push back, and shift culture.
03Black civil rights and fashionDress as a form of resistance.
Look at how Black communities have used dress for dignity, protest, and visibility in the fight for civil rights, and how that tradition carries into the work behind Humanize My Hoodie.
04Global fashion and social movementsClothing in protests around the world.
Widen the lens beyond the U.S. to see how garments, colors, and symbols show up in movements worldwide, and what makes a piece of clothing become a message.
05Using your voice in the industryBranding, storytelling, and impact.
Turn what you've learned into your own work. Build a brand with values, tell your story clearly, and plan creative work that makes an impact in your community and your industry.
Sign up
Email André to save your spot. You'll hear back with dates and details.
wrighthouseoffashion@gmail.com(319) 541-9790
What to include in your email
- Your name and school or organization
- Educator, student, designer, activist, or organization
- 6-week workshop, 6-month program, or full semester
- Virtual or in person
Button not opening your email? Send a message to wrighthouseoffashion@gmail.com
As featured by
The work has been seen
New York Fashion WeekPoliticoNPR
EssenceTargetAtlantic Records
Warner Music GroupThisis50Facebook
Foot Action