Beaded jacket designed by Henry Leonard and worn by Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A v-neck patchwork tunic designed by Henry Leonard and worn by Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole. The front of the tunic is made from a variety of rectangular strips of upholstery weight fabrics in multiple colors. Both of the front yokes are made from a rainbow-colored Madras style plaid. The full-length bell sleeves are made from a rainbow-colored printed cotton canvas with geometric shapes on top of stripes. The back of the tunic is faced in an upholstery weight fabric of meandering leafy vines in white on a red ground. The neck opening, sleeve seams, and cuffs are all trimmed with multiple pieces of piping in a variety of colors and fabrics, with the neck opening having a panel of piping that is 3 1/2 inches at its widest.

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