New ArrivalsHalloweenChristmasGift IdeasClothing, Shoes & AccessoriesHomeFurnitureElectronicsToysVideo GamesGroceryHousehold EssentialsBeautyBabyKitchen & DiningSchool & Office SuppliesMovies, Music & BooksCharacter ShopSports & OutdoorsBackpacks & LuggagePersonal CareHealthPetsUlta Beauty at TargetTarget OpticalParty SuppliesGift CardsBullseye’s PlaygroundDealsClearanceTarget New Arrivals Target Finds #TargetStyleLatino Heritage MonthCelebrate DiwaliDía de MuertosStore EventsAsian-Owned Brands at TargetBlack Beyond MeasureWomen-Owned Brands at TargetLGBTQIA+ ShopTop DealsTarget Circle DealsWeekly AdShop Order PickupShop Same Day DeliveryRegistryRedCardTarget CircleFind Stores
Stories in Fabric - by  Phyllis Ross (Hardcover) - 1 of 1

Stories in Fabric - by Phyllis Ross (Hardcover)

New at  target 
$39.99

Pre-order

Eligible for registries and wish lists

Sponsored

About this item

Highlights

  • The untold history of a pioneering Black design company in Bed-Stuy whose creativity garnered national attention in the 1970s In Stories in Fabric: The Design Works of Bedford Stuyvesant, design historian Phyllis Ross uncovers the rise of a groundbreaking African American textile studio founded in Brooklyn in 1969.
  • About the Author: Phyllis Ross is an independent scholar of twentieth-century decorative arts and design.
  • 256 Pages
  • Art, Fashion & Accessories

Description



Book Synopsis



The untold history of a pioneering Black design company in Bed-Stuy whose creativity garnered national attention in the 1970s

In Stories in Fabric: The Design Works of Bedford Stuyvesant, design historian Phyllis Ross uncovers the rise of a groundbreaking African American textile studio founded in Brooklyn in 1969. The Design Works of Bedford Stuyvesant began as a collaboration between Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and textile designer Leslie Tillett. Through Senator Robert F. Kennedy's urban renewal vision, they grew it into a nationally recognized brand that celebrated African sources and Black pride, bringing national attention to neighborhood ambition.

Ross follows Design Works from hand-printed textiles to a broader licensing and printing operation that put African-inspired patterns into homes across the country. The company's visibility soared through high-profile showcases and museum partnerships, including a spectacular Metropolitan Museum event and later exhibitions that showed how its patterns connected to African art, flora, and fauna. These collaborations helped shift perceptions of Bed-Stuy from crisis to creativity and possibility.

At the heart of the story are the people who made the designs and made the business work, including post-war textile designers D.D. Tillett and Leslie Tillett. Early artistic direction came from designers such as Callie Simpson Thomas, followed by head designer Sherl Nero, whose talent and market instincts shaped the brand's evolution. Under president Mark Bethel, the pivot to licensing carried Design Works into the national marketplace, even as the company continued to navigate tensions among social mission, profitability, and cultural representation.

Drawing on deep archival research and interviews, Ross traces Design Works' evolution against the backdrop of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, and the practical realities of community development and corporate partnerships. The result is a vivid portrait of collaboration across communities and institutions, and a reclamation of a significant episode in twentieth-century design and African American urban history.



Review Quotes




This is a fascinating book that combines, in a unique way, elements of business history, visual art history, and African American urban history. . .The author brings an original story and a deeply researched book that specialists will welcome. . . Ross's contribution to scholarship on New York City, Brooklyn specifically, and the history of the 1970s is welcomed to the field . . . I think this book is important and special.---Brian Purnell, author of Fighting Jim Crow in the County of Kings: The Congress of Racial Equality in Brooklyn

The Fabric of Activism tells the remarkable history of Design Works, a textile studio in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, that produced African-inspired fabrics for the American home furnishing market during the 1970s. Bringing together histories of Civil Rights activism, white philanthropy, community development, and the Black Arts Movement, design historian Phyllis Ross details the complexity of Design Works as a commercial, political, and artistic enterprise. The book begins with the patronage of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and commercial savvy of famed designers D.D. and Leslie Tillett. By the end, the story belongs to Sherl Nero, an African American textile maker and the studio's head designer, whose bestselling Bakuba fabric collection made Design Works a household name. Writing with an expert eye for the art, business, and politics of textile design, Ross illuminates an important chapter in the history of twentieth century textiles with implications for how we think about the politics of race in the business of design today.---Chris Dingwall, PhD, Assistant Professor of Design History, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis



About the Author



Phyllis Ross is an independent scholar of twentieth-century decorative arts and design. She is the author of Gilbert Rohde: Modern Design for Modern Living. In 2020 she received a Schomburg Scholars-in-Residence Fellowship for this project. Her work spans research, curation, and public programs at the Yale University Art Gallery, Cooper Hewitt, the Museum of the City of New York, and the Bard Graduate Center.
Dimensions (Overall): 9.0 Inches (H) x 6.0 Inches (W)
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 256
Genre: Art
Sub-Genre: Fashion & Accessories
Publisher: Fordham University Press
Format: Hardcover
Author: Phyllis Ross
Language: English
Street Date: August 4, 2026
TCIN: 1005706314
UPC: 9781531513252
Item Number (DPCI): 247-47-9289
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
If the item details aren’t accurate or complete, we want to know about it.

Shipping details

Estimated ship dimensions: 1 inches length x 6 inches width x 9 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1 pounds
We regret that this item cannot be shipped to PO Boxes.
This item cannot be shipped to the following locations: American Samoa (see also separate entry under AS), Guam (see also separate entry under GU), Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico (see also separate entry under PR), United States Minor Outlying Islands, Virgin Islands, U.S., APO/FPO

Return details

This item can be returned to any Target store or Target.com.
This item must be returned within 90 days of the date it was purchased in store, shipped, delivered by a Shipt shopper, or made ready for pickup.
See the return policy for complete information.

Discover more options

Audiofuturism - by André Carrington

$27.99 - $100.99
MSRP $27.95 - $100.00

Along the Diagonal - by Roberto Tejada

$34.99 - $125.99
MSRP $34.95 - $125.00

In View of the Tradition - by Roderick Ferguson

$22.99 - $90.99
MSRP $22.95 - $90.00

Melancholy Acts - by Nouri Gana

$35.49 - $119.12
MSRP $35.00 - $125.00

Related Categories

Get top deals, latest trends, and more.

Privacy policy

Footer

About Us

About TargetCareersNews & BlogTarget BrandsBullseye ShopSustainability & GovernancePress CenterAdvertise with UsInvestorsAffiliates & PartnersSuppliersTargetPlus

Help

Target HelpReturnsTrack OrdersRecallsContact UsFeedbackAccessibilitySecurity & FraudTeam Member ServicesLegal & Privacy

Stores

Find a StoreClinicPharmacyTarget OpticalMore In-Store Services

Services

Target Circle™Target Circle™ CardTarget Circle 360™Target AppRegistrySame Day DeliveryOrder PickupDrive UpFree 2-Day ShippingShipping & DeliveryMore Services
PinterestFacebookInstagramXYoutubeTiktokTermsCA Supply ChainPrivacy PolicyCA Privacy RightsYour Privacy ChoicesInterest Based AdsHealth Privacy Policy