Programs & Events

DelArt Nights: Illustrious Fashion

Embrace the style, glamour and creative expression of the Jazz Age with DelArt Nights: Illustrious Fashion! Inspired by our special exhibition Jazz Age Illustration, this special event celebrates the timeless allure of fashion and highlights fashion illustration and design as art forms that never go out of style. Whether you’re a fashion enthusiast, art lover, or simply seeking a lively evening out, DelArt Nights: Illustrious Fashion offers a fun experience that bridges past and present through the lens of fashion and art.

Event Highlights:

• A gallery conversation between Curator of American Art Heather Campbell-Coyle and the fashion designer and educator Farai Simoyi on fashion illustration and design from the 1920s to today. Simoyi will also discuss her work on the recently published children’s book Dazzling Zelda, which whimsically explores the legacy of fashion designer Zelda Wynn Valdes (available for purchase and pre-order in the Museum store). Find the separate registration page for this gallery talk here.
• An atelier-style fashion display featuring 1920s-inspired garments prepared by students in the University of Delaware’s Fashion & Design Department.
• A live fashion illustrator creating beautiful sketches of guests in their own inspired looks—celebrate your personal style and take home a unique keepsake!
• A curated jazz fusion set spun by Sondaeblu.

Sondaeblu is an Aboriginal Lenape American DJ and music creator, raised in Wilmington, DE, and now operating bicoastal. Known for blending genres like Aboriginal Soul, House, and Amapiano, Sondaeblu’s mission is to bring people together through the power of music, creating a space for organic connection and the human experience.

Farai Simoyi is a globally recognized fashion leader, celebrated for her transformative contributions to the industry. With 18 years of experience, Simoyi has helped over 70 international brands successfully enter the U.S. market and has been featured in numerous publications including Forbes, Vogue, and Essence Magazine for her work. Through her company, The Narativ House, she provides opportunities and platforms for international designers and artisans. An alum of the inaugural season of Netflix’s fashion design competition series Next in Fashion, Simoyi continues advancing diversity, equity, sustainability, and inclusivity in fashion. She currently serves as the Head of the Virgil Abloh ‘Post-Modern’ Scholarship Fund & Equity at the Fashion Scholarship Fund. Before her current role, she was a professor and the program director for the Fashion Design program at Thomas Jefferson University.