In a time of great social unrest, No Sesso is looking to uplift its audience. The brand’s latest collection is called “A Vignette of the Renaissance on 24th Street,” and co-founder and designer Pierre Davis and co-designer Autumn Randolph are using their label to do what fashion can do best: Inspire. An homage to the Harlem Renaissance and a celebration of black excellence, the collection was entirely designed, developed, produced, and shot in Randolph’s Los Angeles home with the help from a talented roster of Black creatives, including Guggenheim Fellow Deana Lawson, photographer Clifford Prince King, makeup artist Amber Burgin, and models Makhala Craig, Brandon Mathis, and Jantaé Spinks. We caught up with the designers on the genesis of the collection and their thoughts on the current social climate.

What attracted you to the Harlem Renaissance? Was there anything new you learned about this time period?

Pierre Davis: We are currently living in a New Renaissance, the 2020s. The Harlem Renaissance inspired us because it was an important era of Black excellence. So many critical Black icons and artists came from this period. We were inspired by the glamour and opulence of this era and created our own wave and designs that captured this energy.

In what ways was developing and producing this collection different from previous seasons?

Davis: Developing and producing this collection was different from previous collections because Autumn and I wanted to create a collection inspired more by art. We wanted to create a couture collection of custom-made pieces and wearable works of art. We were also inspired by Autumn’s home and the West Adams neighborhood in LA. From the colors to the silhouettes, we treated each garment as if it were a painting or sculpture for a museum. This collection was about us bringing No Sesso back to LA for 2020 and creating something for our community, which is different from our SS2020 collection which we showcased during NYFW last September. That was more of a ready-to-wear collection, and we created garments using more traditional production methods.

Autumn and I made about 98 percent of this Autumn/Winter collection by hand and it was a beautiful experience to work on each piece together. We also collaborated with some amazing artists on this collection: B. Abele from Surprising Health Benefits, Jasmine Monsegue, and Sensational Bobbi. We listened to a lot of Jazz music and Lil Kim’s “Hardcore” album, which inspired the runway soundtrack by Alima Lee.

How did the current social/political climate influence this season’s work?

Autumn Randolph: During the pandemic height, we were still really head-high from our show, but also needed plenty of the rest that isolation provided. The West Adams home was the inspiration for the collection, and living there was also a fleeting moment because of the pandemic, so we wanted to make sure to shoot the collection in the house before departing.

What are some of the notable design elements and/or textiles in the collection?

Randolph: Patchwork is one of No Sesso‘s signature aesthetics. Neutral toned leathers mixed with knits, and we also used real and faux fur. We collaborated with a few artists in our community who we felt added to the voice of our collection. With added elements of airbrushed and hand-painted artwork, it walked hand in hand with No Sesso‘s fun elements.