Fashion and Textile History Gallery, The Museum at FIT

October 13–November 7 Fashion and Textile History Gallery Nelson Mandela’s “Madiba” shirts were dramatically different from the conventional western suits worn by most politicians in South Africa and around the world. They were also the opposite of the hateful, drab prison garb that he was forced to wear for almost three decades. Made of brightly-patterned silk, Mandela’s Madiba shirts became emblematic of post-apartheid freedom, and were particularly meaningful to the Black majority of South Africans. Several of these shirts and…