wheeloffortune, R.I.P Germain

Artist R.I.P Germain creates a digital commission to question how clothing shapes assumptions around Black bodies and how fashion can become entangled with identity, misrecognition and danger. After moving from London to Los Angeles, Germain became aware of the complex local codes carried by clothes. Colours, brands and styles can signal kinship or affiliation depending on who wears them and where. ​

Germain's own experience of being perceived as a threat led him to investigate the local languages of dress and the risks of being misread. Through moving image, he brings together luxury streetwear, African American gang culture in Los Angeles and crime scene forensics, revealing the complex connections between them.