For the Brooklyn Museum, old is gold.
New York City’s second largest museum celebrates its bicentennial with the opulent “Solid Gold” exhibition, with Head of State bringing the Midas touch to the gift shop with an exclusive capsule collection.
The immersive exhibit features more than 500 objects—including theatrical frocks from Dior’s 2004 collection by John Galliano and couture gowns from The Blonds’ 2016 Egyptian Disco line—exploring the role(s) gold played throughout various civilizations over 6,000 years.
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While centered around the obvious interpretation of the mythologized, immemorial metal as a symbol of wealth, “Solid Gold” also explores the “less luminous” corollaries, like the ethics (and environmental impact) of extracting gold ore.
This, perhaps, is what made Head of State such an appropriate partner.
Taofeek Abijako, the creative force behind the brand that represents postcolonial youth culture, has long operated Head of State as both an homage to his Nigerian heritage and a dissection of the effects that Western imposition has had on it.
“The exhibition made a lot of sense; we could interpret what we wanted to interpret as [gold] is a quite political topic, so thinking about how we can do [the capsule] justice while still considering the commercial aspect,” the Lagos, Ajegunle-born, Brooklyn-based designer told Sourcing Journal. “We’ve given [it] a clean slate to be able to view whatever it is you want to view, and it just made sense, definitely on value alignment.”
Just a few years after immigrating to the United States, Abijako conceptualized Head of State as a 17-year-old at Albany High School before becoming the youngest designer to show at Men’s New York Fashion Week three years later in 2021.
That same year, he became one of the first recipients of the #BlackDesignVisionaries grant program. Instagram and Brooklyn Museum teamed to fiscally celebrate five Black designers with $205,000 collectively awarded. Head of State took home the top prize of $100,000 and Abijako began cultivating his relationship with the museum, though merchandiser Amber Luan was unaware of this when brainstorming what brand could bring the “Solid Gold” exhibition to life—and to the shop.
“When we think of our partners in general, we’re looking for people that have an abundance of creativity and are externally passionate but also thinking about fashion and retail and art differently and how you can push the boundaries in a museum,” Luan, Brooklyn Museum’s director of merchandising and retail strategy, told Sourcing Journal. “When we look to partners, we’re looking for people who are a bit untraditional in their craft. We’re really looking for people that can help bring a vision to life in an extremely creative and different way.”
The Brooklyn Museum Shop x Head of State collection comprises apparel and wearable charms that nod to the exhibition. Just don’t expect gold threads or illustrations of ingots.
“We focused on highlighting the luxurious and fashion-forward essence of the exhibit through carefully selected materials and fabrics and stylish cuts,” Luan said, noting that Head of State “took the lead” on manufacturing, making fully custom pieces for the assortment. “At the same time, the museum “embraced” Abijako’s design philosophy: emphasizing authenticity, functionality and community.
“By thoughtfully selecting patterns, colors and textures, we created a collection that celebrates gold as both a personal and collective symbol. The intricate graphics on the T-shirts, the shape of the bag charms, the bold font of the multi-tonal tops reflect a versatile design, allowing individuals to connect with the concept of gold in their own way,” she continued. “This approach invites wearers to embrace who they are, how they feel and what they love—without feeling restricted to one idea.”
Luan holds a hoodie featuring a screen-printed set of gold grills in her hands. At first glance, it appears to be a straightforward, trend-driven piece. However, upon further inspection, the fronts are footprints the gold miners left behind. This 100 percent cotton tee critiques gold’s splendor, highlighting the exploitation that the (often undervalued) labor its production requires.
“It’s like, how do you start the conversation about gold? Yes, gold is beautiful and expensive, but it’s also a really good reminder of the world that we live in and the reality that we live in,” Luan said. Of course, the gift shop boils down to buying and selling products, but the team still does what it can to create “moments of joy” while having these conversations, Luan added.
“I think with Taofeek and his art and his work, the aesthetic is really rooted in thinking that way, which is why he was a good partner for us,” she continued. “It’s easy to translate gold in a literal way, but he didn’t want to do that.”
Instead, Head of State offers a “nuanced commentary” on the dual nature of “humanity’s most enduring obsession.”
The Taxonomy Tee, for example, features objects from the exhibit, such as a gold wreath from 3rd-2nd century B.C.E. The Solid Gold Crane Tee, of course, reinterprets the contemporary Japanese painter Kawamura Manshu’s four-paneled piece, “Cranes,” to reinforce the duality of the exhibition. The “translated” graphic overlays the crane silhouettes with typography, referencing the prospecting maps used to mine gold.
“If it feels too literary, that just means we didn’t do our job, right? We didn’t actually think about the topic how we should think about the topic,” Abijako said. “I think one of the most important things about my design process—in general, not just this exhibition—is that before we sketch anything or put pen to paper, we spend way more time reading and researching.”
In fact, the Head of State team has a book club of sorts. A topic is explored and discussed; eventually, that debate becomes a direction that determines what is sketched out.
“That process works best for me; there’s something very communal about it. It’s also the way, culturally, I’ve been raised,” Abijako said. “That translates into why the idea landed on not being literal; it became a summary of the collective conversation we had. The intentionality was super important for us.”
That said, the Brooklyn Museum Shop—a revenue-generating entity within the nonprofit—demands a certain equilibrium maintenance, a juxtaposition between snubbing overconsumption and supporting local communities. This balancing act is not lost on Luan, who said her “hard-line” for the collaboration was maintaining accessibility.
“We wanted the pieces to be accessible, right, and sit within a price point that people felt like was in their realm of possibility to purchase,” Luan said. “Taofeek and his team are great partners in saying, like, we want to deliver this fashion forward collection but making sure we’re adding it in a way where it still feels personal and is very democratic.”
The capsule’s first drop ranges in price from $65-$100.
“We approached this as the equivalent of us having our own artwork in the museum,” Abijako said, equating a T-shirt to that of a canvas or slab of marble: blank. “It should be taken just as seriously; the statement behind it is just as valid as what you see on the main floor of a museum.”
“Solid Gold” was organized by Matthew Yokobosky, senior curator of fashion and material culture; Catherine Futter, director of curatorial affairs and senior curator of decorative arts; and Lisa Small, senior curator, European art; with Imani Williford, curatorial assistant, photography, fashion and material culture.
“‘Solid Gold’ will transport visitors through the many worlds of gold: its joyful—though at times heartbreaking—histories and its innumerable luminous expressions across cultures past and present,” Yokobosky said in a statement. “As a museum dedicated to bridging art and people in shared experiences, audiences will find inspiration, opening them to unexplored realms of beauty in their world.”
Bank of America and Dior, two longtime supporters of the Brooklyn Museum, sponsored the exhibition. “Solid Gold” is on display from Nov. 16 through July 6.
“Bank of America struck gold over a decade ago when our relationship with the Brooklyn Museum began,” said José Tavarez, president of Bank of America New York City. “Over the years, together we have celebrated the vibrancy of New York City’s arts and culture, conserved significant works of art and engaged the Brooklyn community—and beyond. We are now honored to stand by the museum to commemorate its 200th anniversary.”
