While in isolation during the pandemic, Charlotte-based fashion designer Gordon Holliday was looking for his next project. He spent the day alone watching television, but he didn’t know that his inspiration would come from an anime show on Netflix.
The title of the series “Yasuke” showed the story of the black samurai warrior who was first known in Japan. Holliday is criticized for taking Yasuke under his wing, even though the samurai lord Oda Nobunaga is a foreigner.
“I know what it’s like to be black in America, but what about being black in Japan? It was something I started to resonate with, and that’s what struck me,” the 28-year-old told QCity Metro.
Fascinated by samurai history, Holliday began making kimonos that reflected Yasuke’s history and Japanese culture. Two years later, his work is on display at the Mint Museum Uptown as an exhibit titled “Yasuke: The Hidden Ronin.”
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The name comes from the legend that Yasuke went ronin after Nobunaga died (an obsolete samurai term) and disappeared.
The exhibition features 10 original kimonos that show what an African samurai warrior would wear today.
How the love for fashion was created
Holliday says his first passion for fashion began after he and his family moved from Baltimore, Maryland to Charlotte, NC in 2007.
During his time in grade school, he always wore a uniform, but attending the newly opened Mallard Creek High School gave him the opportunity to test his fashion sense.
“[My style] It was a typical Ivy League mix but still with tracksuits and Nike kicks. I wanted to mix the schoolboy look with the jock style,” he said.
After high school, Holliday attended UNC Greensboro to study photography. But a minor in retail studies often finds its way into a fashion department, he said.
He got a side hustle selling screen printing shirts, but when competition started growing in his yard, he knew he had to improve his product.
“I wanted to do something a little different, a little crafty,” he said. “I decided to learn how to cut and sew.”
After spending the summer learning from his grandfather, Holliday returned to school with renewed confidence.
He would go to a local thrift store and get old clothes and clothes to put together an outfit like a jacket, jeans, shorts and a hat.
“I would grow it and add more pockets, use different materials, change the colors up or do something with a certain color palette,” he said.
He has also held several fashion shows and design competitions to showcase his works.
Holliday says he doesn’t want to be called by his artist name, like other artists. He started using the name “ROOLE” which is an acronym for RULING OUR LIVES EVERY DAY.
He began branding his work with his logo, the letter “R.”
“I changed the mantra to a mantra, affirmation, every time you wear that outfit, you feel like you’re taking charge of your day. You feel confident,” he said.
to be a Full time artist
Holliday said he worked odd jobs after graduating college in 2017, hoping to continue his art career in Charlotte with the right opportunity.
That opportunity came after working as a shoe designer for Adidas. It almost came in late 2019, but when the pandemic came, things never happened, he said.
Holliday says he decided to become a full-time artist but needed a project to start his journey. After falling ill during the outbreak, he is stuck at home watching anime shows and movies. Inspiration is coming soon from Netflix.
“When I feel better, I go back into my studio,” he said.
After two years of work, Holliday gets the chance to present the project in a fashion show at the Mant Museum. In March, the museum reached out to Holliday about putting on a fashion show with other emerging artists.
There, he showed all 10 kimonos. The museum offered him a solo exhibition of his acclaimed work.
Mint Museum Chief Curator Jennifer Sudul Edwards said the museum has always had a goal of providing opportunities for local artists.
She said she has always admired Holliday’s work as a fashion designer since she met him. She also bought kimonos before they appeared on the website.
When Mint was looking for artists to participate in a fashion show, she knew she had to include Holliday.
“He has an eye for history and cares a lot about legacy. But he’s creating his own aesthetic, his own style, his own process,” she says.
After hearing about Holliday’s ideas for an exhibit at Yasuk, Edwards said she wanted to give him a chance to show his work to a wider audience.
“We really believe in his work and his vision as an artist. We wanted to give him a place to spread his wings,” she said.
On June 8, the exhibition was opened to the public. More than 300 tickets were sold but at least 500 visitors passed.
Holliday included 16 local artists to share their work in the exhibit. These additional components include photos, digital art and paintings. A DJ and a harpist were also present to play music on the opening day.
Justin Hicks and Jordan Robinson co-hosted the event.
Holliday said he was grateful for the support he saw on opening night. He said he got a lot of positive feedback from the exhibition.
“This story resonates with many black people. “Because we go through hardships, we go through daily struggles, we go through systematic oppression, and we constantly push to overcome it,” he said.
Before the exhibit closes on Sept. 15, Holliday plans to host children at the museum to tell the story of Yasuke and the importance of creativity and entrepreneurship.
A summary of the August 17 panel discussion and reception will be announced the following day.
Kimonos can be purchased on the website. Exhibitors will also be available and accepted after the exhibition.
The exhibition is open during museum opening hours. Tickets can be purchased in person or on the museum’s website.
