Jill Scott Hits HBCU Aware Fest Stage In A Custom HBCU Patchwork Dress
HBCU Aware Fest went down in Atlanta last week, and the stars were on hand to celebrate all of the colleges and universities.
Among those celebrities was Jill Scott, who took the stage alongside Clark Atlanta University’s Mighty Marching Panthers Band. As the band blared behind her, she managed to sing even louder, performing 2007’s “Hate On Me” as only she can.
But aside from Scott popping up to show off her vocal talents, fans were even more excited about her outfit.
The neo-soul legend was rocking a patchwork dress made of upcycled HBCU T-shirts, all sewn together. All credit goes to Patched Gal, who designed the piece, and in a video on her Instagram, she talked about working with Scott being a dream opportunity and said it all came together when her stylist asked her to design something.
The stylist, Pamela Macklin, confirmed the idea with Essence, saying, “I provided direction to this young designer from ATL, and she did not disappoint. This is art.”
Scott’s dress prominently shows off a Hampton patch across her chest, and a nod to Benedict College down her legs. Patched Gal’s detailed shots of the dress show bits and pieces from other schools, including FAMU, North Carolina A&T, Morehouse, Spelman, Howard, Talladega College, Jackson State University, and Alabama A&M.
She finished the look with one of her signature hats and oversized earrings, and kept the colorful vibes down to her feet with a pair of Nike Huaraches.
Scott was the headliner, but other stars included Chaka Khan, Metro Boomin, Jeezy, GloRilla, and Tems.
HBCU Aware Fest was founded in 2020 by the Student Freedom Initiative (SFI) to help college-goers overcome crippling student loan debt.
“HBCU AWAREFEST—the first national benefit concert illuminating the student loan debt crisis at HBCUs to the public—is one of the organization’s newest initiatives,” reads the site. “Over a week-long program, SFI will raise funds and awareness to support affordable college financing and long-term wealth-building efforts.”
And if you missed her at HBCU Aware Fest, you can catch her on her tour as she makes a run of shows through North America from June to November in support of her recently released sixth album, To Whom This May Concern.
