Culture: A retro-speculative methodology for contesting the legacy of colonialism and race(ism) performance in women’s sport

Afrofuturism is a cross-genre aesthetic movement that uses speculative fiction, design, and aesthetic philosophy to envision black futures that stem from Afro-diasporic experiences. Drawing on Afrofuturist aesthetics, this article puts forward a ‘retro-speculative’ methodological approach to fashion through its fabrication and critical analysis of a women’s sportswear uniform. The institutional critique of an emblematic university sports brand positions the official “African Violet” Kukri Kit as a boundary object at the intersection of dress history, textile design innovation, and cultural fashion studies. The history of institutional discrimination against black women in sports is colonial in legacy, where the exclusion of women athletes of the African diaspora denied black women from competing in the Olympics until after WWII. This systemic inequality in black female performance continues to be manifest at academic and sports institutions reflected by attainment and awarding gaps, performance tables and equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) metrics at large. [...]