For more than 150 years, Anacostia has been home to some of the most significant changes in the District’s history. From the opening of St. Elizabeths Hospital in 1855 to the escalating violence and drug use that ravaged the area in the 1990s, the neighborhood has witnessed it all. Now, this history is being illustrated in an unusual way: at a local art exhibit called “ Anacostia In Fashion,” where clothing designer  Brian Evans has created a five-piece showcase documenting the evolution of the neighborhood through interpretative fashion.

A mannequin draped in ribbons that have been fashioned into restraints, to represent the year 1855 in Anacostia, created by Brian Evans. (Erin Williams - The Washington Post)The exhibit details several points of the community’s history mainly though a series of outfits inspired by specific time periods. The show is part of  Lumen8 Anacostia, a three- month art initiative highlighting visual and performing arts events through a collaboration between nonprofit ARCH Development Corp. and the city’s Office of Planning.

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