This collection of customized vintage clothing is inspired by poetry in Words Saved Lives. The collection's title, “Hundreds of Thousands (H.O.T) of Pounds on My Spine", is a line from the poem “LTV Steel". This refers to the pressures and stressors accumulated over time as a Black person existing in today’s society and the lineage of that pressure passed down and inherited from previous generations. When poet/designer Larry was born, Larry’s father, “Larry Sr.” worked the night shift at LTV Steel in Cleveland OH. It was grueling, rigorous work that required grit, toughness, and intellect. With molten steel temperatures reaching between 2500-2800 degrees Fahrenheit, it was dangerous and physical work that required one to have a heightened sense of awareness. This collection reinterprets the literal spine and revisits previous collection inspiration from Dr. Daniel Hale’s groundbreaking performance of open heart surgery (The Zipper Club). The collection has been created by hand using vintage needle and thread, paint, brush and hand-made and laser cut stencils. The collection seeks to inspire others to recycle, reduce and reuse wherever possible. This is slow-fashion and each vintage item took a considerable amount of time to create and customize. Hopefully, they become the wearer's favorite old item of clothing that they continue to personalize over the course of the life of the garment.
