Tuskegee Grads Celebrate TU With Taliaferro Union

Proud sons of Tuskegee shaped by its storied history, Alvin and Alarie Percival and David Banks are honoring Booker T. Washington's vision with every stitch of them Taliaferro Union clothes line.

The brand takes its name from Washington's middle name, “Taliaferro,” derived from the Italian “Tagliaferro,” meaning iron cutter or blacksmith. The Percivals and Banks draw on this symbol of strength and craftsmanship to guide their work, linking their designs to Washington's teachings on labor, skill and self-determination.

“We are three sons of Tuskegee, not just the university but the city,” said David Banks, born on campus like his co-founders, whose great-grandfather was named Taliaferro and has a rich family history with the school. “We grew up in the shadow of the school, spend summers at camps, go to all the football games and you're just itching for your turn because your dream is to be in university one day.”

Likewise, the Percival twins have deep ties to the historic Alabama institution. Their parents graduated from Tuskegee, and the brothers spent much of their childhood in the rhythms of campus and city life. Alarie Percival described growing up working the land, reflecting the agricultural foundation that Washington promoted.

“We're from the country, so we all grew up on farms,” ​​he told BOSSIP. “My father was also a Tuskegee University alum, majoring in agriculture. So we grew up working the land, growing anything you can think of under the sun and raising herds of sheep and goats. So we just felt what Booker T Washington stood to do at Tuskegee Normal, which is now Tuskegee University, aligned with our an agriculture and similar interest in us agriculture and fine. We felt like it [Taliaferro Union] was a perfect fit. “

“It's like that full-circle moment,” added his brother Alvin Percival.

Taliaferro Union's collections draw directly from Tuskegee's archives and history. The Archive Revival Collection resurrects century-old campus uniforms and athletic apparel, including collegiate cardigans, chenille letter sweaters and yellow tracksuits once worn by the Tuskegee swim team.

“One of Booker T. Washington's most famous quotes was: 'Put your bucket down where you are,'” said David. “And that's pretty much what happened here. We didn't have to look far and wide for inspiration. We literally just looked under our feet. Tuskegee has such a rich visual archive and legacy that it didn't take much digging to discover things that inspired us.”

The Singing Windows Shirt stands out as a centerpiece of the collection.

Inspired by the stained glass of the Tuskegee University Chapel, the windows depict the liberation of the Israelites and the African-American journey from slavery to freedom.

“This is an iconic piece that sometimes gets overshadowed because many people are more familiar with the Booker T Lifting the Veil monument on campus, but not many people recognize the stained glass windows, which are inside the TU chapel,” Alvin said. “So that was a goal for us, which David put together beautifully. We could just replicate that on a shirt and in a beautiful way.”

The designers see their brand as a reflection of Tuskegee's unique culture and the energy that lives among students and alumni. Tuskegee is known for “The Shed,” a section where fanatical undergrads don their school's crimson and old gold and belt out their famous “Ball and Parlay” chant. The pride is contagious, and permeates the air of the east-central Alabama town with a spirit that rivals, and often surpasses, that of other HBCUs.

“My theory on that is, Tuskegee is a small town in Alabama, it's not a real big city nearby, so a lot of what you have to do to entertain yourself is on campus with your peers,” Alvin said. “So I think we don't have as much close to other things, I think that gives us that leg up on camaraderie and school spirit that no other school rivals.”

That same pride extends past the campus gates as Taliaferro Union channels his school spirit into action, giving a portion of every sale back to Tuskegee University.

“I think a big part of our mission is also not only to tell the story, but also to do some effect,” David said. “So any support we get, we also put back into the school.

Alarie also emphasized that the brand fills a gap in the market for well-made, durable collegiate apparel.

“​​​​When you look at the background of some of these vintage pieces, you learn about the school with a tailoring program,” Alarie said. “They learned to sew their clothes and do all these trades and we kind of got away from that because in today's times we're inundated with fast fashion. I wanted to go back to quality pieces that are meant to last.”

He continued,

“A big driver for me personally with this project is during undergrad, I didn't really buy a lot of school supplies. Some things were good, but I just didn't find anything that really spoke to me that I wanted to keep. I thought that as a whole we could fill a gap of what the market was missing. That's really what I think the legacy I want to leave is pro, quality, of what we want to leave. that leaves a lasting impression, and scratches the creative bug in all of us. ”

“We want to create future legacies,” added David Banks.

Finally, the founders see Taliaferro Union as a continuous link between past and present that reverently honors their beloved TU, the pride of the rapidly growing South.

“It's about telling stories and being the keepers and tellers of our own story from our own perspective,” David said. “It just goes to show that you can do anything you put your mind to.”

“Our clothes speak volumes to the entire story line of Tuskegee University like us and how we help bridge the gap of sharing that vision of something we admire,” Alvin said. “Hopefully people can appreciate that.”

Fine Taliaferro Union online and on social media @TaliaferroUnionwhere every piece comes stitched with TU pride.