‘The Folding Chair’ Made Its Way on to Fashion Week’s Runway, Seen as Symbol of Resistance – Watch Video

August 14, 2023

After the Montgomery Riverfront Uprising, in which a Black man armed himself with a folding chair used in self-defence, the chair has become a symbol of resistance to White violence. In response to the energy of the moment, businesses quickly created products that matched it.

In addition to popular clothing items such as t-shirts and hoodies, the folding chair has emerged as a fashion statement in its own right, featuring on the runway at Copenhagen Fashion Week, where a black model is spotted posing with the now iconic folding chair.

The man whose efforts made the folding chair infamous is called the ‘folding chair man’, which has dominated social media as a cultural icon of resistance since the viral brawl. The ‘folding chair man’ is identified as 42-year-old Reggie Gray, who has since gained hero status among African-Americans.

Folding Chair Earrings, Dangle Earrings, From TheTQueen via Etsy

The Montgomery Uprising is also reflected in accessories such as phone cases, earrings, key chains, and household items like mugs.

See the video below:

The folding chair has now become a symbol of black solidarity worldwide following the racial dock brawl in Alabama. Here it is at Copenhagen Fashion Week. pic.twitter.com/galUsLLlia

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 13, 2023