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Tuskegee x Ruckage Art Gallery featuring the flight uniform of Cornelius Coffey.
Credit: Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice
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Ruckage honors the Tuskegee Airmen with collection at Bloomingdale’s
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The beginning months of 2025 have seen efforts to intentionally erase Black history, but Ruckage, a fashion brand founded by Darryl Bordenave, has countered this with its newest clothing line currently on display at Bloomingdale’s in Lenox Mall, celebrating the legacy of the historic Tuskegee Airmen.
On Saturday, February 15, Ruckage Design Co., The Legacy Flight Academy, and watchmaker Talley & Twine hosted a panel discussion honoring the heroic legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen and the aviation history that inspired the Ruckage’s Denim Collection. The exhibition’s significance was further highlighted by the presence of aviators like Lt. Col. Aaron Jones, a 20-year Air Force veteran, and United Airlines 737 Captain Alex Cole. Both men represent the Legacy Flight Academy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to youth aviation programs that carry forward the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.
Jones currently serves as Vice President on the board of directors, while Cole serves as a board member. Their presence bridged the gap between the Tuskegee Airmen’s historic achievements and today’s aviation landscape, “No matter what is said politically, I think it is important to preserve our history,” Cole emphasizes, highlighting the crucial role of programs like the Legacy Flight Academy in maintaining these historical connections.
For Jones, the Tuskegee Airmen’s influence runs deep. He was inspired by the 1995 HBO film The Tuskegee Airmen starring Laurence Fishburne, “That was the bridge that I needed to connect from being a young man watching F-15s take off in Japan, to finding the way to make it happen,” Jones reflected, “Their story was a motivating factor. Seeing what they overcame in order to be able to live out their dream was just the fuel I needed to keep going.”
Cole’s connection to the legacy is equally profound. Both his parents are Tuskegee graduates, and his father, Herman, a retired United States Air Force colonel. Cole’s great-uncle, 2nd Lt. Vincent Ivor Mitchell, was himself an original Tuskegee Airman — a fact that remained unknown to Cole until his mid-20.
The gallery features pieces from Ruckage’s eight-piece denim collection. Bordenave chose denim as his primary medium for its symbolic resonance, “Denim is a tough, durable fabric,” he explains, drawing a parallel between the material’s resilience and the fortitude of the Tuskegee Airmen, “They had to endure so much. Denim represents strength and American legacy,” continued Bordenave. Bordenave plans to expand his vision with a second collection launching in fall 2025, featuring twelve pieces crafted from materials including cashmere, wool, and leather.
Through the Legacy Flight Academy, Jones, Cole, and their colleagues work to honor the Tuskegee Airmen’s legacy while inspiring the next generation of aviators, “We stand on the shoulders of giants,” Jones emphasizes, noting how the Academy’s mission aligns perfectly with Bordenave’s exhibition, which features not only the fashion collection but also the original flight suit of Cornelius Coffey, who trained the Tuskegee Airmen.
As Jones reflects on his career in the Air Force and as a pilot, he cites the Tuskegee Airmen’s story as providing inspiration for overcoming challenges, “Trials and tribulations, we all have them. We all have to figure out a way to make it through and persevere through the tough times.”
The exhibition runs through March 31.
To learn more about the Legacy Flight Academy visit: https://www.legacyflightacademy.org/our-history.
To shop the collection visit: https://www.ruckage.com.
This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with The Atlanta Voice.
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