Chapter I — The Fashion Will
Verse 1 — Fashion Finds Me
Style has always been more than what I wear.
It’s artistic imagery.
It’s how I remember.
It’s fluid—almost instinctive.
It’s how my presence remains after I leave the room.
This is where I begin.
The Collection
Verse 1 —
Fashion Finds Me
A reflection on style, memory, and the things we preserve before we know to call them an archive.
What catches my eye—and what stays with me.
Art, exhibitions, places, and cultural moments experienced through style, memory, and observation.
On
view
ON VIEW · TORONTO
Sunday Best: The Power & The Glory of Black Style
A visit to the Art Gallery of Ontario exploring Black style, self-presentation, memory, and the power of being seen.
→ Read More
THE STYLE ARCHIVE
Objects hold stories.
What we wear carries evidence of who we are, where we’ve been, and what we choose to preserve.
SEE HOW IT WORKS
One object. Many connections.
“A Style Record begins with an object, but it doesn’t end there. Follow its connections to the people, places, photographs, memories, and history that give it meaning.”
FOUNDER + STYLE ARCHIVIST
TONIA BUTLER
Founder, Threads & Testaments
I believe what we wear can become evidence of who we were.
I grew up understanding that style could say something before a person ever spoke.
Over time, family photographs, clothing, museums, art, and the stories attached to everyday objects made me wonder: What happens when the stories are no longer told and no one records why these objects mattered?
Threads & Testaments grew from that question.
Meet Tonia →
YOUR STYLE ARCHIVE BEGINS WITH YOU.
You may just not have called it that yet.
The church hat your grandmother always wore.
Your father’s leather jacket.
The dress that appears in every important family photograph.
Or perhaps the story begins with you—
the pieces you’re wearing, keeping, and giving meaning to now.
Every archive begins with a first record.
Tonia Butler, Cleveland Museum of Art, 2026
From the Founder’s personal archive
Sincerely yours,
Tonia B
Founder & Style Archivist
–And in all things, find time to be the art
BEGIN YOUR STYLE ARCHIVE
Every archive begins with a first record.
01
CHOOSE
Start with one object, photograph, garment, or accessory that carries a story.
02
RECORD
Document what it is, who it belonged to, what you know about it, and why it matters.
03
PRESERVE
Create a Style Record that keeps the object and its story together.