The fashion industry has a long history of exploiting Black creatives — and it’s not a problem that only exists in the past. While some of today’s most prominent fashion designers are Black — including Kerby Jean-Raymond of Pyer Moss, Aurora James of Brother Vellies, Carly Cushnie of Cushnie, and Christopher John Rogers — they don’t always have the same support. As James noted in a recent Instagram post, it is imperative for both long-established brands and everyday consumers to do the work of helping Black-owned businesses. James calls for brands like Net-A-Porter, Target, Whole Foods, Sephora, and Saks Fifth Avenue to commit to buying 15% of their products from Black-owned businesses, explaining that companies of this magnitude have the power to offset existing racial disparities — they just have to use it.
As important as it is for corporations to support and encourage Black-owned businesses, it’s just as crucial that we as consumers also uplift the Black fashion community.
Ahead, we’re helping you put your money where your supportive Instagram post is, by highlighting Black-owned businesses where we love to shop and think you should, too.
To help bring attention to the police killing of George Floyd, you can sign the Change.org petition here, or donate to local organizations like Black Vision Collective or Reclaim the Block via the Minnesota Freedom Fund here.
Gabi Fresh x SwimsuitsForAll
Last month, influencer and designer Gabi Fresh launched her 13th collaborative collection with size-inclusive swimwear brand SwimsuitsForAll, which features a back-to-basics selection of bikinis and one-pieces modelled on herself, Nadia Aboulhosn, and Maxey Greene.
Heron Preston
Known for his workwear-inspired designs, San-Francisco-born designer Heron Preston has worked with all the streetwear giants, from Kanye West to Nike to Virgil Abloh. Now, Preston, a CFDA Emerging Designer of the Year nominee, shows his collections during Paris Fashion Week and is beloved by both Ariana Grande and Gigi Hadid, among others.
Thebe Magugu
Thebe Magugu may have just staged his debut at Paris Fashion Week this past February, but his name — and thoughtful womenswear brand — was already on everyone’s minds. Born out of South Africa, his luxury label combines high quality, beautiful clothing and accessories with an important sense of culture and history. It’s no wonder he won the coveted LVMH Prize for Young Designers in 2019, becoming the first African designer to win the prize, ever.
Maki Oh
Praised by Michelle Obama, Lupita N’yongo, Solange Knowles, and Thandie Newton, Maki Oh is a collaboration between traditional African design techniques and modern style and construction. A finalist for the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, Mako Osakwe was the first and only Africa-based designer to be invited to the White House.
Brother Vellies
A line of handcrafted, sustainable shoes and handbags, Brother Vellies is a favourite of the fashion crowd. In response to the current protests, its creative founder, Canadian Aurora James, has called on retailers, like Net-A-Porter and Saks Fifth Avenue, to commit to buying 15% of their products from Black-owned businesses.
Sincerely, Tommy
A popular Brooklyn-based concept store and e-retailer owned by Kai Avent-deLeon, Sincerely, Tommy carries everything from clothing, shoes, and jewelry to home decor and wellness products.
Christopher John Rogers
One of our favourite NYFW shows, 2019 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winner Christopher John Rogers inspired us with the brand’s showcase of bold colours and dramatic fabrics that will make you excited to dress up.
Cushnie
Carly Cushnie’s New York City-based brand is known for its minimal selection of bridal and ready-to-wear designs made for the modern woman.
The Folklore
Based in New York City, the Folklore is a multi-brand retailer that offers up artisan-made products from South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Morocco, Cote D’Ivoire, and more. The selection also includes designs from notable brands like Andrea Iyamah, MaXhosa, and Loza Maléombho.
Pyer Moss
Pyer Moss’ Kerby Jean-Raymond has always been a proponent of inclusivity and activism in fashion. His last September show, for example, was dedicated to uncovering “stories of black peoples’ contribution to popular American culture.”
Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty and Fenty
Size-inclusive, diverse, and unapologetically confident, Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty, both the brand and its runway shows, has been an innovator in the lingerie space since the brand’s launch in 2018. Rihanna made history again last year, as LVMH’s first Black female designer, with the release of her luxury fashion label Fenty.
Victor Glemaud
A designer who recently made (deserved!) headlines for extending his sizing, Victor Glemaud is known for his knitwear dresses and separates and the diversity of models he casts for his shows.
Telfar
Founder of unisex line Telfar, Telfar Clemens has from the beginning said that his line is for everyone. For proof, look no further than the success of the “Bushwick Birkin.”
Romeo Hunte
Romeo Hunte counts A-listers like Beyoncé and Zendaya as fans — no surprise given the brand’s mix of timeless silhouettes in unexpected designs and its coveted outwear styles.
LaQuan Smith
Never to be missed, LaQuan Smith’s runway shows are always a celebration of in-your-face designs shown on models like Winnie Harlow and Halima Aden.
Jade Swim
For swimwear needs, fashion editor and stylist Brittany Kozerski’s Jade Swim carries high-quality, minimalist designs with a twist.
Lemlem
Model Liya Kebede’s apparel and accessories line works with artisans in her native Ethiopia to create sustainable, one-of-kind pieces that range from handwoven maxi dresses to graphic swimsuits.
Wales Bonner
Launched in 2014, Grace Wales Bonner is a UK-based men’s and women’s wear designer whose pieces are a hybrid of European and African styles. In addition to winning the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund in 2019, Wales Bonner has also collaborated with Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri on the fashion house’s Resort ’20 collection.
Hanifa
Congolese designer behind Hanifa, Anifa Mvuemba made headlines last week for showing her new collection on Instagram Live via 3-D models — an innovative move that, according to Teen Vogue, she had planned before the stay-at-home orders.
Kenneth Ize
Kenneth Ize may have made his PFW debut in February, but it was his runway show during Lagos Fashion Week a few months prior that really put the Austrian-Nigerian designer on the map. At the show, Naomi Campbell and Imaan Hammam both not only supported Ize’s Nigerian-inspired designs but modelled them.
Tia Adeola
Nigerian-born, London-raised designer Tia Adeola made her NYFW debut (as Slashed by Tia) in 2018 in an explosion of ruffles. But even before then, her styles were seen on the likes of SZA and Kali Uchis.
Daily Paper
The product of three childhood best friends Jefferson Osei, Abderrahmane Trabsini, and Hussein Suleiman, Daily Paper, an Amsterdam-based men’s and womenswear brand, is dually inspired by the three designers’ African heritage and modern design aesthetics.
Fe Noel
Felisha “Fe” Noel’s Brooklyn-based label draws inspiration from her Grenadian roots and is known for its vibrant hues, luxury fabrics, and tropical prints.
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Brands Lay Out Plans To Help The Black Community
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