Author: uno_usr_254

We look at Black fashion brands presenting collections during New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter ’23, including Heron Preston, LaQuan Smith, and Tia Adeola.New York Fashion Week (NYFW) is the time of year when things speed up a bit for fashion lovers, designers, and critics. If you’re a fan of fashion, you’re probably anxiously awaiting new collections to be shown on the runways and in showrooms. But if you’re an avid fan of Black brands and fashion houses, you’re probably well aware of some of the hurdles they have to overcome. In 2020, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)…

As Black History Month begins, the Historic Costume and Textiles Collection at The Ohio State University’s College of Education and Human Ecology (EHE) is celebrating the legacy of legendary Black fashion designer Ann Rowe. Widely recognized as the first nationally recognized Black American fashion designer, Rowe is the subject of a new book and a recently unveiled and upcoming exhibition at the National First Ladies Library in Canton.Gayle Strege, curator of the Historic Costume and Textile Collection, said Rowe’s historical significance as the first Black designer recognized for her distinctive style cannot be overstated.”There were a lot of black dressmakers…

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Ann Rowe was the first Black fashion designer to receive international recognition and began her career designing dresses for Gasparilla. Born in Clayton, Alabama in 1898, Ann Rowe learned to sew from her mother and grandmother. From an early age, she loved to use scraps to create flowers that resembled those in her family’s garden, which would later become her signature designs. Rowe began sewing at age 5. In 1916, at age 18, she moved to Tampa after local socialite Josephine Edward Lee met Rowe by chance in a New York department store. Lee loved Rowe’s…

Fashion in 2023 has a lot to offer. This year will see prosperity, but also mindful releases, fashion as art again, and a different kind of craftsmanship (among more exciting fashion dramas). So far, our wishes have been granted. The first week of the new year has been all about lawsuits, along with tailored suits and new collections with substance. With fashion weeks just around the corner, we can only hope this continues. The collaborations that were teased last year continue to be teased and should be worth the wait, plus collaborations we didn’t know we needed are set to…

By definition, fashion—particularly apparel and shoes for mass-market and luxury consumers—is culturally and personally significant. For Black American consumers, fashion signals taste as well as personal and cultural identity; as such, Black Americans have long set and influenced broader tastes and trends in fashion. The Black consumer is also economically significant. Our analysis suggests that Black consumers’ spending on apparel and footwear will grow by about 6 percent a year to $70 billion in nominal dollars by 2030. This will be part of the total of $445 billion in nominal dollars that our survey data suggests will be up for…

Fashion’s most dynamic Black designers have translated Jean-Michel Basquiat’s paintings into wearable art.In April, Basquiat’s estate opened “King Pleasure,” an exhibition showcasing Basquiat’s work and life, and now the exhibition is introducing a new element: a Basquiat-inspired fashion collection called “Those Who Dress Better.”Named after Basquiat’s famous line, “He Who Dresses Better Can Accept Christ,” the collection pays tribute to the artist with work from nine fashion brands led by Black designers and creative directors. “He Who Dresses Better,” which was unveiled at a reception on December 7, will be on display as part of the larger King Pleasure exhibition…

At the moment, Jean-Michel Basquiat is the hardest working designer in fashion. Nearly 30 years after his death, in 2022, his work graces Samsonite suitcases, CASETiFY accessories, and countless streetwear brands like Wacko Maria, Nu Denim, Etude, and Soul Goods. Needless to say, the majority of these “collaborations” have rather unceremoniously trashed Basquiat’s back catalogue, turning the artist into prey for Urban Outfitters. But this doesn’t always have to be the case. Black Fashion Fair, for example, is sincerely respecting the artist’s intentions with a new collaboration in conjunction with the King Pleasure exhibition, currently running in New York. Designers…

At the moment, Jean-Michel Basquiat is the hardest working designer in fashion. Nearly 30 years after his death, in 2022, his work graces Samsonite suitcases, CASETiFY accessories, and countless streetwear brands like Wacko Maria, Nu Denim, Etude, and Soul Goods. Needless to say, the majority of these “collaborations” have rather unceremoniously trashed Basquiat’s back catalogue, turning the artist into prey for Urban Outfitters. But this doesn’t always have to be the case. Black Fashion Fair, for example, is sincerely respecting the artist’s intentions with a new collaboration in conjunction with the King Pleasure exhibition, currently running in New York. Designers…

In a fashion industry that prides itself on celebrating difference, diversity and inclusivity, the talent of Black designers remains marginalized at best and too often suffers from systemic hiring discrimination. To be clear, the established mainstream fashion design community does not have a diversity problem, it has a “Black problem.” Designer: KIBWE CHASE-MARSHALL In most luxury, contemporary and mass-market design studios, talented Black designers are rarely given equal opportunities to reach senior designer, design director, creative director or VP of design roles. Often, they are blacklisted by influential recruiters and hiring managers, leaving them with little or no prospect of…

A popular hip-hop fashion brand is reminding us of its heritage: To celebrate its 30th anniversary, FUBU has tapped Black Fashion Fair founder Antoine Gregory to design a collection inspired by its archives.Building on their previous collaboration on the Museum World Tour, FUBU and Black Fashion Fair are coming together again to celebrate the streetwear brand’s birthday.”[FUBU] “Our logo is deeply rooted in Black culture,” Gregory says, “and I wanted to pay tribute not only to our founders, but also to the generations of Black designers whose influence is largely undocumented. I chose to highlight the logo because the message,…