Black Fashion Week MN runs from May 3rd to May 11th and showcases the work of Black Minneapolis designers.
The event began in 2017 and aims to nurture talented creatives in the Twin Cities fashion industry, according to the event’s Instagram page.
“The goal was to create a platform where people of color could express their creative side,” said Natalie Morrow, founder of Black Fashion Week.
Morrow said the organization has grown significantly since 2017.
“We started with 150 people and now we have over 10,000 followers. We’ve done big things,” Morrow said. “We’re the only group to have ever had a fashion show at Paisley Park, so we made that happen. We also made the Met Gala in Minnesota.”
The Minnesota Met Gala, part of Black Fashion Week, has a tagline encouraging designers and models to “Be Iconic.”
“It was designed to celebrate the Met Gala in New York, but it’s a little different because it’s from Minnesota,” Morrow says. “It’s a space for incredibly talented people who have worked really hard to reach the top.”
Jamaican-born Minneapolis fashion designer Natoya Doulat has been designing women’s clothing for more than 20 years. Doulat is one of the designers whose work will be showcased at the Minnesota Met Gala during Black Fashion Week, taking place at the American Swedish Institute on May 11.
“Given the events we’re hosting, and because this is the Met, we want to do something more avant-garde,” Doulat says. “The idea is to create something that’s definitely memorable, that’s memorable.”
Morrow explained what attracted her to Doulat’s work and what prompted her to invite him to her fashion show.
“She’s really interested in dresses that are like evening dresses, but that are very dynamic,” Morrow said. “She told me that she started out as a volunteer and then became a designer. Then I saw her work and I was just blown away. She’s really, really amazing.”
The Brown Girl Magic Fashion Show will be held at Neu Neu in Minneapolis on May 9th, just days before the Minnesota Met Gala.
Dominique Johnson, a freshman admissions counselor for the School of Design who began modeling six months ago, will be appearing in the Brown Girl Magic fashion show on May 9.
Johnson said Black Fashion Week is a good opportunity for newbie models to get their foot in the door in the industry.
“I think it’s really invigorating,” Johnson says. “Seeing different designers and different shows collaborating — designers collaborating with each other, event organizers collaborating with each other, and always doing something amazing.”
Johnson added that Black Fashion Week is a positive platform to highlight Black designers in Minneapolis.
“It’s a really wonderful opportunity to celebrate Black culture,” Johnson said. “It’s really innovative. I’m so glad that Minneapolis has such a vibrant design community.”
