“What I’m most excited about with the Fashion Stories section is that it gives Black designers, who have also been historically marginalized, an opportunity to be featured in the editorial space,” Gregory says. “A lot of these designers are great at telling stories. We just need to be good at selling our products and our stories.”
One of the young designers taking part is Nicole Zizi, a Florida native who now lives in New York and runs a sustainable streetwear brand called NICOLE ZIZI STUDIO. She met Gregory through Twitter and became intrigued by the concept of a Black Fashion Fair after seeing one of her favourite designers, Sheira Rashid, involved.
“I love that it’s a network where Black designers at all levels can connect, talk, and pool resources,” Gigi says.
She’s one of many Black designers who’ve received more coverage since the murder of George Floyd. She’s grateful for it, but says where they need the most help is business and infrastructure. Gigi dropped out of Parsons because she couldn’t afford tuition, and started her own label, but it took a lot of trial and error.
“The biggest challenge in starting a streetwear brand, outside of capital, is finding manufacturers who are willing to open their floors to black women and who have low minimum orders,” said Gigi, who plans to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology to further study business management. She designed sustainable denim jackets and jeans with blue buttons for the market.
