As the sun went down in New York City on Wednesday, a melting pot of people poured into the Shopify store in the SoHo neighborhood, decked out in black-owned designer apparel — Telfer duffel bags and Hanifa dresses — from Afropunk x Shopify’s Black Fashion At the Accelerator Fashion Show. ,
The fashion show is the culmination of the first year of the Black Fashion Accelerator program, a partnership between Afropunk and Shopify designed to offer professional development to a group of nine emerging fashion designers to help them build more profitable and sustainable brands Can you
“Black-owned businesses are underrepresented in the US, and Shopify is committed to making entrepreneurship accessible to anyone, anywhere,” said Amena Agbaje, Marketing Program Lead for Black Entrepreneurship at Shopify. “Nothing is more inspiring to me than offering Black entrepreneurs the tools and support to get their businesses up and running.”
Over the course of six months, the inaugural class of designers were offered access to experts and resources in the fashion industry, including exclusive advice from Chris Bevans, 2017 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist and creative director of performance wear brand Dion.
Included in the 2022 BFA class of designers P. Founder of Bronte LaurentBronte Laurent; Archie Clay 3 and Taj Crutch, Founder wear brims; Jelissa Smith, Founder Fleek’s house; Melissa A. Mitchell, Founder Abil Creations; Valerie Blaise, Founder of Avvaune, Paco Esandoh, Founder Mizzy; Sophia Danner-Okoti, Founder basidoA., and Sylvester Nadhlovu, founders of ruvaafricawear,
The Shopify store had large open windows, giving way to a multilevel platform, where models emerged through a divided crowd to showcase the designers’ collections. DJ Mixshow and host Gitoo entertained the crowd with Afrobeats tunes and conversational jargon that transformed the show into a warm, familiar atmosphere.
Okoti’s collection for her brand Besida, titled “Masego”, which the designer said means “blessing” in Tswana, the language spoken in Botswana, Cotton Ankara Reversible Wrap Maxi Skirt, Ankara Kaftan with an asymmetric hemline , And a Ankara top/skirt combo that can be worn in four ways. Besida takes a sustainable approach to its designs, paying homage to the designer’s Nigerian roots and how the people there, Okoti said, naturally embrace sustainable and non-waste practices.
Sofia Danner-Ocotti’s label Besida at the 2022 BFA Fashion Show.
Courtesy of Afropunk
“We really try to make sure that we source our clothes exclusively in Nigeria, and our team of artisans are in Nigeria. I always say that Africans know how to pick one thing And how to make the most of that,” Okoti said. “We are actually very sustainable by nature, so that’s what influences our sustainable designs. I have people who have been wearing my clothes since 2015 because we make sure the clothes are made so well you never feel the need to throw it away. ,
As well as designing sustainable fashion, Besida also pays West African female artisans who work a living wage for the brand, a factor Okoti said to financially equip many workers to enroll in higher education. helped to do.
“This year two of my tailors quit, and I was hurt until they told me they were going to college. They can depend on this constant salary to spend money to fund school, all from a year’s work,” the designer said. “Now, he’s going to study mass law and communications, so I’m really proud of him.”
Inspired by the Zambian space program of the 1960s, Mizzi’s new collection, called Afronaut, takes a futuristic twist on the idea of black people wearing custom Mizzi on space travel. Models wearing Efros and holographic sunglasses wore oversized jumpsuits that matched fake space suits, formfitting jersey shirts and smaller sets printed with the brand’s logo on the sleeves and the word “Afronaut” in the center, and baggy lightweight drawstrings for streetwear. Jacket worn- look chic in the galaxies.
Paakow Essandoh’s brand Mizzi at the 2022 BFA Fashion Show.
Courtesy of Afropunk
Essando created Mizzy in 2013 while attending the University of South Florida, and said the idea for the brand was a passion project that would allow her to connect with other cultures. The Ghanaian-American designer said it is important to represent other cultures, particularly in the African diaspora, through her streetwear designs.
“The African diaspora, to me, means community. We may not necessarily be the same or have the same exact cultures, but there is an inherent ease in the diaspora when connecting with others,” he said. where you can feel confident, and still celebrate your culture at the same time.”
Fashion influencer Claire Sulmers, founder of the fashion blog Fashion Bomb Daily, was among those in attendance, as was Monique Rodriguez, founder of Miley Organics, a hair care brand owned by Black, who styled all of the models’ hair for the show.
What the fashion industry should prioritize is moving forward to support black entrepreneurs in the fashion industry, Isandoh says, adding that the Black Fashion Accelerator is a good example to repeat.
“It needs to do what the accelerator program is doing,” said the Mizzi founder. “Connecting youth across the fashion industry with people who are experienced in diverse fields and who look like us and invest in fashion education.”
Originally published at Pen 18
No comments:
Post a Comment