26 Black-Owned Clothing + Fashion Houses You Can Support STAT
Photos c/o @brothervellies
I’m a big believer in taking action. An area where we can all make a conscious change is to support Black-owned businesses. The fashion industry has a long history of exploiting Black creatives and, as you can imagine, we are far from where we should be when it comes to celebrating and supporting Black creatives they way they deserve. There are many independent and small businesses that can be supported, but I want to highlight that it’s imperative we seek systemic change from corporations and long brands. I’d love to see brands like Net-A-Porter, Target, Whole Foods, Sephora, and Saks Fifth Avenue commit to buying 15% of their products from Black-owned businesses. When companies of this size make conscious changes to support Black-owned businesses, they can really offset existing racial disparities.
Photos c/o @brothervellies
While it’s important for corporations to support and encourage Black-owned businesses, we can take action NOW as consumers by supporting the Black fashion community.
Photos c/o @brothervellies
Here are 20 Black-owned fashion brands that I adore:
Brother Vellies
Handcrafted shoes and handbags from South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya & Morocco, founded by Creative Director, Aurora James. Brother Vellies is a favorite of the fashion crowd and for good reason—their pieces (as well as their Williamsburg boutique are STUNNING). In response to the current protests, its creative founder, 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.
Photos c/o @brothervellies
Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty and Fenty
@savagexfenty
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.
Good Sinners
Goodsinners was created as a way to bring individuals together from all backgrounds. Their purpose is to highlight our natural flaws and bring people together with positive messages from all walks of life. Their focus is creating garments with substance that can bring value to others. They believe all have more in common than what meets the eye and that there is beauty in our imperfections and uniqueness.
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.
Samaria Leah
LOVE this brand! Samaria Leah denim marries the past and present with every one-of-a-kind piece. We're globally-sourced, hand-picked & handcrafted vintage—intricately and uniquely.
Ibiss is a boutique based in Bay Area and founded by the Nigerian born, Ibi Oluwole. As an undergraduate at Santa Clara University, she was designing and making her own clothing line. Immediately after graduating with a BS in marketing, Oluwole opened her first brick & mortar location near the campus using the business plan she worked out in one of her classes. Ibi works hard to keep 90% of her inventory below $60 to provide affordable, yet fashionable pieces for women of all ages.
More Than Your Average
This plus-sized vintage shop is owned by Mya Price and is based in Washington D.C. Full of color and vintage treasures, More Than Your Average stands out as a business that is filling a gap in fashion.
Taylor Jay
Another business based in my hometown of Oakland, Taylor Jay empowers women with beautiful, versatile, comfortable, sustainable fashion basics that easily adapt to any lifestyle. Their pieces are design with every woman in mind, offering a wide range of sizes and smart features that complement any body shape. Taylor Jay also partners with an ethically sourced local factory to produce environmentally safe garments from certified eco-friendly textiles.
Photos c/o @shoptaylorjay
Christopher John Rogers
One of our favorite NYFW shows, 2019 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winner Christopher John Rogers inspired us with the brand's showcase of bold colors and dramatic fabrics that will make you excited to dress up.
And I Get Dressed
And I Get Dressed (AIGD) is a community founded by Kellie Brown. What started as a personal blog, has evolved into a global network where stylish women from all walks of life, see themselves reflected. The purpose of this community is to highlight style, beauty travel, and lifestyle beyond perceived “limitations” of ones body type or sizes.
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.
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.
Jade Swim
For swimwear needs, fashion editor and stylist Brittany Kozerski’s Jade Swim carries high-quality, minimalist designs with a twist.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
McMullen
An Oakland gem, owner Sherri McMullen supports emerging brands and those that tell a story through their work. While she features designers from all over the world, her focus is on African, African American, and female designers in the luxury space.
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.
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.”
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.
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 modeled them.
Beastmode Apparel
I have to give love to my favorite hometown hero, Marshawn Lynch. The former NFL star opened this Oakland store a few years back and it features pieces from his clothing line under the same name.
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.
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.
