Y’all so NYFW WAS A SUCCESS! I’ll dish more on my show recaps in the next post, but it was absolutely a dream. Of course, Essence magazine decided to also celebrate the festivities with its annual ESSENCE Fashion House, a celebration of the creative genius and talent within the Black fashion community.
“We are thrilled to bring back ESSENCE Fashion House to showcase Black excellence in fashion and illustrate that diversity and representation in fashion is more than just a trend,” said MoAna Luu, ESSENCE Chief Content & Creative Officer, Essence Communications, Inc. “It will be a beautiful gathering and ESSENCE is proud to use our platform to celebrate Black designers, talent, creatives and fashion enthusiasts across the globe.”
While Black designers continue to break important barriers in the fashion industry, Black designers and creatives still face significant systemic barriers to success. ESSENCE Fashion House was designed to leverage ESSENCE’s global platform to convene fashion industry leaders, Black creatives and designers to collaborate, build economic empowerment and foster inclusion for those who often still remain on the margins of the fashion industry.
This year, we also had the opportunity to see three runway shows with up-and-coming Black designers, Esé Azénabor, LeVenity, and Carlton Jones, showcasing their latest collections, followed by exclusive talks with the designers.
Not only is it important to see designers that are Black and Brown but models as well. There were so many enviable looks from the shows, it was hard to pick just one or two.
My amazing photographer captured everything from the beautiful clothing details to these intricate hair looks. I was mesmerized by the attention to the detail done for each look coming up and down the runway. You know I always say, but the best shows aren’t always happening in the big halls on the board of the CFDA!
Of course, it wasn’t just the models that looked down the runway. Misfits from all over came to show their love for fashion and looked fabulous while doing it!
I’m so thankful to Essence for having us and for reminding us that when there are times of political and civil unrest, that it’s our job to create that which we hope to see in the world. Building my platform and using it for the greater good has always been a reward in more ways than one.
