After 12 years, Cushnie, the womenswear brand that literally redefined Black excellence in the luxury space for many people, announced that the brand would be closing due to the effects of COVID-19. Cushnie was originally established in 2008, first known as Cushnie et Ochs alongside her former design partner Michelle Ochs, who left the brand in 2018.
Although it took me a LONG time to afford Cushnie (hey, she’s luxury honey), the brand was admired and worn by some of today’s leading ladies, including Beyoncé, Michelle Obama, Jennifer Lopez and more.
In June, Cushnie for Target dropped, offering women a more accessible way to shop her coveted designs and silhouettes (thankfully I was able to get my hands on that collaboration before they sold out!).
The saddest part of Cushnie’s closing is that there is already a lack of representation when it comes to Black female designers (I’ve spoken about this before when listing out CFDA nominees and there consistently being little to zero Black female nominees across categories). The few names, like Tracy Reese, Aurora James, Anifa Mvuemba (of Hanifa) and a few others leaves a lot to be desired for the category. The fact the names (albeit a few exceptions) can be rattled off quickly prove that there is more work to be done.
Black women face unique challenges, where we have to fight to break through racial and gender barriers. While this is a challenge we face in almost all industries, it is especially disheartening considering we are the purveyors of culture. We create culture every single day, but when it comes time to bear the fruit of that labor, we are often overlooked (and, of course, underpaid).
In 2015, Vanessa Friedman wrote for The New York Times that the divide starts with education. She cited low percentages of Black attendance at the top New York design schools — the Fashion Institute of Technology, Parsons, and Pratt — where Black students were outnumbered in 2014 by Asian American and white attendees. Tracy Reese, one of the most well-known Black women designers, recalled to Friedman that she was one of only two Black students in her graduating class when she attended Parsons from 1982 to 1984.
“While there are many achievements I am so proud of, it would be neglectful not to acknowledge having to fight much harder than my male peers to afford the same opportunities,” Cushnie wrote in her open letter to the media on closing the brand.
“One of the great ironies of the fashion industry is that while it caters to and profits from women, it has never felt like an industry that supports them. This is especially true for women of color. As one of the few Black female designers to achieve this level of success, I am both humbled and empowered by the undeniable mark that I have made.”
“I recognize the power of my presence and will continue to fight for the causes and values I believe in and will always continue to create,” Cushnie added.
