Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

The Black-Owned Fashion Labels Making Waves for Spring 2021

The Black-Owned Fashion Labels Making Waves for Spring 2021

For up-and-coming Black designers, this season's runways offered an unparalleled showcase for self-expression. Next up: household-name status.

If you want to know who’s in line to be the next fashion superstar, it helps to ask a current one. Christopher John Rogers, the CFDA’s 2020 American Emerging Designer of the Year, has his money on Edvin Thompson, whom Rogers calls “undoubtedly one of New York’s most promising stars.” Thompson landed the cover of Women’s Wear Daily right before showing the spring 2021 collection for his line, Theophilio (shown above.) He paid tribute to his home country of Jamaica via button-down shirts with corset ties at the back, sheer slipdresses, and mesh tops. And his work has already found fans in Gabrielle Union, Tinashe, and model Alton Mason, thanks to what Rogers calls his “uniquely pointed aesthetic-one that’s rooted in, and informed by, his specificities and idiosyncrasies, and doesn’t look to external references to develop itself.”



Thompson-along with Maximilian Davis, Aisling Camps, Hanifa’s Anifa Mvuemba, and House of Aama’s mother-daughter duo Rebecca Henry and Akua Shabaka-is part of a wave of talented Black designers emerging into a spotlight that has, perhaps, never shined brighter on them. While Black designers’ contributions have always been central to fashion-as in the trailblazing work of Stephen Burrows, Willi Smith, and Patrick Kelly, to name only a few-“fashion relies on visibility, and so historically, we have never had visibility in the way we translate fashion,” says Harlem-based fashion legend Dapper Dan. This historical moment, driven by the Black Lives Matter movement, has given creators that long-deserved visibility, thanks in part to the growing public push to buy from and support Black-owned brands. Fashion has an unfortunate tendency to divide the world into “moments” and “trends.” But the designers behind these labels are determined that this not be just a moment in time, but a sea change in the way the fashion industry operates when it comes to race. Their aim? To be accorded the same opportunities for longevity as their white peers.



And they’re on track for just that kind of success. Davis teased his debut spring 2021 collection on Instagram with a video that nodded to the history of Trinidadian Carnival, with its quickening beat, moody lighting, and sleek, sexy silhouettes. Selected by Fashion East, the influential London incubator that has helped launch the careers of JW Anderson and Simone Rocha, he presented a collection that ran the gamut from cutout clubwear to perfectly oversize suiting. Fashion critic Tim Blanks praised the “pin-sharp elegance” and “wildly sensual sophistication” of his work, and Net-a-Porter, Browns, and Ssense have snapped up the collection. Costanza Lombardi, a Browns womenswear buyer, says she was drawn to his work because it is “so personal, so honest, that you immediately feel the power of his storytelling. It is a translation of memories through the clothes.”



The nouveau-Victorian look shows no signs of waning, and its fans would do well to check out House of Aama. Shabaka just received a grant worth about $15,000 from the CFDA’s Designers Hub, started by model and activist Bethann Hardison. Henry and Shabaka’s work focuses on the postbellum South, rethinking Victorian silhouettes-high necks, cinched waists, regal flounces-in modern fabrics and patterns. “When [Black Americans] were emancipated from slavery, they found a way to stand upright, hold their head up, and keep moving forward,” Henry says. “What we really strive to convey in our brand is that resilience.”



Black fashion-industry veterans see this time as an opportunity for a true shift, and they are stepping up to support these newer names. Hardison started her project at the CFDA to increase her mentees’ profiles in the industry. “I got tired of people saying, ‘Where are the Black designers?’ Well, they’re around. Just because everyone is not Virgil Abloh doesn’t mean they don’t exist,” she says. With her mentees, she emphasizes the less glamorous nitty-gritty behind operating a fashion brand “to make sure they have a business that will definitely survive, that they can leave to their children,” she says. “I’m not trying to help make you famous.”

The landscape for any emerging designer right now is admittedly challenging, but Shabaka is hopeful. “I’m excited to see how fashion is being used as a way to create community now,” she says, “in spaces [where] maybe you felt like you couldn’t knock down the door.” As for Rogers, he’ll be cheering on his friend Thompson: “I can’t wait to see what he does next.”

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
×