New York Fashion Week: Inside the Black Fashion Council’s latest showroom

While fashionable The industry has made slow progress regarding diversity, equity and inclusion, as history has proven passive existence does not lend itself to progress. Instead of waiting for change to happen, we must be the change we want to see.

Since its launch in August 2020, Black in the fashion council He has been a leader in highlighting and leading the way for black fashionistas. Founded by The Cut Editor-in-Chief Lindsay Peoples and PR expert Sandrine Charles, BIFC was created to “represent and protect the advancement of black individuals in the fashion and beauty industry. The consortium launched its first discovery showrooms in September 2020.

During New York Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2023, the Black Fashion Council took over the sixth floor of Spring Studios and gave 10 black designers the opportunity to showcase their work. This season, featured brands include Ajovang, Atelier Ndigo, Harbison, Izaila, Jessica Rich, Kwame Adusei, Madame Adasa, Muehleder, Sammy B Designs and Vavoun.

For its third appearance at NYFW, BIFC kicked off the week with breakfast and partnered with Mailchimp, BIFC’s discovery showroom, for a limited-edition capsule collection and pop-up shop featuring Izaila, Kwame Adusei, Muhleder, Atelier Ndigo and Sammy B. After breakfast, the designers had their first look at the showroom where they were showcasing their work.

Lindsay Peeples and Sandrine Charles, “We’re thrilled that the Black in Fashion Council continues to help elevate emerging designers to the visibility and access they need and deserve, and we’re always looking for new opportunities to further their excellence. In a statement by the founders of the Black in Fashion Council.

Isla designer I’sha Dunston has wanted to be a part of the Black Fashion Council’s Discovery Showcases since learning about the alliance in 2020. She crossed paths with BIFC executive board member William Taswell following the Black Designers event at Los Beverly Center. Angelus then brought her to the herd. As the 26-year-old designer makes her mark on the East Coast, she brings Fremont California flair with her.

“Izaila is modern women’s clothing. We are based in Los Angeles, and the three pillars of the brand are women’s empowerment, integrity and representation,” said Dunston. “My philosophy is I want to grow with the woman. It’s a journey. We’re always evolving. We’re not the same woman we were a year ago.”

Dunston founded Izaila five years ago and the brand has a clear vision. The theme of the collection is transition; From muted pieces, pieces tailored for the working woman to feminine palettes in the resort collection preview, Isla is for every woman on the go.

Similarly, Harbison Studio, founded by Charles Eliot Harbison, offers a pragmatic approach to feminism. North Carolina State University and Parsons School of Design students used techniques to find sustainable relics — or leftover materials — in this collection.

Harbison’s Spring-Summer 2023 collection was inspired by his proximity to night gardens and their fluorescent nature, as well as his mother’s style. Oscillating between a dark and light color palette, the collection’s unique use of embellishments, embellishments and textures is a testament to his craftsmanship.

“Harbison really revolves around modern feminism, kind of like my mom growing up. I call it viable feminism,” he said. “I was thinking about clothes during the day, that work beautifully at night, and colors and details that are optimized for the night. With rhinestones, we’re looking at more electric color blocking and embellishments of that nature.

Chicago-based designer Adrienne Guillory of Ajowang and Jamaican-born designer Marsha Vakirka drew inspiration from the history of Madame Adasa’s design.

With tulle, unique peekaboo skin exposure and playing the illusion of weight, Guillory’s collection was a story of comedy, magic and love. Using tones of brown, pink, black and blue, the collection references the 1976 retelling of the popular Cinderella story, The Slipper & the Rose. A recent graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago, no one knows that this is only Guillory’s second collection.

Madame Adasa is a ready-to-wear and couture line for women. Made in Los Angeles, the line celebrates Vakirka’s lineage with clothing that speaks to the “rooted yet adaptable” woman. The Spring-Summer 2023 collection, aptly titled “Summer Reign,” features golden yellow tones, botanical and floral elements, as well as versatile materials such as crinkle taffeta and 100% Italian silk.

The collection’s standout piece is inspired by the historical female warrior queen Dahomey.A female kingIt is based on

“What I decided to do with this collection is just to highlight women, so it’s a women’s empowerment collection in terms of resilience and our ability to overcome whatever is thrown at us,” Vakirka said. “So, I chose Queen Dahomey as the introduction to the collection. On the side is a hand painted canvas skirt with all hand bead work. It’s a collaboration with a real artist, Jade Yasmin in Los Angeles.”

Kumasi-raised Ghanaian designer Kwame Adusei infuses his heritage and West African sharp tailoring into every piece he creates. Now living between Accra and Los Angeles, the 35-year-old designer prioritizes both functionality and creativity in his clothes, from denim bottoms or leather suits. Adusei is fusing gender fluid clothing with his West Coast style and international outlook.

“For me, a Kwame woman or a Kwame man is someone who is where I am: on the verge of making it. You’re still on the go, you’re still climbing. He or she really wants to be seen and represented, but they also want to be sexy. When it’s time to run, you have to be ready, he said.

From his Los Angeles storefront, items from his line, like his leather biker jacket with ruffled sleeves, have already been spotted and bought by celebrities — notably including Beyoncé. Thanks to BIFC’s strong presence in New York, it hopes to continue to grow and expand.

Now, Aduse is leaning toward custom clothing and design, but his vision for his namesake line — and fashion in general — is superior.

“What I really want to do is bring back the idea of ​​being good in clothing. We don’t buy clothes because it says something like a big brand on it. We buy clothes because we want to know that we appreciate the way it fits us,” Adusei said. “We appreciate creativity. We appreciate a story — and all that.” A man has a story, but let’s buy the clothes because of how we feel.