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From creative director Maximilian Davis’s showstopping Ferragamo runway show on February 24 to Black in Fashion Council’s and The Folklore’s celebrated cohort of Black designers during NYFW, Black designers are gradually receiving more recognition in the fashion industry.
Black designers have faced barriers on their road to success in the fashion industry. That includes access to resources and funding. This year, however, major retailers and organizations have come together to bridge the gap for up-and-coming Black designers. For example, in Milan, the Italian National Fashion Chamber introduced a new initiative on February 20 that plans to end discriminatory practices against African designers. To start, in partnership with Milan Fashion Week, the organization relaunched its showcase of work by underrepresented designers during the event.
“The thing that keeps me hopeful is that there is still a nice core group of brands that are still doing the work. And a lot of them are doing the work without any press or any press release, and I get to see that.” Brandice Daniel, founder and CEO of Harlem’s Fashion Row, said on the Glossy Podcast in January.
Established retailers creating opportunities for Black-owned businesses is crucial for them to grow and scale beyond the current average lifespan for Black-owned brands, which is three-and-a-half years, according to the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility. In addition, consumers can do their part by shopping from their favorite Black-owned brands.
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Among the many emerging Black-owned fashion brands worth supporting this season is a knitwear brand inspired by its founder’s travels and a menswear brand that challenges traditional views of masculinity. See below for more details on these and other Black-owned fashion brands that should be on your radar.
Omôl
Founded in 2018 by Nathalie Chebou Moth, Omôl is a sustainability-focused, African-made brand for “cool and irreverent women,” according to the brand. Omôl’s colorful designs and funky silhouettes have helped position the brand as a go-to option for fans of bold fashion. Its hero product, the Goli bag, often sells out.
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Nia Thomas
When Nia Thomas launched her namesake brand in 2018, it started as a limited-edition clothing and accessories collection inspired by Thomas’s travels. In the six years since then, Thomas has evolved her brand into a luxury lifestyle brand that still prioritizes intricate knitwear and functional designs. As Thomas’s brand grows, she aims to stay true to her ethos of sustainability and fair pay.
$325.00
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Tolu Coker
Tolu Coker, a young British-Nigerian fashion and textiles designer, launched her namesake brand in 2018. Now known for designs that celebrate her Nigerian-Yoruba culture, Coker made her runway debut at London Fashion Week in September 2023.
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Bianca Saunders
After graduating from London’s Royal College of Art in 2017, Bianca Saunders hit the ground running by launching her namesake menswear brand. Since then, she has earned recognition for her contemporary designs and fresh interpretations of masculinity in menswear. In 2021, Saunders won the British Fashion Council’s NewGen Prize, and she has shown collections at four London Fashion Weeks to date.
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