Fashion Archives - Page 6 of 7

Published on August 25, 2017November 8, 2017

2 mins read

Deaf Fashion Blogger Sisters Use Style to Inspire The Disabled

Fashion bloggers Hermon and Heroda Berhane were seven years old when they both mysteriously went deaf at the same time. Now, at 34, twin sisters have blossoming careers in modeling and acting as well as a fashion blog.

Their mission is simple. “We want to tell people around the world that you should embrace disability, not hide from it, they told CNN.

The sisters grew up in Eritrea and had a happy childhood, and like many twins, they share a special bond.

Hermon once injured her cheek while riding her mountain bike. Heroda wasn’t even with her but said she knew something had happened. “When my left cheek started hurting, I knew she was in trouble. It was the only explanation for my pain,” Heroda said.

It took their parents a long time to realize the girls were deaf. “We were playing together in the backyard of our parents’ house; our mother was trying to call our names, and we did not hear at all,” the twins said. Their brother was also deaf, so the family decided to move to the UK to seek medical help.

Hermon’s acting journey began after she took a trip to South America, while Heroda’s confidence grew when she landed a role in a television commercial. As far as Hermon is concerned, “Deaf people can do it like everyone can.”

“We had quite (a lot) of barriers through our lives, especially (our) career, but we fight for it. … We will have to use our deafness and being black women to break these barriers.”

“People are hungry for real inspiration, and we want you to see that we’re wearing clothes that we can afford and most importantly that you can relate (to) with our personality.”

Find out more about them and follow their journey through their blog, Being Her.

Published on June 4, 2017June 22, 2020

5 mins read

I Moved From the U.S. to Nigeria and Launched a Fashion Brand

Leilani Lawani was born in New York, lived in Cameroon for several years before returning to the U.S. for college. She eventually moved to Lagos, Nigeria, and founded her fashion brand, Koélé.

What inspired you to start your business?

I have a multicultural background in that I have lived in different countries throughout my childhood and adult life.

I have therefore been exposed to a number of ways of expressing ones self through fashion – personal style that combines different textures, patterns and colors.

These factors inspire us to design the bags and sandals that we create. I have always enjoyed fashion and felt that many of the designers were always being safe with their designs and color scheme.

There are times I would walk in a store and say to myself “If only we could change the strap, or use a different color combination, or make it a little larger.” One day I decided to try my hands at designing the bags and it took off from there.

How has living in multiple countries influenced you as a person and as a business owner?

Living in multiple countries has molded me into the person that I am today. I am very open minded and easily relate to people from different backgrounds and cultures.

I believe this helps me create styles that may cater to more than one group of people – i.e., people from different countries, interests, and across age groups.

Living in American for many years has helped me as a business owner because I learned about customer service being the one important tool to having a successful business.

I have a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The customer is always right and I will bend over backwards until the client is satisfied.

When you moved to Nigeria, what was the biggest adjustment you had to make?

There are many. But the one that stands out the most is the traffic! I have no patience for it and have now learned to run most of my errands in the mornings before 2pm.

How do you balance being a wife, mother and entrepreneur?

There is never a balance. You just try and prioritize the best you can. I am never going to be the perfect wife, best mother or the most successful entrepreneur.

I wake up in the morning and just pray that I can get through the day without any major challenges. So far so good. I feel blessed to be the mother of my two gorgeous kids and a wife to a very supportive husband.

What are your thoughts on the importance of Nigerians supporting Nigerian brands?

I think it is extremely important to for us to support Nigerian brands. There are many talented people in Nigeria who have businesses that are of good quality but unfortunately we prefer to buy the big designer brands from abroad.

The economy is suffering and it can be improved if we keep the money within Nigeria and support each other. Its incomprehensible that such a country with so much wealth and talent is where it is today.

Slowly though it seems that more and more Africans are realizing that we need to invest in our countries and a major part of the problem is that we would rather take our money and spend it in the western world.

What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Never give up! If you have a dream, do not let anyone tell you that it will not be successful.

You never know until you try. Being an entrepreneur in Nigeria is probably more challenging than most other places in the world. You need patience, determination, perseverance and lots of faith.

If you have all those you are half way there. It’s very rewarding to own your business and see it grow, no matter how small it currently is. You get out what you put in.

-Tony Oluwatoyin Lawson

Published on May 12, 2017May 18, 2024

2 mins read

Black Owned Businesses in Paris You Should Know (Pt2)

Since Paris is a favorite and we are advocates of #ShoppeBlackGlobally, it shouldn’t be a surprise that we’ve got another list of Black owned businesses you can support while abroad!

Black Owned Businesses in Paris

Maison Chateu Rouge uses wax clothes that divert the traditional African dress in a contemporary spirit.

Dada Wax Couture creates custom and personalized clothing in Wax African Wax. for women, men and children.

O Petit Club Africain offers authentic African dishes in a warm and artistic environment.

Afrikrea is your platform for discovering, buying and selling fashion, arts and crafts Made in Africa.

Waly-Fay offers West African cuisine in a hip and trendy space.

Babylone Bis is a restaurant that serves up original French Creole specialties.

Keur – or “house” in Wolof- offers a selection of decorative objects and home accessories authentic and colorful, entirely made in Senegal.

black owned paris

Le Caffé Créole is a Caribbean restaurant, which offers typical dishes of the Islands.

black owned paris

Biss and Love is a French start-up, will make you (re) discover the bissap, a red drink made from hibiscus flowers.

While working on this list, I had the pleasure of meeting Jacqueline Ngo Mpii, founder of Little Africa Paris and author of City Guide, Africa in Paris. Be sure to check out the website and the book!

Meeting Jacqueline Ngo Mpii at 1:54 Contemporary Art Fair, Brooklyn.

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Published on March 16, 2017May 5, 2020

7 mins read

Black Owned Footwear Brand Blends British and Jamaican Culture

Uptown Yardie is a Black owned footwear brand that makes you stop and stare. Ever since we discovered this brand, we’ve been in awe of their bold and unique styles.

We decided to chat with the owners, husband and wife team, Rohan and Natasha Clarke to find out more about their brand.

What inspired you to start this business?

The designer behind the brand is Rohan Clarke. He trained at the London School of Fashion Cordwainers and had worked for several shoe companies. But the one thing that frustrated him was being told that his designs couldn’t be made.

He knew that this wasn’t true because not only does he design shoes he also makes shoes. He was disillusioned, but his wife convinced him that he could do this himself and so with some gentle persuasion this husband and wife team started Uptown Yardie.

How did you come up with the name Uptown Yardie and what does it mean?

Uptown Yardie is a British company inspired by Jamaican heritage, selling a lifestyle, captured through shoes and clothes.

The name is inspired by a Bob Marley quotation “me ah bring downtown uptown” meaning he is bringing the man dem from the ghetto to where he was living uptown at the time. The original uptown yardie is someone who comes from the more affluent parts of Jamaica.

For us using the term Uptown Yardie is about reclaiming the name from a negative association to a positive. To the true meaning of the word “yard” which to a Jamaican means home. For instance, “nowhere nah better dan yard” mean nowhere is better than home.

What separates your brand from the numerous other shoe brands in the market?

The Uptown Yardie brand creates for a progressive man or woman who does not follow fashion. We design for people like us who have a passion and love for things that are well crafted and that has more longevity than one season.

We believe that a shoe should have a distinctive and individual character that is shaped through the ideas and vision of its designer and craftsman who are united and driven by a common goal, a common spirit to create the most beautiful shoes.

Each piece has been carefully selected by our team to ensure it embodies the qualities of style, elegance, and exclusivity synonymous with the Uptown Yardie brand whilst reflecting the unique philosophies of design and craftsmanship for which Rohan Clarke the designer is renowned.

What has been the most challenging and most rewarding part about owning your own business?

The most challenging part of owning your own business is realizing that you have to have many strings to your bow, you have to be more than a creative to make it work.

What we mean by that is the creativity of what we do is our passion but we need to be able to market what we do, we need to be able to understand how to maximize our online sales, we need to be social media experts.

All of these things take skill, expertise, and time. Juggling this, whilst maintaining creative time is a constant challenge. But we are learning and we are pulling in people who do have that expertise.

The most rewarding thing about owning your own business is loving what you do, seeing your passion come into fruition. In the past when we’ve worked for other people they want to be safe, they want to follow the crowd, it stifles innovation.

Where do you see your brand in 5 years?

That it has an appeal to a diverse audience across the globe. Although the brand is inspired by our Jamaican heritage, Uptown Yardie is created to appeal to people that think outside the box.

It is a brand that crosses boundaries, ages, and races. Ultimately if we can do that and make the brand self-sufficient that’s where we want to be in 5 years’ time.

What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Be prepared to put the work in. Owning your own business is not a 9-5. The other important aspect is to know your business inside out, costings, business forecasts, risks, and opportunities.

If you’re a creative, this isn’t the sexy stuff but it’s vital if you want what you to do to be more than a hobby. Ask yourself “If I was standing in front of a group of potential investors and they put me on the spot.

How confident could I answer questions about my product and my business model?” If you’d struggle, then there is some homework to do. We did it, wrote a business plan with costings and forecasts. It was long, believe you me but we are more confident about exactly how much it costs to manufacture every aspect of a shoe, what the wholesale cost is, and the retail price based on a formula.

Besides the above, if you have a dream and want to do it. Go for it. Don’t listen to the naysayers. You never know your idea might be the next big thing.

-Tony O. Lawson

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Published on December 26, 2016January 6, 2024

1 min read

Black Owned Dapper Brands You Should Know

Dressing dapper means many things to many people. Depending on who you ask, it could mean anything from wearing a freshly starched button-down to a three piece suit with a top hat.

Thankfully, there are several Black owned dapper brands that offer options for perfecting your personal style.

Black Owned Dapper Brands

WELTHĒ Clothing

Black Owned Dapper Brands

Koshie O

Ruth Nathan’s

Sharp Crisp Clean

Maurice Sedwell

Connaisseur Paris

The Kente Gentleman

Haute Butch

FlameKeepers Hat Club

black owned dapper

William Malcolm Luxe Collection

Harrison Blake Apparel

Atafo

Eaden Myles

Frère

Don Morphy

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Published on December 7, 2016March 17, 2023

4 mins read

A Conversation with Marc Williamson, Owner of FlameKeepers Hat Club

FlameKeepers Hat Club looks like a candy store for hat lovers. This Harlem-based, upscale hat store offers an array of sophisticated hats in many styles. We caught up with the owner, Marx Williams. This is what he had to say:

SB: What inspired you to start FlameKeepers Hat Club?

MW: I was inspired to start FlameKeepers Hat Club simply based on my years in the hat business and wanting to offer MY vision to the world.

SB: You’ve worked in the hat industry for over 20 years. In that time, what have you learned about how people choose hats?

MW: People often choose hats based on their personalities and tastes. A conservative person tends to pick a conservative piece of headwear. People with “colorful” personalities tend to be a little less reserved in their choices and aren’t afraid to step outside of their comfort zones.

SB: You’ve been named one of the most stylish New Yorkers. Can you describe your style and what style means to you?

MW: Style to me is a culmination of self expression and taste. I learned a long time ago not to be caught up in judging someone’s style because there are a lot of different styles and thousands of people embrace the ones that appeal to them.

A “style” that I might not find appealing is embraced by many so who am I to say what’s good or bad? I feel like style choices are organic.

SB: The road to business ownership is often difficult. What were some of the challenges you faced opening your store?

MW: One of the challenges I faced was procuring a lease. I got turned down a few times because the building owners didn’t see my vision and obviously didn’t believe it could work.

Another challenge I faced was learning how to deal with contractors. I learned the hard way that they follow directions fairly well but they don’t offer much creatively…..at least that was my experience.

SB: What advice do you have for the first time hat buyer?

MW: Start with an affordable piece that appeals to you and one you will actually wear not just hang on a rack. Also, I would recommend a hat that can take a beating.

SB: Currently, you source your hats from all over the world, including the US. Where would you say the best hats are made and do you offer your own line?

MW: We source from all over the world and search for quality and value that can be passed along to the consumer. I couldn’t say where the best hats are made because great hats are made all over the world. Yes, we do offer our own line of hats along with a small selection of other notable brands.

SB: If you could wake up tomorrow with any business skill you wanted, what would it be?

MW: The magical ability to get more than 24 hours out of a 24 hour day.

SB: Where do you see your business in the next 5 years?

MW: In 5 years I see FlameKeepers Hat Club as a nationally recognized brand working towards international recognition.

Visit their website for more info and stay tuned for their upcoming e-commerce store.

-Tony O. Lawson

Published on October 22, 2016May 16, 2024

3 mins read

Ethical Fashion Brands Made in Africa

The fashion industry is undergoing a transformation, with conscious consumers seeking brands that prioritize both style and social responsibility.

Thankfully, a vibrant community of Black-owned ethical fashion brands from Africa is flourishing. These brands not only deliver unique and trendsetting designs, but also empower local artisans, embrace sustainable practices, and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the continent.

From vibrant accessories to ready-to-wear collections, get ready to discover a world of fashion that’s as good for the planet as it is for your wardrobe. Dive into our list and find your next favorite outfit, all while supporting ethical practices and celebrating Black excellence in design!

Ethical Fashion Brands

The Haute Baso vision is to promote Rwanda’s ability to produce high-end and functional products that are able to compete on local and international levels.

ethical fashion

Anita Quansah creates unique and stylish one-off pieces of clothing with matching neckpieces using vintage and recycled materials which beautifully meld into a look of classic sophistication.

KIKI Clothing is the brainchild of Titi Ademola, a fashion designer who is devoted to creating ready-to-wear collections that are meticulously made in Ghana.

Sonia Mugabo is a Rwandan fashion brand that was born out of founder, Sonia Mugabo’s strong interest in design; and the desire to tap into the existing local artisan talent to make high-quality men’s and womenswear.

Studio 189 is a fashion brand based in Ghana created by Abrima Erwiah and Rosario Dawson. It provides a platform to promote African brands through worldwide distribution and manufacturing of their artisan-produced collection.

U.Mi-1 (pronounced you.me.one) is a contemporary brand that appeals to people who judge luxury from the finishing inside to the detailing on the outside.

Duaba Serwa is a Ghanaian womenswear brand founded by Nelly Hagan-Aboagye. Initially starting as a jewelry designer, Duaba Serwa then developed its trademark of applying jewelry to clothes.

Mimi Plange is a modern women’s wear brand launched in 2010 by American-Ghanaian designer, Mimi Plange. Lost African civilizations inspire the Mimi Plange clothing and give the collection depth of meaning.

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Published on September 24, 2016April 13, 2024

1 min read

Black Owned Plus Size Brands You Should Know

A study published in the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, suggests that “the average woman now wears between a size 16 and 18, which corresponds to a Women’s Plus size 20W.”

Before this study, most believed the average American woman was a size 14. This, however, is outdated information from over a decade ago. According to the study, “In light of this overlap in sizing classification, frequent reports of female customers being frustrated about the general fit and sizing of clothing is understandable.”

This report (and common sense) inspired us to provide you with a list of Black owned plus size brands.

Black Owned Plus Size Brands

JIBRI

black owned plus size

Feminine Funk

black owned plus size

Chic And Curvy

Bella Rene

black owned plus size

Curvaceous Couture

Olivias Bridal House

Fenty for Men

Savage x Fenty Vol. 3 Did That! Shop The Best Looks From The Show | The Curvy Fashionista

Eleven60

Monif C.

Nakimuli

Rebdolls

My Beautiful Fluff

Fluffy Since Birth Plus Size Curvy Cut Shirt My Beautiful Fluff

Christian Ome’Shun

black owned plus size

Dear Curves

Kin By Kristine

Shavonne Dorsey

Ayamani Design Co

Zelie For She

Phat Girl Bouteeque

Diva Kurves

Image of Grey BODY Sweatshirt (Multi-Color)

House of Fashun By Shun Melson

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Published on September 12, 2016May 30, 2024

2 mins read

African Fashion Brands to Keep An Eye On

This month, Fashion Week events will be taking place in New York, Paris, London and Milan. Now more than ever, you can expect the presence of dope African Fashion brands or designs influenced by African culture.

Here are just a few established and up and coming fashion brands on the Continent that you should get into:

African Fashion Brands

Galago (South Africa) sources beautiful leathers and vibrant fabrics and allows you to combine them to make your own bespoke sandal.

ENZI (Ethiopia) is a footwear brand committed to the highest levels of quality in production, design and materials while maintaining a commitment to social and environmental responsibility.

MaXhosa Knitwear (South Africa) celebrates the rich heritage of the Xhosa culture through providing traditional clothing for Xhosa initiation rituals.

Lukhanyo Mdingi (South Africa)aims to show a sense of cross cultural influences of traditional designs; reflecting on a contemporary outlook of African aesthetics and heritage.

Lanre da Silva Ajayi Couture (Nigeria) creates clothing for the woman who is naturally classy but doesn’t shy away from her sensual side.

Loza Maléombho (Côte d’Ivoire) is a fusion between traditional cultures/ sub-cultures and contemporary fashion.

Taibo Bacar (Mozambique) is a burst of wholesome energy for all women who identify themselves with eclectic style where the silhouette plays a central role.

Christie Brown (Ghana) is a women’s apparel and accessories line with pieces ranging from bespoke gowns, and practical yet statement pieces to innovative accessories all inspired by African culture and art.

Thula Sindi (South Africa) is a clothing brand that cuts across the vast discrepancy that exists between unrealistic high-end designer haute couture, and everyday retail chain/bargain bin clothing.

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Published on March 3, 2016May 3, 2024

1 min read

Black Owned Businesses in Paris You Should Know

We’re back at it with another guide to shopping Black in the Diaspora. This time, we’re highlighting Black owned businesses in Paris. Let’s show some love to our brothers and sisters in the “City of Light”.

Black Owned Businesses in Paris

Café Dapper by Chef Loïc Dablé is located a stone’s throw from Champs Elysées. The restaurant Café Dapper Loïc Dablé is set in Dapper Museum, a place dedicated to Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, and its diasporas.