One thing is true: the COVID shutdown has turned the high-beams onto the evils and ignorance that secrete so pervasively in nearly all aspects of our society. While so many in the majority are just now coming to terms with their (also, my) privilege, it becomes impactful and productive when that newfound empathetic knowledge takes shape in action.
Reflecting on a prior Black history month post, that feels like ages ago, I’m reminded of the sentiment that couldn’t feel more relevant right now.
In pursing a career in fashion, I feel a constant despondency with the glacial pace at which diversity inclusion is accelerated and discriminatory behavior is extinguished.
In this time in which Black voices are being amplified, specifically Black creatives, there’s an eery harmony to the anecdotes expressed by those in the fashion industry. To my white readers, it’s important to LISTEN and REFLECT upon times in which you’ve either benefited from or served as a bystander to either microaggressions or blatant pronouncements of racism.
There are so many ways to not only fight racial injustice but also support the Black community. In my small way, I wanted to share with all you beautiful people a list of BIPOC-owned businesses to shop/support/celebrate. Enough with performative means of allyship, it’s time to put your money where your blank Instagram square is at.
F*ck oppression.
Black Lives Matter.
RE ONA – rtw essentials
Co-creators, Christina & Philiscia, are sisters with Nigerian heritage on a mission to create the most functional basics effortlessly chic. With comfort and quality at the forefront of their design, RE ONA is insanely well priced for the cost per wear you’ll inevitably incur. If I’ve learned anything, it’s to invest in the essentials.
12thxhouse, Strange Faces – custom streetwear
Mother and artist, Rose West, takes orders for custom pieces featuring her unique line-drawing technique. From trousers to leisure sets, I’m so obsessed I just ordered a hoodie of my own ($48 with shipping)! Love her style and her pieces are insanely well priced. Definitely give her a follow on Instagram for a virtual lookbook, but her website actually just launched TODAY! Show her some love.
Orchid Boheme – modern, vintage clothing
One woman-owned and operated, Orchid Boheme is an online vintage boutique all about Boho romance. All the pieces I’ve seen from accessories to apparel are all under $100 and dreamy as hell. A woman on the masthead, a lifestyle brand, and a sustainability ethos…what more could we ask for?!
linguaNigra – Handcrafted Organically Natural Jewelry
Right in my backyard is Chicago-based designer, Alicia Goodwin, founder of linguaNigra. Alicia’s design approach is organic and the textures created by acid-etching are intentional, but never planned. Seven years ago, Alicia quit her tech design job in New York to pursue her creations fully and has been thriving on Etsy ever since.
smallneeds, Retro Rhapsody – vintage
Whether you know her on Instagram as smallneeds or on Etsy as Retro Rhapsody, this vintage curation is a dream come true! For the Parisian chic and quality-inclined, this shop boasts designer and uniquely fabulous apparel and jewelry that I would no doubt stop you in the street to compliment.
Suki – LA vintage
Hand-picked in LA and shipping worldwide, Suki is like the most epically curated Crossroad Trading Post at your fingertips. From retro swimwear to monochromatic sets all under $100, Suki hits the sweet spot in more ways than one. Their Instagram feed has aesthetic inspo for days and styling tips to slip in your favorites for non-quarantine purposes.
Thrilling – Online Marketplace
Thrilling is an online marketplace of curated vintage and secondhand items from the best boutiques across the United States. They currently host over 100 stores in 20 cities with each item shipping from and directly supporting the individual shop. Size and price inclusive, their site is a work of art, and commonly boasts contacts for the BIPOC models in their campaigns (repeat this mantra: hire BIPOC models, pay BIPOC models, respect BIPOC models).
Subrina Heyink Vintage – designer vintage
If you’re gonna make a purchase from Subrina, you better mean business because she’s in demand with a capital D. On her Instagram you can swoon over, say, a 90s Valentino slip dresses or a seahorse Bill Blass one-piece swimsuit. If your piggy bank has some weight to it, definitely check out Subrina for investment pieces to grace your wardrobe for life!
Zelie for She – Curvy fashion
Made in LA, Elann Zelie’s namesake label, Zelie for She, is an expression of women empowerment and authenticity. The brand is known for its gorgeous saturated hues and elevated leisure sets. Not to mention, all designs are made in a limited run, so your pieces are even the more special.
FYRE Vintage – vintage apparel
Owner, Dayna, started FYRE Vintage so we could all walk out the house in something no one else would have. Her obsession with vintage is what inspired her to curate both chic + street pieces to encompass the dualities of the FYRE customer (us). If that wasn’t mouthwatering enough, she also gifts 10% of profits to essentials for women in need in Detroit, MI.
Grant Blvd – sustainable fashion
Grant Blvd is an eco-friendly brand out of Philly fighting mass incarceration and climate change. This excerpt from their website is all you need to know to want to support this amazing brand: “Our work to use fashion to create employment opportunities and points of exposure to the skills we all need to find long term peace isn’t about supporting the othered “them” that’ve been incarcerated (mind you, too often due to poverty and trauma and untreated emotional or mental health struggles). It’s about us, all of us, and it’s about designing radically inclusive pathways that pursue the long term plan of progressing our collective good, and let’s not ever forget, the good of our planet.”.
V BELLEN – fine jewelry
V BELLEN is a fine jewelry brand that handcrafts simple, delicate pieces in New York. Owner, Venessa Bellen, is a Haitian-born artist with a minimalist aesthetic and passion for bespoke, everyday pieces. Her pieces are sterling silver and 14k gold, so they’re definitely an investment but worth the wear and sentimentality.
Washington Ave – upcycled fashion
In their own words, “Mix a lil Pimp C, Badu, Yonce’, Otis, Mahalia and you get the flava of The Ave! We are based in Natchitoches, Louisiana, where founder, Lakeitha Washington has been UpCycling Vintage since 2010. Our goal is to continue to bring exclusiveness to the vintage game, while adding Southern Funk to everything we touch!”.
Curvy Canvas – Lifestyle brand
Curvy Canvas is a small lifestlye brand looking to connect women through style, story, and empowerment. The pieces are fierce and range from sizes 14-20 (1X-3X) boasting statement prints and feminine silhouettes in bold colors. Curvy Canvas is a new label, but getting off the ground in style!
HoodBabyLA – custom upcycled fashion
My friend recently put me onto this latino-owned brand and thank god she did. Known for printed denim and painted bags, the artist recently started creating reconstructed lace-up corsets and masks. From newsprints, leather, designer textiles, denim, and sports jerseys, her creations are all custom and the most dope.
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