I don’t design clothes for the Queen; but for the people who wave at her as she goes by. -Willi Smith
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Fashion Culture | Battle of Versailles: ‘This Was the Real America, An America They Haven’t Seen’
A passionate declaration from Bill Cunningham, American fashion photographer of the New York Times, who remembers that the Black fashion models at the Battle of Versailles fashion show brought together a cultural movement that not only marked a new era in fashion, but was a defining moment in racial equality.
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Fashion Culture | The Empowering Effect of Ebony Fashion Fair
From civil rights to the catwalk, Ebony Fashion Fair defied all odds and left an empowering effect on the African American community. The cumulative effect of years of presenting high fashion to African Americans, on African Americans, with African Americans taste-making in mind, enabled Mrs. Johnson to be a change-agent who harnessed the power of […]
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Fashion Culture | Donyale, Naomi, and Beverly – Fashion’s First Black Supermodels
Donyale Luna, Naomi Ruth Sims, Beverly Johnson.
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Fashion Culture | Who Made the Hats for Scarlet O’Hara? Meet Mildred Blount
Mildred Blount became the first African American member of the Motion Pictures Costumers Union. Her hats are in the collections of California African American Museum and Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
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Fashion Culture | Elizabeth, Fannie, Anne, and Zelda, Fashion’s First Black Designers
I love my clothes and I’m particular about whom I sew for. I’m an awful snob. I’m not interested in sewing for café society or for social climbers. I do not cater to Mary and Sue. I sew for the families of the social register. – Anne Lowe Gerri Major, Ebony Magazine, December 1966
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Fashion Culture | W.E.B. Du Bois’ Exposition des Nègres d’Amérique Transformed the World’s View of Black in America
In 1900 a transformation of Black identity and the world’s view of Blacks in America took center stage at the 1900’s World’s Fair in Paris. A perception of Blacks in America was manifested through photojournalism and visual data witnessed by the outside world looking in. Those in the Black community validated that perception by leveraging […]
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Fashion Culture | The Cotton Factory – ‘the Good, the Bad and the Ugly’
Cotton, the most widely used textile fiber in the world, has a distinguishable, contentious history of oppressed, discriminatory labor practices in the United States. The use of cheap factory labor has its roots in an all too familiar story of oppression and segregation.
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Fashion Culture | “A Study of Eight”, the Untold American Story
A Study of Eight is a curated editorial project advancing the study of African Americans’ contribution to fashion history. Eight American stories cover people and events of cultural and historical significance occurring between 1880 and 1980 against the backdrop of the post Reconstruction era to beyond the civil rights movement. These stories represent the voices of […]
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The Power of Cloth and Why We Should Care | EDGE Talks to Abiola Onabule
In an age of socioeconomic inequalities, climate crisis, and a pandemic, characterized by accelerated technological advances and new working models, design plays a crucial role in supporting the ways we care for ourselves, each other and the planet. Managing resources equitably and sustainably is vital for ecological resilience. The Design Museum, United Kingdom, Designers in […]
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Fashion Culture | Fashion’s First Black Photographer
Gordon Parks accomplished many firsts, including the distinction of being the first black photographer at Vogue, Glamour, and Life magazines.
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Tools to Sew is Not Enough | EDGE Talks to Bishme Cromartie, Bč
Fashion design is my diary. I always can mark a collection around a devastating or exciting time in my life. Designing helps me express my feelings and emotions all while telling a story. – Bishme R. Cromartie
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Unbound, Undaunted, and Unexpected | EDGE Talks To VanElse
Most people in the fashion industry told me I was too old, and without an education and the experience I would fail as a designer in the industry. I am glad I proved them wrong. – Else Hardjopawiro I am glad you proved them wrong, as well! There is no age or education limit […]
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The Tomorrow People, African Designers | EDGE Talks to Pretoria Designer, Sheila-Madge Bakker
The tomorrow people is what we can now call ourselves, because of the vision we hold as previously overlooked people/designers. African design brings forth a fresh vision and outlook or newness to international fashion platforms, implemented and seen in some of the top brands of the world. – Sheila-Madge Bakker [SMB] I am very inspired […]
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Elevating African Fashion | EDGE Talks to Koko Nanga
Koko Nanga consumer is an Afropolitan at heart. Throughout my journey I have met/spoken to a variety of people from different countries, cultures, races. With this I have realized that you don’t have to be black to be Afropolitan. You simply have to have an affinity for Afro culture. – Maryanne E. Mokoko
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Zero Waste | Adding Value Through Sustainable Fashion
For me it was all a bit of an experiment – my end game is to empower people and help create opportunities for a better life for them, but I also strongly believe that fashion offers a massive opportunity, and there is space to produce beautifully designed and cut pieces that are on trend and […]
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From Wall Street to Conscious Fashion ‘Made in Africa’ | Diarra Bousso
This Senegalese fashion designer, who once held a position on Wall Street, brings conscious fashion to the forefront with her Global Education Movement (GEM) foundation. She is committed to improving the communities and supporting the local artisans.
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Africa | The Emerging Fashion Market
Out of Africa comes an emerging fashion market which plays an important role in this global enterprise. This market is true to the African culture and the consumers are responding to the newness that African designers present against the sea of sameness so prevalent in the industry. Redefine your perception of Africa. With the growth […]
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EDGE Out of Africa
Emerging fashion designers are all across the globe. Out of Africa come EDGE designers – emerging designers who’ve got the edge – to reverse the trend of sameness, excessiveness, and lack of quality. Due to the growth in consumer interest, Western designers are offering looks influenced by African textiles and African designers incorporate western silhouettes […]
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Fashion in Ethiopia | An Interview With Yefikir Design
. . .art and fashion bring all the diversity of the world into one humbled and harmonized oneness enforcing a positive impact on the world. . . – Fikirte Addis, Designer, Yefikir Design Fikirte, you have an interesting background. You are a psychologist and a designer. Tell us how you got into the business and how […]
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‘Buy a Piece, Change a Life’ | Prima Rouge Making a Social Impact
I am here to design change. . .every person is designed specifically with a set of abilities in order to be successful in a designated field. – Tobi Martins Oluwatobi [Tobi] Abisola Martins, based in Lagos, Nigeria, has a love for fine art and poetry and is a speaker, writer, poet, and agriculturist. If you […]
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‘Not-So-Fast’ Ethical Fashion | Mayamiko Designed
We believe that ethical production should not compromise the quality and design of the product, rather it adds to its exquisiteness and value. We produce high quality, luxury ethical goods that are unique to the market. – Paola Masperi | designer Mayamiko | Malawi, Africa An interview with Paola Masperi. . . Paola, you are […]
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EDGE talks to Tina Lobondi | International Congolese Fashion Designer
Tina Lobondi, the Congolese born [DRC], London based designer has built her fashion business, over a decade, on understanding who her customer is. As she says often in this interview, her customer is a strong, feminine woman. Tina is just coming off of her show at We Are Africa Fashion Extravaganza in the Maboneng area […]
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The Reality of the Emerging Designer | EDGE Talks to Herbert Victoria
Learn the industry hands on as much as you can before going out there, because school won’t teach you the reality of it . . . create your own route, everything will not work for everyone. Some will be successful and some won’t. I mention this because this is the reality of fashion, and it’s […]
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EDGE Talks to Designer Marion Ayonote
Nigerian born and educated Marion Ayonote designs beautifully innovative and feminine footwear. There is a need for each of these unique pieces to reflect the personality, lifestyle and aspirations of its owner. With offices based in London, Marion Ayonote creates collections that appeal to Women the World over and her approach to design has been […]
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