The fashion industry has a reputation for curating tight-knit groups of industry insiders. These groups, usually limited in regard to diversity, have unfortunately been at the helm of the industry—making it even more of a challenge for Black creatives to thrive.
However, within the last few months, fashion has seen a rebirth in its support for creatives of color. This year, due to what could be called a global uprising, the industry has started to think critically about the employment of Black curators within the style space—while having difficult conversations about the lack of resources provided to Black designers.
“That Black designers don’t share the same opportunities as their contemporaries is something I’ve always noticed,” says fashion consultant Antoine Gregory. Today, Gregory launches Black Fashion Fair, a conceptual trade show—”Where fashion, community and culture meet,” the website reads.
Black Fashion Fair x Pyer Moss
The functionality of the platform, however, goes beyond the database. Black Fashion Fair serves as a creative conglomerate that shines an editorial light on Black designers. The website will also include fashion stories, portfolios and, of course, an emerging fashion fair. Due to COVID-19, Gregory’s original plans to launch the trade show were postponed until Spring 2021, when he plans to travel beyond NYC. “You will be able to shop and speak to Black designers to understand more of the process behind collections,” he explains. “I’m also going to be traveling seasonally with collections.”
Designer Kerby Jean-Raymond, from Pyer Moss, is the first one Gregory is working with for Black Fashion Fair, as part of its “Fashion Stories” concept. “KJR is the first designer to sign on to this project,” Gregory says. “I wanted to work with Kerby on our first fashion story because he’s an example of what it looks like to tell our own stories—and to own the narrative around Black fashion.”
To learn more about Black Fashion Fair, visit www.blackfashionfair.org.
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