As we settle into Black History Month, we want to bring awareness to some Black men and women in the apparel industry who are doing some excellent work. This month represents learning and sharing context about the many untold stories and overlooked accomplishments of Black people. Whether they are making their own clothes, creating designs, or selling their own branded apparel, these innovators are doing an incredible job in our industry and deserve your attention.
Before we talk about some of the great entrepreneurs in the present-day, we think it’s important to talk about those who were vital in the past. Did you know that the first Black designer to open up their own shop was Zelda Barbour Wynn Valdes, in 1948? Her store, Chaz Zelda, saw the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Marian Anderson, and many more stars of the time visit her for apparel. Also around this time, Ann Lowe became well known for being one of the first Black women high-end fashion designers. Her designs were loved by high society and she is perhaps best known for designing the wedding dress worn by Jackie Kennedy in 1953 during her wedding to John F. Kennedy.
In the late-80s, Willi Smith rose to prominence with his company WilliWear Limited, one of the most successful clothing brands run by a Black man or woman. This brand would live in history as one of the first “streetwear” brands, even before the term was ever coined -- Smith called it “street couture”. Coming just a short while after Smith was Daymond John who in 1992 co-founded FUBU, one of the 1990s most notable and successful apparel brands. FUBU became globally recognized by the 2000s and made a huge impact on the fashion industry and as more and more pop culture figures wore FUBU and other ‘streetwear’ brands, more and more entrepreneurs began to gain fame.
Building a brand from scratch is truly difficult work. That’s why we want to highlight some of our favorite Black apparel industry leaders of today.
Let’s start with Trent Jackson, a former Wisconsin Badgers’ men’s basketball player, who continues to be involved in the sports world post-playing career. Jackson’s apparel line is ROUGH Sportswear, ROUGH being an acronym for both ‘Reach Out U Give Help’ and ‘Reach Out U Get Help’. ROUGH isn’t just about quality activewear, but it’s about giving back to the community and helping those in need On every purchase at least 1% of the order goes to a local non-profit organization. ROUGH has given to dozens of charities and continues to every day.
In addition to apparel Jackson also started the ROUGH Foundation. Founded in 2009, its purpose is to provide and distribute the resources needed between just “existing and living a successful and productive life”. ROUGH Sportswear has all sorts of apparel options -- t-shirts, hoodies, underwear, hats, pants, water bottles -- so if you need something for daily life, ROUGH Sportswear can help (and your purchase will have a direct impact on a local charity!).
In January, we featured ROUGH Sportswear in our social media series: ‘Spotlight’
We love when designers have their own clothing lines, and another line we admire is from Mapate Diop. Diop is a first-generation American whose mother is from Nigeria. He appreciated the use of ‘Ankara’, a colorful type of patterned fabric commonly used in West Africa, and he now uses the same Ankara in his clothing. Currently, Diop, and his namesake clothing line, DIOP are based out of Detroit, MI. DIOP specializes in apparel but recently added a line of inspired face masks.
DIOP is all about diaspora inspired streetwear that is incredibly stylish but also very comfortable to wear. The colors and patterns are vibrant, and we appreciate how they are committed to honoring the history behind what they make. As they say on their website, “DIOP is about inclusion.” We are all about clothes that look great and help bring awareness and spark conversation about cultures from around the world.
We also featured DIOP in our social media ‘Spotlight’ series.
Another Black clothing designer who we think is incredible is Bronté Laurent. Laurent founded her fashion label par Bronté Laurent with the intent of making women feel comfortable in their clothing while making the clothing they wear comfortable. Laurent is the owner and creative director of the brand. Her fascination with the female mind led her to pursue this as a career path and now she takes pride in making clothing that makes women feel great -- but also offers some great unisex options.
Laurent is currently based in Brooklyn but has lived in many great cities, from New York to London, which influences her designs. Her clothing pieces are one-of-a-kind and truly timeless, and as she says on her website, “I made this for women, I made this for you.” In addition to the feel-good factor of her label, par Bronté Laurent is also committed to using recycled materials as well as sustainable packaging.
And while Laurent offers exceptional female-specific apparel, Nyoni Sioh and his menswear offerings are also second to none. Sioh’s brand, Nyoni Couture, began in 2010 in Charlotte, NC. But before that, Sioh had been a man of many travels. Born in Liberia, Sioh was raised in the Netherlands, received sartorial training in Milan, Italy, and would ultimately move to the U.S. in 2000. Nyoni Couture is all about giving men a closet that is both classy and contemporary, elegant and cosmopolitan, and timeless and timely.
Nyoni Couture offers both ready-to-wear items as well as custom-fitted suits, jackets, and vests. The brand was born out of a desire to make clothing of superior quality and feel available to a wide range of customers. More than just the apparel offered is the advice that Sioh and his staff can offer in terms of what to wear. Sioh is a success story, undoubtedly, and he continues to help people find that perfect fit.
Nyoni Couture was also featured in our social media ‘Spotlight’ series.
Emanuel Wilder is another entrepreneur who owns his own store and offers up great apparel. Wilder’s story is incredibly inspired as he was born in 1952 in Alabama to a family who lived and worked on a plantation. Wilder became inspired by a substitute teacher he saw at school that was sharply-dressed and made it a goal to dress as well as him. He is now at that point, and he helps men and women find designer-brand apparel at affordable prices for their own closets.
Wilder’s store is Classy Closet Consignment, and it is based out of Evanston, IL. Not just offering men’s and women’s apparel, Classy Closet Consignment also offers up luxury purses, jewelry, hats, and so much more. They have a whole level in their store that is 50% off, and almost always have a $5 clearance rack outside of their store as well. Designer apparel can be a fun addition to any closet, and we know as good as anyone how reliable some great brands can be, so we love hearing about how others are making those great products more accessible to others.
Classy Closet Consignment was featured in our social media ‘Spotlight’ series.
Apparel is great, but we also wanted to highlight some other great luxury goods, like jewelry. That’s where Kristin and Kofi Essel and their brand, Third Crown, come into play. A husband-wife duo, Kristin and Kofi craft jewelry that combines a love of geometric shapes along with their architectural surroundings and make stylings for men’s and women’s jewelry.
The offerings from Third Crown are classy, chic, and truly go well with anything. They make for a great fit for the everyday apparel of any gender -- or if you’re looking for something special for the next night out. Already garnering the interest of Beyonce and Solange Knowles, these pieces are all incredibly luxurious and great modern jewelry choices.
Every great designer has to start somewhere. Apparel designers need someone to print their first batches of custom shirts before they make it big. When we see Black apparel designers succeeding in the world of fashion, we are reminded of many of our customers as they strive to accomplish their own dreams through custom printed apparel. We applaud each and every Black entrepreneur and look forward to continuing to spotlight many more great Black-led businesses in our ‘UGP Spotlight’ series throughout Black History Month and beyond.