September 11th 2023.
Essence Fashion House is celebrating the continued growth of Black luxury in fashion and beyond with a spirited discussion during New York Fashion Week. Fashion maven and Howard University professor Mikki Taylor, designer Tia Adeola, and Shop McMullen founder Sherri McMullen discussed the importance of Black luxury and the role the Black community plays in the growth of fashion creatives.
McMullen's retail shop has helped to put a number of Black luxury designers on the map, as well as her Beyond M. incubator program, which sets emerging BIPOC designers up for long-term success. Reflecting back on Shop McMullen's start 16 years ago, McMullen noted the lack of mainstream support for diverse designers.
"What I found is that big box retailers did not have Black and Brown designers on their shelves," McMullen said. "But we know that Black designers and creatives exist because we create so much."
"You find that so many designers are looking at Black culture, Black people, everything that we do, and they’re inspired by us," she added.
Adeola, who moved from Nigeria to America, recognized the existence of Black luxury in everyday life and has incorporated it into her designs. “From the sensing, to the cars, to the empowering; everything for me represents Black luxury. There aren’t many like me,” she said. “I take this duty very seriously and I feel like I’m here to continue to push and knock on those doors to try to open up the space for the people coming after me.”
The trio agreed that Blackness is luxury and the two are not disconnected. The Black luxury movement continues to gain momentum, showing that it's here to stay. From the emergence of Black handbag designers, to the major retailers and brands partnering with Black creatives and influencers, the movement is only growing.
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