Fashion and Culture Platform Black Fashion Fair is preparing for its first symposium entitled “Black Fashion Forward.”
The May 10th event will be held at the Times Center in New York City and is designed to amplify and celebrate black creatives in the fashion industry. Participants will hear from designers, executives, editors and influencers, including Kai Collective founder Fisayo Longe, Ahmad Barber, co-founder of AB+DM, and Donté Maurice. There have been many debates, such as “Women’s Design: Redefine the Power of Fashion”, “Building Bags in Brandon Blackwood”, “The Evolution of Black Hair and Beauty”, “The Impact of Fashion: The Power of Storytelling”, and “Fashion as a Cultural Power”.
Joe Robinson, creative director and founder of Joefreshgoods, will be taking part in a Q&A on how he transformed his hyperlocal vision into a global resonant brand during “From Chicago to the World: Cultural Currency of Joefreshgoods.”
Anima Iris’ Wilglory Tanjong and creative strategist Skylar Marshai will also be part of the daily lineup. The event explores the essential roles of black creatives and professionals in fashion, as well as the challenges they encounter and the contributions they make. The event is the latest initiative by Antoine Gregory, founder of Black Fashion Fair.
As of 2021, black creatives account for 4.9% of people working in fashion design, according to AIGI’s 2021 Design POV Research. AIGI is the New York-based Professional Design Association.
Founded in 2020, Black Fashion Fair is committed to advocating for the discovery and promotion of black designers of the past, present and future. In 2022, the Fair Fashion Foundation launched the Jean-Michel Basquiat Emerging Designer Grant, in collaboration with Jean-Michel Basquiat’s property.
