Black History Month news and archive

Barbie partners with Black in Fashion Council to celebrate Black designers

Mattel-owned Barbie has struck up a new partnership with the Black in Fashion Council (BIFC) in celebration of Black History Month to highlight three emerging Black female designers. Larissa Muehleder, Nia Thomas and Fumi Egbon have been selected to participate in the initiative, which will involve interviews with each of the talents touching on...

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Fashion |In Pictures

Gap championing Black designers for Black History Month

American retailer Gap has teamed up with New York-based Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR), which provides business solutions to retailers committed to equity for Black and Latin-X design talent, to launch a limited-edition collaboration featuring the work of six Black designers. The Gap × Harlem’s Fashion Row collection launches on February 14 during...

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Fashion

Black History Month is over for another year, so what now?

Each year as Black History Month comes to a close, speculation inevitably arises that the fashion industry will return to its white-centric status quo, its conscience clear for another year. As comedian Chris Rock said in 2015, “Black History Month is in the shortest month of the year, and the coldest—just in case we want to have a parade.” In...

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Business

Designer Brands to make two million dollar investment in Black-owned footwear factory

Designer Brands, the parent company of US shoe retailer Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW), has announced it will be making a two million dollar investment into “advancing action-oriented diversity, equity and inclusion”. The investment comes as part of a partnership with Pensole Lewis College (PLC) and its president, footwear designer D’Wayne...

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Retail

Nordstrom launches in-store marketplace spotlighting Black-owned businesses

Department store Nordstrom has revealed an in-store marketplace created, in collaboration with the Black-Owned Brooklyn platform, as part of the retailer’s pop-up outlet at its NYC flagship store. As part of Black History Month, eight Black-owned businesses have been selected and curated by Black-Owned Brooklyn’s founders Tayo and Cynthia Gordy...

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Fashion |Interview

Brooklyn-based BIPOC brand discusses impact of Black History Month on business

In honor of Black History Month, Edify, an online direct-to-consumer marketplace for ethical and sustainable BIPOC(Black, Indigenous, and people of color)-owned businesses highlights brands to make it easier for shoppers to allocate their purchasing power accordingly. Edify’s purpose of hand-picking products and companies that appeal to a...

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Retail

Target launches Black History Month collection

Target is celebrating Black History Month by partnering with its Black team members, designers and other visionaries for an exclusive product assortment and Black Beyond Measure marketing campaign. Its product assortment ranges from apparel and accessories to décor, including products featuring designs from its inaugural three HBCU Design...

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Business

Facebook and Instagram kick off #BuyBlack initiative

Back in November Facebook and Instagram launched an initiative to support Black-owned businesses with the initiative #BuyBlack Friday. The social media giant promised to use its platforms to elevate Black voices and businesses and in February is celebrating Black History Month, raising awareness and inspiring action across the Facebook app,...

Culture

Westfield launches exhibition to mark Black History Month

To commemorate Black History Month, Westfield has collaborated with London-based artists and creators to open new exhibition spaces at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City that celebrate Black culture, families and individuals from the nearby boroughs. The exhibitions will run throughout October and aim to share “unique and incredible...

Fashion

Gap supports Black History Month with T-shirt collaboration

Gap is following up its commitments to standing united with the Black Lives Matter movement in June by supporting Black History Month with a collection of collaborative T-shirts. The collection features four Black artists from the UK, France, and the USA, including Melissa Hurst from London, Lo Williams from Birmingham, Mario Hounkanrin from...

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People

Designer Christopher John Rogers empowers fantasy and diversity

While Black History Month is a time to celebrate visibility, representation, and achievement within the black community, the month-long fashion calendar offers up new emerging designers to be splashed across social media daily, but rarely are they people of color. Christopher John Rogers seems to have come out of nowhere to stage one of the most...