The real-world impact of mass resistance and people reclaiming the handlebars of societal change has never been more obvious than in the last days and weeks. If we all move in the same direction, the powers that be will hear it. And if their hearts don’t, their pockets definitely will. Showing up for Black lives can be done in myriad ways. You’ve read our list to inform and support, now let’s tackle another major part of our everyday lives: our clothes. We know that shame paralyses and responsibility mobilises. If you know better, you do better. So let’s get something started. At KNOTORYUS we obviously love fashion, but a lot is wrong with the industry itself. Let’s prioritise sending our hard-earned resources to the people who originate the trends that trickle down to the mainstream: the BIPOC founders, creators, creative directors, designers and teams who feed the culture but reap little to none of the profits. Let’s stop funding brands whose ‘allyship’ is performative at best.
WHO TO SUPPORT
- Patta (The Netherlands): our friends at Patta Amsterdam have always been vocal in matters of injustice and reflect all layers of society from management to storefront teams. Their ‘Kick Out Zwarte Piet’ tees were only the latest in a history of social responsibility.
Photography: Gilleam Trapenberg
Styling: JeanPaul Paula
- Martine Rose (UK): Martine Rose has always put the Black experience front and centre in her designs, and she has been massively influential in contemporary menswear. The work Rose has done paying tribute to and redefining modern Black masculinity is what her cult following of all gender expressions has come to adore her for.
- BOTTER (Paris): from the literal jumping-off point, fashion designer and Nina Ricci co-creative director Rushemy Botter has put his lived experiences as a Black fashion designer in his work. His Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp Fashion Department 2017 graduation collection spotlighted the impact suffered by Caribbean communities due to industrialisation and pollution. And in his 3rd Bachelor year, his ‘Enemy of Racism’ neckpiece spoke volumes. Together with co-creative director Lisi Herrebrugh, BOTTER (and Nina Ricci in the same vein) has been a beacon of representation and inclusive design. BOTTER sees us.
- Pyer Moss (US): If you’ve ever heard Pyer Moss founder Kerby Jean-Raymond utter a word, you know he is body-and-soul-committed to Black creative expression, power shifts and collective entrepreneurial success for those shut out for too long. He tells our stories. Even if it costs him. After his seminal Black Lives Matter-inspired SS16 show, Pyer Moss reportedly lost over $120,000 in business, six major clients dropped the line and already manufactured orders were cancelled without pay. Why? He had replaced editors in the front row with victims of police brutality’s families. That didn’t stop or kill the brand though, and it lead to Pyer Moss becoming the pioneering beacon of Black fashion enterprise it is today.
Pyer Moss SS20 show (c) Corey Tenold
- Awake NY (US): Awake was launched in 2012 by Supreme Brand Director Angelo Baque and has always been incredibly involved in communities of colour by fundraising, platforming, supporting and reflecting the diversity of the city that inspired its name.
- Daily Paper (The Netherlands): Amsterdam-based clothing label Daily Paper was founded in 2012 by three young African-diaspora creative entrepreneurs and has flourished ever since. Its continuous dedication to inclusivity and representation in their campaigns has been a bright example for the longest, refuting oppressive Western ideal beauty standards every step of the way.
- Uoma Beauty (US): Cruelty-free make-up label Uoma Beauty’s founder Sharon Chuter launched the ‘Pull Up or Shut Up’ challenge when IG went dark on a Tuesday, fighting for economic opportunities for Black people. The brand’s wide range of inclusive complexion shades was directly created ‘for all who’ve been left out’. You absolutely love to see it.
- A-Cold-Wall* (UK): Samuel Ross of breakout menswear label A-Cold-Wall* has always lifted the next gen up along with him as he rose to global success in the last couple of seasons, supporting Black-owned businesses, proving extensive grants and donating his own NEWGEN award funds to his mentee Eastwood Danso in 2019 - proving you don’t have to be decades in the game before you can start looking around who’s at the table with you.
- MDMflow (UK): Cruelty-free, vegan make-up label MDMFlow was founded by Florence Adepoju with the express intent to cater to a still severely-underserved market within the beauty industry: Black women. Providing shades for all skintones, MDMflow has risen through the ranks in one of the most competitive industries out there.
- Art Comes First (UK/global): we’ve been telling you how special Sam and Shaka of Art Comes First are, their entire business has been a waving banner for Black and African diaspora artistic excellence and through their punk, anti-capitalist approach to fashion they’ve also given flowers to the true originators and people on every designer’s moodboard but on few credit lists. Pro tip: ACF also does brand consultancy, if you really want to be about that change.
- Telfar (U.S.): Telfar Clemens is in Hall of Fame territory at this point. His never-not-sold-out vegan leather bags are emblems of true fashion democracy while his shows don’t hold back on the anti-racist messaging and artful symbolism. Telfar is taking up space and bringing the rest of us along with him.
(c) Jason Nocito for Telfar
- Brother Vellies (U.S.): Aurora James of Brother Vellies has stood for sustainable, hand-crafted pieces while working with artisans from Nairobi to NYC from the beginning and has shifted her fashion label to more one-off objects and pieces supporting artisan communities of colour around the world. Most recently, James rallied her following to commit to the 15% pledge, asking consumers and multinationals alike to buy at least 15% of their purchases from Black-owned businesses - who have been impacted the most by the COVID-19 health and economic crisis. The pledge has gained traction in little over a week, with Sephora already signing on as a partner.
Brother Vellies (c) Christopher Sherman
A few other names to definitely add to your shopping basket: all things FENTY, Bianca Saunders, Mowalola, Pat McGrath Labs, Christopher John Rogers, Eastwood Danso, Maki Oh, Kenneth Ize, Hanifa, Fear of God, LaQuan Smith, No Sesso, Phlemuns, Spencer Badu, Thebe Magugu, Glemaud, Wales Bonner, Nubian Skin, AAKS, Nicholas Daley, Off-White, A Sauvage and Ahluwalia.
WHO TO MISS
Here’s a reminder of the brands and publications who tried to black-square their way into your pockets most recently and got promptly dragged by former employees over their past discriminatory behaviour. Perhaps you should reconsider your next order or click to their website, until real, entrenched mentality and/or leadership shifts have been put into place:
- Zimmermann (Australia): called out for racist & discriminatory brand guidelines and more
- Refinery29 (US): reports of toxic & discriminatory practices
- Reformation (US): reports of racism & discrimination in all echelons of the brand
- Bon Appétit (US): reports of toxic & racist corporate culture have surfaced
- CrossFit (US): reports of racism from (now-resigned) founder have come to light
- Vogue (US): former employees have recently spoken out against racist treatment at the magazine & a #VogueChallenge is sweeping the internet to push Vogue to hire Black creators & editors in all aspects of the magazine-making process
- Anthropologie: the brand has been reported to practice racial profiling in international stores & lack of hiring diversity
- M.A.C.: a Belgian make-up artist has shared her experiences with racism while working at M.A.C. Cosmetics, which was quickly echoed throughout Instagram by other employees around the world.
This is by no means a complete overview, but it’s a start for you to do the research before the purchase. And if you’d love to support any Black-owned brands but you have limited means, you can always engage with and share their social media content - this is extremely valuable too!
Let us know who deserves a shout out too in the comments.
Header image: (c) Mathilde Agius
