A Movement, Not Just a Runway Show
Since 2014, our mission has been bold and unwavering: to elevate Designers of the African Diaspora by strengthening their socioeconomic power through strategic alliances and intentional exposure while preserving the culture of black fashion.
From the runway to the community, our cultural platform is dedicated to advancing Black designers through fashion visibility, historical preservation, and strategic brand growth.
Featured on major local TV networks, our platform amplifies designers who have long been overlooked by the mainstream industry. Through our public relations campaigns, curated fashion showcases, and media partnerships, we’ve helped emerging and established designers gain the spotlight they deserve.
Featured on major local TV networks, our platform amplifies designers who have long been overlooked by the mainstream industry. Through our public relations campaigns, curated fashion showcases, and media partnerships, we’ve helped emerging and established designers gain the spotlight they deserve.More Than a Production—A Full Creative Ecosystem
Our work extends beyond the catwalk. We create opportunities for designers to gain meaningful exposure through fashion shows, editorial coverage, interviews, social media campaigns, cultural collaborations, and fashion exhibits, thereby strengthening their brand identity and public presence.
As cultural runway preservationists, we help preserve the creative legacy of Black designers for future generations as seen in our work at the historical Field Museum.
As cultural runway preservationists, we help preserve the creative legacy of Black designers for future generations as seen in our work at the historical Field Museum.
Our Impact
Designer Testimonials
Our Past Clients & Collaborators
Programming Highlights
Black Fashion History Programming
Black Fashion History Programming
Our Digital Presence
Fashion doesn’t stop when the runway lights dim.
We stay connected to our community through monthly newsletters, online blogs, and active social media channels that highlight designers, events, and the global Black fashion narrative.
Year after year, our platform continues to successfully fulfill its mission—expanding opportunities for minority designers through live events, digital media, and nationwide visibility.
Forty Years of Barbara Bates
A Chicago Fashion Legacy on the Runway
Photos courtesy of Black Fashion Week photography by Darel Photography On October 3, 2026, Chicago gathered at the Obama Presidential Center to celebrate 40 years of Barbara Bates Designs. The anniversary exhibition and fashion show brought together generations of clients, designers, media professionals, and longtime supporters for an evening filled with fashion, philanthropy, and memories.…
NYFW Black Designer Spotlight
Spring Summer 2027 Shows
Edited by Melody Boykin Fall Winter 27 predictions at NYFW saw 1920s opulence, gothic romanticism, and 1980s power suits. Some of those trends carried onto the Spring Summer 2027 runways, and some got replaced by presently more favorable fads. Black designers shone especially bright this year, forging new roads for fashion and culture at large.…
Fashion Now
Black Designers Under 40
Defining Fashion for the Culture
Edited by Melody Boykin Fashion is more than clothing—it reflects culture, identity, resistance, creativity, and the times we live in. Each generation leaves its signature. The 1950s brought polished postwar glamour shaped by houses like Chanel and Dior. The 1970s embraced individuality through bold prints and bell-bottoms. By the 1990s, Karl Kani, FUBU, and other…