The View From Where I Stand
Whitney Jordan
Retail and eCommerce Strategy | Independent Researcher | Adjunct Lecturer | Former J.Crew, Macy's, Gagosian
Introducing a few of my favorite Black creatives
Hi All!
Apologies for the absence. I had an arduous interview and then traveled to NYC for work and Ohio for family. I’m excited to be back in London and looking forward to summer. London is an entirely different city with sunshine.
When I graduated from business school, I told my friends I wanted to build relationships with Black and Brown creatives in art and fashion. It was a strange request, maybe, but this is a challenge for many working in a creative corporate environment: abiding by a 9-to-5’s corporate requirements while remaining plugged into creative communities.
Two years have passed since that conversation, and six months into independent consulting, I am grateful for the opportunity to work with diverse voices through two of my clients. I am excited to share them with you.
If you admire their work, follow them on social media, share pieces that resonate with you, and support them when possible. I have had friends order from emerging designers that I have shared online, so it works!
Support can take many forms, including purchasing products and attending their events (i.e., lectures, product launches, exhibitions). Engagement is crucial. Following, liking, and commenting positively affect the algorithm and will populate your newsfeed with more emerging and diverse creatives.
RAISEfashion
Started in 2020 by retail and luxury executives, RAISEfashion is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing equity for diverse fashion talent. RAISE’s two pillar programs are a summer internship program and the Brand Fellowship Masterclass program.?
The internship program allows students from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and select US fashion schools to have paid summer internships at top fashion companies while receiving a stipend to offset housing costs in NYC and LA.?
Throughout the summer, students have access to exclusive programming and mentorship opportunities. When I was 23, I had to create “my entry” to fashion, which was challenging and often discouraging. I’m glad that students can experience working in fashion and not have to worry about finances. It gives them the breadth to focus on their internship and enjoy summer in the city. It also creates a talent pipeline if they hope to enter the industry after graduation.
RAISE's second program is their Brand Fellowship Masterclass program. Selected from over a hundred applications, ten emerging BlPOC designers receive a $15K grant stipend and eight weeks of masterclass sessions led by experts on topics ranging from fashion law to supply chain to VIP clienteling. They also receive a year of pro-bono advising from industry executives.?
I'm not biased. Based across the US and UK, RAISE's Brand Fellowship designers aren't the best emerging BIPOC designers. They are the best-emerging designers, period. Before working with RAISE, I followed many of them and even had some of their pieces saved on Pinterest. Earlier this month, we met in NYC for in-person masterclasses, and they are as kind as they are talented.
Two Business of Fashion articles introduce this year’s designer cohort. I am sharing the first article and the five featured designers below, along with their website and Instagram links. I will share the second article and the remaining designers when it launches later this summer.
Working with RAISE has affirmed that I am on the right path in working with diverse students and creatives. As a Black woman, working with them has advanced my personal and professional equity, and I am forever grateful.
Designers
K.ngsley: Instagram, Website Clothing and swim rooted in Black, queer culture and birthed from the ballroom and club scene
Advisry: Instagram, Website Youthful, adventurous, and sultry ready-to-wear and accessories beloved by celebrities
Fe Noel: Instagram, Website Feminine clothing in vibrant colors and bold patterns that embody a Brooklyn-Caribbean, jet-setter lifestyle
领英推荐
Press
Rashayla Marie Brown (RMB)
I was connected to Rashayla Marie Brown (RMB) in London because we are Sorors of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. After hearing that I worked at Marlborough and Gagosian Gallery, we worked together as she prepared for her solo exhibition at London’s Royal Academy of Arts (RA).
RMB is an undisciplinary artist and educator who focuses on issues of power and access within visual culture. She is the prestigious 2023/24 Starr Fellow at the Royal Academy and is pursuing her Ph.D. in Performance Studies at Northwestern University.
Working together over a few months, I admired her provocative work, including her INFAMOUS RMB CONTRACT/User Agreement. She created this in response to the prevalent issue of society appropriating ideas from Black women without giving us proper credit.
Opening on July 5, her RA show, Single Black Femme (I Am My Own Institution), “highlights the entanglement between excellence, danger, desire, and mysticism in the pursuit of Black femme singularity.” It will include new works in photographs, assemblage, legal contracts, and performances made during her time as an RA fellow. If you are in London, I highly recommend checking it out.
RMB is a critical, Black voice in contemporary art. In today’s environment, sharing your point of view can be scary, especially as a woman of color. But she has taught me that it is necessary and that vulnerability is a form of strength.
Rashayla has exhibited work at Tate Modern, London; Recess, Brooklyn; Krabbesholm H?jskole, Copenhagen; Turbine Hall, Johannesburg; and University of Pennsylvania and has had commissioned work for the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago; Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco; Rhodes College, Memphis; Bemis Contemporary, She holds a BA from Yale University, BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), MA.
I am sharing some of my favorite RMB pieces below.
Selected Works:
Instagram:
Conclusion
Moving to a new country and pivoting into freelancing has been challenging, especially as my industry contracts due to economic turmoil. Still, I am grateful that I get to pursue fulfilling work and give back to my community.
Six months in, and curious to see what's next.
Creator, performer, playwright, singer, storyteller, movie lover and bandleader
5 个月Wonderful! It’s exciting to learn about these creatives and your commitment to support them.