I am getting a lot of ads targeting black women with vibrant, beautiful fashions. I like to make sure these companies are F.U.B.U. before purchasing from them. I'm not going to call anyone out, but I have seen brands describe themselves in some interesting terms thinking they would "pass" as black.
So today, I want to highlight five Black Woman owned or led fashion brands and boutiques that you can get into next time you need to find a cute lil number to wear to your living room and that birthday party on Zoom. This is another area where the list is so long that we'll have to revisit with additional specific posts for things like custom T-shirt makers, formal wear, lingerie, sportswear, accessories, etc. So many Black women to support, so little time.
1. Martine's Dream
Debbie Martine was born in Jamaica but has called Brooklyn home for many years. She is a community-oriented soul who has traveled the world connecting with villages and being inspired. In her own words:
"I was born on an island the sun is within me.I reside in Brooklyn but the world is my oyster.
I am Martine. A sun woman, a traveler, a dreamer.
I am ..."
Check out this gorgeous video where she talks about not following the rules, but rather following what speaks to her.
Follow her on IG:
2. Taste by Dannie K
Finding lingerie can be daunting, but thankfully we have more choices in brands than we used to. Taste is a black owned lingerie & beauty brand curated to empower women of all shades & sizes designed by Dannielle Kellogg. In her own words:
Taste by Dannie K is a black-owned lingerie company dedicated to the empowerment of women of all shades and sizes. It is our mission to help women realize that they are powerful beyond measure & that they don't have to tone down their super power of sexy to be taken seriously. Embrace every curve or lack of - your body is yours to own and feel exactly what you are- absolutely amazing.
Follow her on IG:
3. Onion Cut & Sewn by Whitney Mero
Whitney Mero is a Harlem, NY based designer who describes her clothes as "beautifully effortless" and feeling "like lotion." She started out deconstructing and recreating garments to better fit her body when she was in school, which led to her making prom dresses for others as well. Now, she has a whole line of clothes that you can wear like a goddess with minimal strain while you are trying to look and feel good.
Follow her on IG:
4. Élan of Eulalia
This brand is brought to us by Helen Mitchell who aspires to bring unique style to women at reasonable prices. She went to school for fashion merchandising always had dreams of working in fashion and becoming a buyer. She launched a fashion brand called Y-Not Fashions years ago and decided to close it to spend more time raising her daughter. Once her daughter finished college, Helen got right back to it by launching Élan of Eulalia in 2011 with her daughter as an employee! In her own words:
We here at Élan of Eulalia believe all women should have access to stylish pieces and unique fashion, most of which you won't find at your local department store.
Check out her IG here:
5. Grass Fields
Grass Fields was founded by Christelle and Michelle Nganhou, twin sisters from Cameroon after they became dissatisfied about the strict dress codes of UK offices. With a very small budget and lots of business sense, they set out to launch their own brand and have been growing their beautiful array of modern African print dresses and clothing for women, men and children ever since. All of their designs are sourced and made in the UK and Cameroon.
Check out the Grass Fields origin and success story in this article and then follow them on IG: