After the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 at the hands of Derek Chauvin and charges facing other Minneapolis police officers who were there, and the killing of Breonna Taylor when Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove of the Louisville Police Department forcefully entered her home, hundreds of thousands across the U.S. and globally took to the streets to protest yet another Black person killed amid persistent injustices at the hands of law enforcement.
The Black Design Collective launched in 2019 by Hall and designers Angela Dean, Cross Colours founder TJ Walker and Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter. The initiative is a platform for Black designers to produce and market their products, mentorship for young, aspiring designers and a scholarship fund.
“The CFDA introduced us to NuOrder, a business to business platform to present to retailers and fashion directors,” Hall said. “NuOrder gave us the opportunity to be on for one year and Runway 360 is ongoing.” Pulling Back the Curtain, a conversation between Kerby Jean-Raymond and TJ Walker hosted by the Black Design Collective. Courtesy Photo
The Black in Fashion Council, led by The Cut editor in chief Lindsay Peoples Wagner and Sandrine Charles, owner of Sandrine Charles Consulting, assembled to address getting more opportunities for Black designers and creatives in the fashion industry. The council provides a directory for brands to get in touch with Black creatives and also holds the industry accountable through an index score to track each brands’ commitments.
In addition, on June 5, the organization held its first job fair with participating brands H&M, Gap, Instagram, Saks Fifth Avenue, Abercrombie & Fitch and Hearst.