When it comes to equity and inclusion, the fashion industry has significantly changed in recent years, says Adrienne Jones, the first tenured, full-time Black professor at the Pratt Institute. Jones tells us that years ago, boutiques would praise her designs — until she dropped off her clothes in-person and they realized she was Black. Their interest would suddenly evaporate.
SKIP AHEAD Black-owned clothing brands | Black-owned shoes and accessories brands
Thankfully, progress has been made. As you recognize Black History Month and feel inspired to support Black-owned brands — and, by the way, you certainly don’t need a specific month to do so — we’ve outlined a number of brands that fashion experts recommended to us below. In addition to Jones, we spoke to Jonathan Square, assistant professor of Black visual culture at the Parsons School of Design, and Rikki Byrd, fashion writer and PhD candidate in African American studies at Northwestern University.
Black-owned clothing brands
Telfar
Every expert we spoke to mentions Telfar, the innovative luxury brand piloted by Liberian-American fashion designer Telfar Clemens. As they should: Telfar shopping bags were one of Oprah’s favorite things in 2020 and both Knowles sisters, Beyoncé and Solange, have been spotted in their gear — in other words, Telfar is everywhere. “During the holidays, I went home to Louisiana, and saw someone wearing a Telfar bag in Walmart. I thought, wow, [Telfar is] really global,” Square tells us. Telfar’s bags are hard to come by — they typically sell out quickly. However, the brand has also expanded into apparel, including denim and hoodies.
4YE
Toronto-based brothers Trae and Jae Richards founded 4YE as a lifestyle brand which “explores fashion at the intersection of cultural identity and community.” The brand’s designs and editorials often use motifs and design elements inspired by the brothers’ Jamaican heritage, while also reflecting the presence and impact of Toronto’s Jamaican community within the city. 4YE’s garments are also unisex, inclusively-sized and multi-seasonal, with products like hoodies, tank tops, durags and more.
Renowned
Founder and creative director John Wesley Dean III started this Los Angeles-based apparel brand as a way to tell stories that those following dreams or working towards goals would relate to, while also championing Black culture and creativity. Renowned’s designs challenge the notion of the American Dream by using motifs and patterns to explore the joys and barriers faced in pursuing it.
MejiMeji
Meaning “double” in Yoruba, MejiMeji was founded by Nigerian-American designer Tolu Oye, whose brand reflects the duality of Nigerian and Black American cultures. Nigerian cultural elements, including language and imagery, can be found on the pieces, which also aim to help shift the narrative of African stories being told by those outside of the diaspora.
Fitness Snob
This Black woman-owned brand offers crew socks that suit a range of fitness activities and levels — standard crew, gripped, and even sheer. The brand recently sent me a pair to try, and I love wearing them during floor or sock-only workouts.
Free the Youth
Free the Youth is a collective of Ghanaian creatives started by Jonathan Coffie, Kelly Folu, Winfred Mensah and Richard Kweku Ormano, whose goal is to empower not only Ghanaian, but all African youth to connect to global artistic and creative scenes. Though initially created as a social media page meant to showcase Ghanian street-style, the brand has grown into a label that uses street-style and sportswear aesthetics to bring Ghanaian’s youth culture and community movement to the rest of the world through fashion.
Wales Bonner
“Wales Bonner is one of my favorite clothing brands,” says Byrd, who briefly met its founder, Grace Wales Bonner, while studying at Parsons School of Design. “Her collections really focus on making diasporic connections between the Caribbean, London and the United States.” Wales Bonner’s collaboration with Adidas includes retro short-sleeve shirts, track pants and more as an homage to the athletics stylings of the late ‘70s and ‘80s. Bonner also partnered with Adidas to design the jerseys for the Jamaican national soccer team.
Related
Black-owned shoes and accessories brands
Brother Vellies
Luxury brand Brother Vellies was founded by Canadian designer Aurora James in 2013, who went on to create the Fifteen Percent Pledge, a nonprofit organization that champions Black businesses by challenging retailers to commit to providing a minimum of 15% of shelf space and spending to Black-owned brands. Brother Vellies offers shoes, handbags, socks and other accessories with a goal of promoting the work and traditional design practices of artisans from across Africa and South America.
Edas
Founded in 2015 by head designer and creative director Sade Mims, this New York City-based brand prides itself on detailed and innovative craftsmanship. The pieces, created for “eclectic beings,” are designed to invoke the brand’s pillars of storytelling and community development, according to Edas.
Ciriaco
Ashley Ciriaco created the blueprint for Ciriaco while studying fashion merchandising at Berkeley College, and eventually debuted the brand in 2020 with a handbag that quickly sold out. Inspired by fashion-forward shows like Sex and the City and Gossip Girl, as well as Ciriaco’s family ties to the Bronx, the brand’s design signatures include asymmetric silhouettes and bright, dynamic prints.
Barkal
Founder and creative director of Barkal, Habab El Rufaie, derived the brand’s signature shoe designs from traditional Sudanese men’s shoes called Markoub, according to the brand. The gender-neutral footwear brand aims to honor the strength of El Rufaie’s Sudanese heritage through traditional craftsmanship, styling and detailing — each shoe is hand-stitched and constructed with soft Nappa leather.
Johnny Nelson
Founded by Johnny Nelson in 2017, each piece from this jewelry brand is crafted in New York City. Drawing inspiration from musical genres like punk and hip hop, and especially from New York’s neighborhood jewelers in the ‘80s and ‘90s, the brand focuses on crafting statement pieces that reflect Black cultural experiences.
Homage Year
This handbag and accessories brand was founded by designer Antoine Manning. “I purchased an Ova bag from the brand last year and it’s always a conversation starter whenever I wear it,” says Byrd. In an interview with Vogue, Manning describes “avoiding harsh shapes and lines” while designing. The result: A futuristic bag that looks unique and special.
Vontélle
Created to compliment a diverse range of facial features, Vontélle frames are designed with wider bridges, longer temples and larger lenses for increased comfort while wearing, according to the brand. It offers prescription fulfillment and custom lens colors and tints, which includes options for blue light blockers and polarized lenses as well. The brand also has a wide selection of designs and patterns to choose from, for both prescription and ready to wear glasses.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Jonathan Michael Square is an Assistant Professor of Black Visual Culture at Parsons School of Design.
- Adrienne Jones is a Professor of Fashion Design at the Pratt Institute.
- Rikki Byrd is a Writer and PhD candidate in African American Studies at Northwestern University.
Why trust NBC Select?
Harry Rabinowitz is a reporter for NBC Select; Justin Krajeski is a former associate editor for NBC Select; Ashley Morris is an associate SEO reporter for NBC Select. For this article, Morris connected with brands to confirm that they’re at least 51% Black-owned. (To be considered a Black-owned business, a company must be at least 51% Black-owned, according to the Census Bureau.) She also rounded up a few notable products from Black-owned brands.
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