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Posts tagged as “Fashion Week”

Mataano Spring 2013: Somali Twins Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim Go Breezy, Feminine For New York Fashion Week

Designers Idyl Mohallim (L) and Ayaan Mohallim (R)

Designers Idyl Mohallim (L) and Ayaan Mohallim (R) walk the runway at the Mataano spring 2013 presentation during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Landmark on the Park on September 11, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

The Mataano Spring 2013 show during New York Fashion Week on Tuesday was brimming with positive vibes and packed to the rafters with fashionable people. Landmark on the Park, a remarkable old church, was outfitted with rows of seats and a performance space for singer Wynter Gordon to appear after the show — a perfect setting for blacks in culture and entertainment to convene.

Top 20 Influential African Americans In The Fashion Industry


Fall is here. And so is New York Fashion Week. Sometimes lacking in the fashion spotlight are the African Americans who have been pioneers in this industry. So while you pack away the sun dresses and replace them with scarves and sweater, take a look at some of the most influential African Americans in the fashion world.

Here’s 10 to get you started:
Andre’ Leon Talley: Former American Editor-at-large for Vogue

Robin Givhan: A former Washington Post fashion editor who now writes for The Daily Beast, Robin Givhan is the first journalist to win a Pulitzer Prize for criticism in fashion

Young Designer Laquan Smith Makes A Splash With His Spring 2013 Collection At Fashion Week


Laquan Smith is only 23 and yet has already established himself as a supremely talented designer.  Whether inspired by the colors and fluidity of water, or by the garden scenery during his many travels, Laquan produces collections that are beautiful, modern and decidedly feminine.

Black Muslim Designer Plucks Dominican Orphan From Obscurity To Model In New York Fashion Week

Nzinga Knight and Fior Mendez

Nzinga Knight and Fior Mendez at New York Fashion Week. (Photos: Getty Images)

Black American Muslim designer Nzinga Knight uses her designs to deliver a statement in fashion that few make: that a woman can dress modestly and still give full glamour. “My aesthetic was something really missing in the market,” she told the AFP news service.
The native New Yorker of Trinidadian and Guyanese decent started her clothing line in 2008 to bend the boundaries of feminine clothing. Mixing high style with the doctrines of her Muslim faith, “The look of my work is sensual, mysterious, innovative,” she stressed — without being overly revealing.
“It’s very distinct and can give me an edge,” Knight said of her fashion proposition.
Using the strength of her platform, Knight made another compelling — if unwitting — move: Launching a Dominican orphan’s modeling career.  By casting Fior Mendez, 22, to walk in her New York Fashion Week show last Friday at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Knight helped to make a big dream come true.

Tracy Reese Creates Colorful Symphony With Spring 2013 Fashion Week Collection

Tracy Reese at 2013 Spring Fashion Week

Tracy Reese at Spring 2013 Fashion Week. (Photos: Getty Images)

Tracy Reese became instantly buzz-worthy last week when first lady Michelle Obama wore a custom-made dress by the designer to deliver her speech at the Democratic National Convention. The frock was so stunning that Reese had to rush the dress into mass production to meet consumer demand.  A similar reaction followed her Spring 2013 Fashion Week showing in New York City among the fashion industry insiders who flocked to the tents for more of Reese’s magic.