The Black in Fashion Council held its Discovery Showroom for the fifth season running at New York Fashion Week. A collaboration with IMG, the project spanned four days; 10 designers presented new collections in an intimate setting that allowed for an appreciation of the craftsmanship in their clothes and accessories.
“This season we wanted to capitalize on the strength of the past few seasons of our collaboration with IMG to bring about a mix of designers who were at the beginning of their careers and need assistance from those who have been in the industry for years,” Sandrine Charles and Lindsey Peoples, the founders of the Black in Fashion Council, said in a statement. “It’s exciting to have a mix of high-end ready-to-wear designers, contemporary brands, and accessories designers who are all incredibly talented Black creatives.” Featured this season were the womenswear designers Ajovang, Izayla, Madame Adassa, Muehleder, Atelier Ndigo, and Sammy B; two labels, Harbison and Kwame, offered a more genderfluid approach. Rounding out the lineup were the handbag label Vavvoune and the shoe designer Jessica Rich.
The designer Charles Harbison presented a strong collection for his Harbison label, inspired by gardens of flowers that bloom at night. He worked with bold jewel tones, floral appliqués, and celestial details. “The sensibility is a bit darker and not as sweet,” he said. “She’s a little bit witchy.” The North Carolina native has been in California for five years after spending a decade in New York and credits the community he’s been able to find there with influencing his approach to fashion. “The industry requires a lot of creatives, and being in Cali, I was able to slow down and have a bit more connection to the earth and nature,” he explained. Additionally, he’s been able to focus on more sustainable methods of production, including sourcing vintage and deadstock fabrics as well as involving artisans and producing his wares locally. His collection was big on drama—a color-block gown in shades of turquoise, pink, and black with gold buttons on the bodice was a highlight—but Harbison also showed a knack for strong tailoring, as in a beige long, puffy robe jacket with a shawl collar shown over a matching oversized blazer and slouchy trousers.
At Atelier Ndigo, Waina Chancy’s impressive collection featured bold colors and strong textures inspired by the choublack, or the hibiscus, which is the national flower of Haiti. A sapphire blue two-piece with a crop top and draped details at the sleeves worn with a pleated miniskirt was a standout, as was a coral coat with dramatic pleated sleeves resembling the petals of a flower.
Now based in Los Angeles, the Ghanaian designer Kwame Adusei roots his gender-neutral namesake label, Kwame, in his homeland’s approach to getting dressed. “Back in Ghana we just drape clothing, and there’s no male or female clothing,” he explained. “You just drape a big piece of fabric [around you] depending on how you want to express yourself.” His signature wrapping was most successful in a deconstructed, cropped blazer whose lapels crisscrossed the chest and on a revealing shirtdress seemingly draped from a single piece of fabric with cutouts at the stomach and a very high slit. Adusei works exclusively with deadstock fabrics. “I grew up next to a landfill, so the [environment] is something I’m very concerned about.”
Meanwhile Sammy B’s Samantha Black presented a capsule collection of sporty separates that exemplify her New York City roots. Her take on the modern suit—a trench coat made from a shiny wine-colored fabric paired with matching wide-leg pleated trousers and worn with a bright red structured bra top—was both cool and sophisticated. So was a bright pink bustier top worn with a wrap skirt, the thick elasticated waist an unexpected twist that lent the look a unique edge. Ajovang’s Adreain Guillory also infused his romantic designs with a sporty edge, including a hoodie made from blue iridescent silk taffeta and paired with a kicky, ’90s-esque voluminous miniskirt. “I love working with taffeta because you can just sculpt it,” said the designer, who graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago two years ago. His passion for the malleability of the material was most evident in a blouse with bell sleeves, which he tucked into a short balloon skirt whose color switched from cream to bright lavender.
