Making it to the mainstream is just a fraction of a dream come true for any designer. A designer isn’t just a designer but a business owner, HR, publicist, social media manager, and accountant until they can build a team to delegate those tasks. As time has progressed, Black-owned brands have risen, particularly since 2020.
Designers like Gen Z’er Keith Herron for Advisry, who started his brand as a teen and worked to get it worn by celebrities like Brent Faiyaz or Spencer Badu, whose eponymous brand plays with the definition of a uniform, are shaping the fashion industry’s New Vanguard standards. From the different lenses of streetwear, these brands have grown into the mainstream from scratch.
Advisry
Founded by Keith Herron, Advisry’s creativity speaks for itself. As you scroll through the site, each piece has an innovative twist to draw you in. Herron’s love of film often informs his design process, which produces an explosion of color and interesting silhouettes for the brand.
Barriers
The streetwear brand Barriers, founded by Steven Barter, is about uplifting the Black community and making our voices heard as loud as possible. Each collection like the brand’s latest Malcolm X capsule, highlights Blackness positively while also speaking to the issues Black people face within their communities and throughout the U.S.
Bephie’s Beauty Supply
The Black woman-owned brand Bephie’s Beauty Supply, founded by Beth Birkett, is all about community and womanhood. The company aims to redefine beauty through streetwear with fresh takes like graphic tops with Black women with natural hair or braids, T-shirts with many Black women’s hairstyles, and high-quality collections to express yourself.
Spencer Badu
Spencer Badu’s Eponymous brand plays with the definition of a uniform. From his new printed tie knit top to his perfectly tailored unisex pants, Badu’s exploration of his Ghanaian heritage and interest in self-expression has created a brand like no other.
Tier NYC
Founded by Nigeria Ealey, Esaïe Jean-Simon, and Victor James in 2014, Tier NYC operates on the notion that art never dies. To immortalize themselves, they created a streetwear brand with a message about legacy. From baggy cargos, to graphic T-shirts, accessories, and, more, the brand’s design codes are classic and eye-catching.