Words by Alyson Robinson
Black designers featured at New York Fashion Week come along quite infrequently and corresponds somewhat to the number of black models present on the runway.
New York Fashion Week begins today, September 5th, so the anticipation of the appearance of the few black designers this year is something to highlight.
Designers making headway this year include 22 black designers. The 22 designers include the sisters of the William Okpo line, Darlene and Lizzy Okpo,”Project Runway” alum Kimberly Goldson, and Celebrity designer Angela Simmons . Also, we can look forward to Harlem’s Fashion Row which returns with its annual show that presents talented black designers.
Darlene and Lizzy Okpo
The other diverse designers are Kerby Jean-Raymond, Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs, Charles Harbison, Sandro Romans, Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, B. Michael, Tracy Reese, Shayne Oliver, David Tlale, LaQuan Smith, Deidre Jefferies, Martin Cooper, Hassan Pierre, Kahindo Mateene, Kithe Brewster, Sonja Rubin and Kip Chapelle, Jerome Lamaar, Telfar Clemens and Kera Anderson and Nicole Styler.
However, only two black designers will be showing their work in the official Fashion Week tents at Lincoln Center. They are Tracy Reese and B. Michael. It is still a fact to be proud of that we will have the other 20 representing throughout the city.
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