Showing 74 results for:
fashion
Popular topics
All results
Olivier Rousteing has parted ways with fashion house Balmain. The designer entered the fashion industry with determination and risk. According to an interview with Vogue, at 18, he left the fashion school after six months. This decision was also not understood by his parents, who had already been perplexed by his pursuit of fashion. “I fought because I had no school or background behind me, just determination and desire,” he told the outlet in a November 2021 interview. That decision paved the way for a historic appointment at Balmain at age 24 as its creative director in April 2011. Before this, he had worked under his predecessor, Christophe Decarnin, for two years, notes Vogue. According to a separate Vogue article, he was the “youngest non-founding designer to lead a major Paris house” since Yves Saint Laurent’s appointment at Dior at age 21. That’s not all. Rousteing was the first Black individual to become a creative director at a major European house, the Business of Fashion...
From financial uncertainty to high-fashion success, Salehe Bembury has shaped modern sneaker culture with creativity and vision. Salehe Bembury On Landing Versace In a conversation with “The Cutting Room Floor” podcast host Recho Omondi, Bembury shared how he secured opportunities with luxury brands like Versace, an experience that established him in the world of high-fashion sneakers. Bembury recalled a moment of financial uncertainty. “I’m out of money. I’m getting scared. I look like the image of unemployment. I’m in my underwear eating cereal on my couch,” he said in a clip from the Patreon podcast. View this post on Instagram A post shared by OMONDI (@omndi) At that low point, he reached out to Dean Quinn, a design director at Versace, through LinkedIn. “Forever grateful for him replying,” Bembury said, adding that he pitched a project for Versace’s sneaker line. He suggested that Versace could create sneakers incorporating the brand’s signature elements, including the...
The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) has opened the Joyce F. Brown Academic Building, its first new academic facility in nearly 50 years, named in honor of outgoing president Dr. Joyce F. Brown, according to a press release from the institute. FIT is part of the State University of New York (SUNY). The 10-story, 100,000-square-foot building, located in New York City, features 26 energy-efficient classrooms and studios, collaborative student spaces, and the Knitting Lab, which is now the largest campus knitting and weaving facility in the country, per the release. Students, faculty, alumni, and industry professionals attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 23, 2025, ELLE reports, recognizing Dr. Brown’s 27 years of leadership since she assumed the role in 1998. Among her milestones, she is also FIT’s first Black president and first woman president, as previously reported by AFROTECH. Throughout her tenure, she has focused on expanding educational access and creating...
Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson signing on to Reebok has benefited the business. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, O’Neal returned to Reebok in 2023 after walking away from a $40 million deal more than two decades earlier in 1998. He was appointed as Reebok’s president of basketball and has been “very” hands-on, he told Boardroom. “I do everything but nothing,” he said to the outlet. “True leaders don’t micromanage. If I’m gonna start a media company, I’ll call you. You do all the work, I proofread it, say yes or no, and we move on from there.” One of O’Neal’s strategic decisions was onboarding Angel Reese, who signed the company’s first major name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal. Now in the WNBA, representing the Chicago Sky, Reese dropped her signature shoe line with Reebok on Sept. 18, under a multiyear contract extension, and it sold out within hours of launching, CBS Sports reports. This affirms O’Neal’s priorities when he joined Reebok. “It’s all about product, players, and...
Burberry cut its head of diversity role as part of restructuring efforts. Geoffrey Williams assumed his post at Burberry in April 2022 as the global vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion after leading Dr. Martens’ DEI efforts. Before that, he served as director and g lobal head of diversity and inclusion at Thomson Reuters, having been with the company for more than a decade. According to information shared on his LinkedIn, he increased Burberry’s ethnic minority representation globally, incorporated equity into operations, and delivered its “first-ever inclusion conference.” In July 2024, he was promoted to global vice president of colleague attraction and inclusion, with a focus on the following pillars: DEI, talent, acquisition, executive search, early careers, and employer branding. Now, a LinkedIn post from Williams indicates that his role has been eliminated. He says the British luxury fashion brand has “chosen to integrate responsibility for diversity, equity and...
Jaden Smith is collaborating with Christian Louboutin. According to Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), the 27-year-old rapper, actor, and son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, will serve as the luxury brand’s first men’s creative director. In his new role, Smith will move to Paris, where he will design men’s shoes, leather goods, and accessories, while also curating campaigns, events, and immersive experiences. Smith is scheduled to debut his first collection in January during Paris Men’s Fashion Week and oversee four collections annually. “This is one of the biggest honors of my life, and I feel a lot of pressure to be able to live up to everything that Christian has done for the house, and also stepping into such a serious role,” Smith told WWD. The collaboration builds on a six-year friendship between Smith and Louboutin, which began after a chance encounter in Paris, according to PEOPLE. Their relationship grew from shared creative ideas and artistic visions. In a press release...
Kristopher Wright entered the footwear space by “happenstance.” Today, he is vice president at one of the world’s most well-known brands. Wright took center stage at the “Dope Thinkers Only Conference,” which was held at Louisiana’s Grambling State University from Sept. 11-12. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the conference is intended to empower and connect students and professionals in marketing, communications, entrepreneurship, and leadership. “Conferences like this are needed at HBCUs just to show students from actual practitioners: ‘I’m doing this, this is how I did it. And you can, too,'” student Jae Newton told AFROTECH™. The Houston native is projected to graduate in 2026 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication, a concentration in public relations, and a minor in business marketing. At the conference, Wright shared that, as a 12-year-old raised in Harlem, NY, he was already exposed to sneaker culture. However, Wright did not understand then that his current...
Russell Westbrook has added a new venture to his portfolio. The NBA player is now an investor in N4XT Experiences. This premier global event experience company has expertise in creative direction, brand strategy, and experiential programming , as well as caters to fashion, beauty, culture, and gaming, per WWD. It acquired LA Fashion Week in 2022 and will now bring a fresh take to New York Fashion Week. There are plans to launch additional activations for designers in each city so they can present in different locations that work for them , according to N4XT Experiences CEO Imad Izemrane . “In the new digital era where content and the material that you create from your show is essentially your marketing campaign, everybody wants to have their own background, their own look and feel and taste that’s connected to their collection,” Izemrane told WWD. Westbrook’s alignment with the platform should come as no surprise, as his interest in fashion has been on full display since he was...
Ssense — the Canadian retailer known for designer fashion and luxury streetwear founded by CEO Rami Atallah and family — has filed for bankruptcy protection, according to Vogue Business. Announced on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, an Ssense spokesperson said the retailer’s primary lender had placed the company under Canada’s Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) and initiated a sales process without the company’s “consent.” The CCAA — the Canadian equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States — allows insolvent companies owing over $5 million to restructure their debts while continuing operations. “We are deeply disappointed in this decision, which we believe does not serve the long-term interests of our 1,000+ employees, vendors and partners,” the spokesperson said, Vogue Business reported. “We will be filing our own CCAA application to safeguard the company, retain control of our assets and operations, and fight for the future of this business.” The filing comes as...
Louis Vuitton has officially announced the launch of La Beauté, the brand’s first-ever cosmetics collection. The debut was unveiled on Instagram, highlighting the collaboration with Pat McGrath, a Black British makeup artist and founder of Pat McGrath Labs, who will serve as creative director for the new collection. “Working backstage for over 20 years at Louis Vuitton fashion shows, I am thrilled to now play such a key role in the launch of La Beauté Louis Vuitton, which is the result of extraordinary craftsmanship, creativity, and innovation,” McGrath said in a Pat McGrath Labs press release. According to Harper’s Bazaar, the La Beauté line features 55 lipsticks — called LV Rouge — formulated with hyaluronic acid, shea butter and scents derived from rose, jasmine, and mimosa. They are available in satin and matte finishes. The LV Baume collection offers 10 tinted balms designed for buildable color and up to 48 hours of hydration. Like the lipsticks, these balms include hyaluronic...
Pharrell Williams has launched a new venture that pays homage to his roots. Williams, a famed producer from Virginia, has numerous hits in his music catalog, but his impact extends beyond the entertainment industry. In 2020 he launched the Black Ambition Prize competition, which provides capital to underrepresented entrepreneurs with innovative ideas. As of 2024, it has awarded nearly $13 million to 131 entrepreneurs since the program’s inception, according to the organization’s website . As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Williams was named Louis Vuitton’s men’s creative director in 2023. He was the second Black designer to hold the position, succeeding the late Virgil Abloh. “Over here, they lift us,” Williams told The New York Times about being the second Black designer in the role. “They appreciate what we do. They see the talent that we have,” he continued. Furthermore, Louis Vuitton Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Pietro Beccari weighed in on Williams’ position, according...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. President Donald Trump’s tariffs have rocked industries across the globe, from manufacturing to fashion and retail. The current crop of tariff policies will do damage to retailers, large and small and one of the retailers that has gotten caught in the crossfire is Nike . Nike has been an American staple in the world of business and fashion since the company was founded in 1964 by University of Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman and his former student Phil Knight as Blue Ribbon Sports. The company originally started as a distributor for the Japanese shoe brand Tiger (now ASICS) but began making its athletic footwear in 1971 and rebranded as Nike, named after the Greek goddess of victory, as reported by The Street. The iconic “Swoosh” logo was designed by Carolyn Davidson, a student at nearby Portland State University, for just $35 as reported by Reuters and became one of the world’s most recognizable...
Fans of the 1995 film “Clueless” are likely to fall in love with Google’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered shopping experience, which is rooted in fresh, accurate data and a passion for fashion. Google I/O 2025 Launched on May 20 at Google I/O 2025 in Silicon Valley, CA, AI Mode combines Gemini capabilities with Google’s Shopping Graph to help customers browse for inspiration, consider options, and narrow down products, according to a news release. The Shopping Graph features over 50 billion constantly updated listings from global retailers and local shops, complete with reviews, prices, color options, and availability. “We’re using AI to help people shop in ways that once seemed impossible,” Lilian Rincon, vice president of consumer shopping product at Google, told AFROTECH™ via email. “Whether you’re trying on millions of items of clothing with our try-on tech, finding exactly what you need in AI Mode, or using agentic checkout to jump on a great price.” A new, experimental...
Savannah James — podcast host, entrepreneur, and mother of three with husband LeBron James — is expanding her growing portfolio with Reframe, a skincare brand backed by two years of research and proven results. Released on May 15, 2025, Reframe enters the beauty space with three core products: the Pigment Processor, a daily brightening serum priced at $115; Compression Complex, a facial sculpting moisturizer for $95; and Circadian Cream, which is an overnight collagen moisturizer that costs $135. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE Magazine, James shared that her passion for skincare dates back to at least middle school, when she would watch her mother apply Noxzema to her flawless skin. Reframe was born from a desire to shift how clinical skincare is seen, experienced, and presented. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Cut (@thecut) “I really love clinical skincare. But it’s not always cute, and it’s not always really innovative,” James told PEOPLE. “So I think...
With some assistance from artificial intelligence (AI) and a great deal of artistic vision, one business is reinventing the virtual fitting room. Doji, a fashion-tech startup co-founded by Dorian Dargan and Jim Winkens, has raised $14 million in seed funding, led by Thrive Capital with participation from Seven Seven Six Ventures, to scale its AI-powered avatar app that lets users virtually try on clothes in a fun, social, and personalized way. Dargan, Doji’s CEO, shared the news on his LinkedIn page, expressing his excitement about building a platform that puts users at the center of their fashion journey, stating, “Fashion is meant to be fun. But somewhere along the way, shopping for clothes online became overwhelming instead of exciting. We believe there’s a better way – one that celebrates creativity and self-expression.” Doji, which combines the founders’ first names, Dorian and Jim, lets users upload selfies and full-body images to generate an avatar, as TechCrunch reports....
