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Black women have long been fashion icons. From rocking classic Afros in the 1970s to bamboo earrings of the 1990s, Black women have shown and proved why their creativity in fashion is both coveted and unmatched. However, luxury and Blackness have not always been synonymous. Access to high-end brands and financial ineptness help keep Black communities shut out of experiencing the finer things in life. For some Black women, it stops with them.
For decades, the fashion industry seemed to shut out women of color. Now, with a Birkin bag in hand, and red bottom soles, Black women are taking a piece of luxury-living for themselves and being unapologetic. Indulging in luxury is becoming more widespread, particularly amongst millennial women and they are undeniably living their best lives. Encouraging other Black women to join the ranks, the luxe lifestyle is beginning to spread and the future never looked so bright.
Reported by the American Association of University Women, Black women are earning college degrees more than their African American male counterparts, and entering the workforce because of it. With 64 percent earning bachelor’s and 71 percent of master’s degrees, Black women are using education as a launching pad for success. As more Black women enter the workforce, leveling the financial field, brunch, shopping sprees and five-star vacations are becoming the norm.
“Black women are aspiring to live unapologetically and exist loudly! Social media accounts and influencers have inspired Black women to dream big and to envision a life of abundance,” says Ashley Frye, a local fashion blogger who advocates for luxury. “Black women are starting to enjoy the finer things in life and are unashamed to show it! We have started to reject the bare minimum and be in tune with our worth more than ever before.”
While Black women continue to set the trend in fashion and luxury, naysayers attempt to box in their experiences and put limitations on their lifestyles. Often, Black women feel the pressure to dim their light so as to not offend others, and in the case of choosing a high-end lifestyle, it is no different.
“If a Black woman chooses to indulge in luxury, it’s a backlash. It’s a feeling of ‘We don’t deserve it’ or we should minimize our successes and rewards so it does not offend others,” says Frye. “People will literally ask how did an accomplished Black woman attain her lifestyle and if she’s worthy of it. It really boggles my mind.”
Exclusion of Black women from their rightful place in fashion is not limited to purchasing expensive goods or traveling first class. Extending to modeling and representation, Black women are a very small minority of fashion supermodels and rarely featured in beauty campaigns. Years of exclusion have amounted to less representation in the fashion world.
In 2016, 27-year-old model and fashion blogger Deddeh Howard took a loud stance against racism in the fashion industry. After reportedly being told no by several modeling agencies for what the model believes is her skin tone, she decided to take matters into her own hands. Enlisting the help of her boyfriend, a photographer, the model who was also in medical school, recreated iconic fashion spreads from giants like Guess, Chanel, Gucci and Louis Vuitton, and called the collection Black Mirror.
Now, with over 200,000 followers on Instagram, the African model is using her voice to promote and advocate for Black models in the fashion industry. Founding the Black Mirror Project, Howard has created a home where Black models are not tolerated, but celebrated.
“We must continue to normalize black luxury amongst Black women. We absolutely need to continue to dominate social media and use our platform to support and show an overflow of love to Black women,” says Frye.
Despite laying the blueprint for many brands, Black women are shut out of conversations surrounding luxury. Be it travel, clothing or accessories, there is a stigma against Black women indulging in expense. The time for change is long overdue.
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