Everything She Wants

Supporting small-and-Black-owned businesses has never been more important. As strongly recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) , wearing a cloth face covering is also of the utmost importance to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.  Besides the public safety benefits, wearing an Afrocentric face mask is a bold fashion statement and can become a part of your signature style. I have a few to match my mood and to complement my summer wardrobe palettes. And here are a few of my picks for vibrant, African fabric face coverings from independent artisans and sellers. For even more options, check out the "fly face mask" roundup I wrote for  Sisters from AARP . D'IYANU  ($14.99) Tarbaby Hair Design by Janice Brown   ($20) PricelessCulture  ($19.95)

In September 2013 supermodels Iman and Naomi Campbell and former model agent Bethann Hardison wrote to the major fashion councils of New York, London, Milan and Paris about the lack of racial diversity in the fashion industry and specifically on Fashion Week runways. "The absence of people of color on the runways and photography reinforces to our young girls that they're not people enough, that they're not acceptable enough," Iman told CNN . "The diversity that we live in, the world that we live in, is not what is shown on the runway. That to me  is the concern. It's bigger issue at large than just about runway and models." A model walks the runway at the Georgine fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2014 Photo by Arun Nevader/Getty Images Amen to that, Iman.   A shamefully self-absorbed essay recently published in XOJane was a glaring example of how black women in particular are often judged and marginalized in our society....

From food to art and fashion, Philly is a city bursting with creativity. We love to visit whenever we get the chance, but recently Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter came to New York City (which he jokingly referred to as a large suburb of his city) along with a few talented graduates of the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator at Macy's City Center . Aso Damisi: Moriamo (l) and Latifat (r) The program, modeled after a similar program at Macy's State Street in Chicago, is the first of its kind in Philadelphia and the goal is to support and promote emerging fashion designers from local design schools and the city's fashion community. Four designers in residence are selected each year and Macy's provides them with design and office/work space, a showroom, curriculum, mentoring and other resources. In particular, the sophisticated African-inspired garments by  Aso Damisi (in the Yoruba language "Aso" means cloth and "Damisi" means prosperity) caught ...

Everything She Wants  has a thing for jewelry and accessories, especially when they benefit a worthy cause.  So allow me to introduce Harkiss Designs , created by Harriet Zaffoni.  The 38-year-old native of Uganda started her company as a way to assist Rwandan women, many of whom have HIV/AIDS or are victims of gender-based violence and single-handedly provide for their families . Everything She Wants : How did you become an accessories designer? Harriet Zaffoni of Harkiss Designs. Harriet Zaffoni:   I fell in love with East African accessories and started by improving on the original ones to make sure they met the North American market standards.  And boom , I started designing my own.  ESW: Why did you start your company, Harkiss Designs?  HZ:  Because of my love of fashion, African colors and fabric, I saw that there was potential for me to empower East African women through fashion.  That's how Harkiss Designs was c...

One of the hottest trends for spring 2011 is clothing accented with African fabrics, patterns, and textiles.  I'm a big fan of the look, which was exhibited on the runway by Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. spring line at New York Fashion Week.  It's always a pleasure, however, to give shine to an authentic African designer like Wayne Illuyomade (pronounced ill lu yo mod day).   I had an email chat with Wayne, whose contemporary dress line, House Rossil , will be introduced to the fashionista-buying public via a series of trunk shows.  The first scheduled trunk show will be in Washington, D.C. this weekend, Jan. 28-30 at Maris Elaine Gallery  at the National Harbor. ESW: What is the significance of the name House Rossil?  I decided to name the company after my parents who were my first fashion inspiration as a child and also because of the non-stop support they have always and continue to provide to my siblings and myself. "Rossil" is a combination of my fath...

I love ethnic prints and accessories and I've rocked a wrist full with colorful beaded bracelets from Kenya since high school.  This summer, tribal fashion is hot and you too can crank up your style wattage with African-and-African-inspired designs . You'll stand out from the crowd, and better yet, the designs featured here have a charitable benefit to an African country. A model in Deola Sagoe/IMG Deola Sagoe Deola Sagoe received the only standing ovation at the Arise Fashion Collective show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2010. Her bold, show-stopping F/W 2010 designs were inspired by East African Massai warriors and 18th century European military uniforms. The native of Nigeria supports her homeland financially and culturally by using authentic, hand-woven fabrics including Aso-Oke and Kente.  Her designs are also embellished with raffia, hand-beading and embroidery. "My thinking was that I could create demand for those fabrics, while incorpora...