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The fashion expert, television correspondent and beloved social media fixture shares exclusive details of the partnership with ESSENCE. '
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00:00Essence Fest for me is just black culture personified.
00:05From the time you land in New Orleans, you just feel the energy of our people.
00:09And we wanted to share this with you first.
00:19What's up Essence? Blake Newby, beauty and style editor here.
00:22And today I'm joined by two absolutely incredible women.
00:26And we are sharing some news that I know that you are going to love.
00:30I first want to introduce Pamela Brown.
00:33She is the head of talent partnerships at Target.
00:36She is also a business leader with emphasis and passion for black creators specifically.
00:42And right here, she really doesn't need any introduction.
00:45I know that Essence ladies know exactly who this is.
00:48But this is my big sister, Kalana Barfield Brown.
00:52She is a fashion icon, a social media maven, a beauty extraordinaire.
00:57There is nothing that this woman doesn't do.
00:59Ladies, thank you.
01:02Thank you for creating this platform.
01:05We're here at Essence Fest.
01:07Essence Fest.
01:08And we are here for a really big reason.
01:09Yeah.
01:10Can you share what that reason is?
01:12Well, yesterday we announced that I am doing a collaboration with Target.
01:21And it is an apparel and accessories collection.
01:25And it's just amazing.
01:29And there was no better place to announce this than Essence Fest.
01:34Essence Fest, for me, is just black culture personified.
01:38From the time you land in New Orleans, you just feel the energy of our people.
01:43And we wanted to share this with you first.
01:46Well, how did this happen?
01:48Like, well, clearly, I mean, she's been on everybody's fashion and sport for years.
01:52I mean, so this is, it's really crazy because before I sat in this seat as director of talent,
02:03I met Kalana.
02:04I remember the date, January 14th, 2020.
02:07January 14th.
02:08We had a beauty summit at Target.
02:11And I was there in the capacity of a different role, fell in love.
02:16And I said to her, I said, would you ever want to be a part of our family?
02:21Not minding my business at all.
02:22I should not have been asking that question because that was not my job nor my purview.
02:27And then I contacted the leader of our area, my now leader, and said, you've got to partner with her.
02:36She needs to be a part of our family.
02:38And I know that's not my business, but she needs to be a part of our family.
02:41And then, lo and behold, nine months later, I'm sitting in the seat.
02:47Yep.
02:48And I didn't forget.
02:49And she was everything.
02:52First and foremost, when we do partnerships, we start with our values.
02:55Yes.
02:56And Kalana's values were so tightly aligned to Target.
03:04We were doubling down in terms of our support with HBCUs and so on and on.
03:13I mean, there was just so many different things and she's everything.
03:17I mean, beauty style, all of the things hits all of the boxes, right?
03:20When it comes to thinking of store and where she can go and whatever.
03:25And she's just an amazing person.
03:29And so I put her on my vision board.
03:32Yeah.
03:33And, but I didn't want to come to her with just anything.
03:36I wanted it to be meaningful and I want it to be necessary.
03:39So we, now we're here.
03:41Yeah.
03:42And that's how it started.
03:45Well before I was even in this seat.
03:48So this is a full circle moment for me too.
03:50Yeah.
03:51It's full circle.
03:52And I think that it was God, like God absolutely made this partnership happen.
04:00And Target for me is, I mean, who doesn't love Target?
04:04Yep.
04:05Yeah.
04:06It's really a dream.
04:07Target.
04:08Target.
04:09It's really a dream brand to be in the family with.
04:12And the first project that I worked with Target on was a campaign that highlighted the rich heritage of HBCUs,
04:20which I know you've seen that, that campaign.
04:22And that was like the, the most amazing experience.
04:26Yep.
04:27You know, you know how passionate we are about our HBCUs.
04:29Yep.
04:30We rep Howard all day.
04:31And what was so great about it is it wasn't, it was really authentic.
04:35It was like, we want to partner with you on something that we know that you're passionate about.
04:40How do you want to tell this story?
04:42I actually got to talk about the legacy of HBCUs and I got to talk about my grandmother who is actually from here, from Louisiana.
04:49She's from Bastrop, Louisiana, the biggest HBCU advocate.
04:54And she went to Southern University.
04:56She pledged Delta Sigma Theta at Southern.
04:59And so HBCUs, literally I grew up knowing about HBCUs.
05:05It was, it was instilled in me.
05:06And so just to be able to share that with a platform that Target has, and then also have my daughter in the campaign with me.
05:15It was just so beautiful.
05:16So that was the beginning of our working relationship.
05:18And after that, it was like, this is a brand that I want to be with.
05:21They align with my values.
05:23It's not, nothing is forced.
05:25That's right.
05:26It's true partnership and what feels right.
05:28And speaking of forced, because so many collections do feel like that, right?
05:32Yeah.
05:33They tack somebody's name on it.
05:34That's right.
05:35And it doesn't, it's not reflective of their ethos and their style.
05:40How much control did you have in this process?
05:42Absolutely.
05:43And creative.
05:44It was absolute.
05:45I had so much creative control and that's what made this so amazing.
05:50There was never a moment that anything, it was like, how do you feel about this?
05:54I presented ideas.
05:55We went back and forth.
05:57We got things right.
05:58We worked on everything and got it till we were happy.
06:01But literally I had the creative control and that felt so good because it's authentically
06:07me.
06:08Everything about this collection is authentically me.
06:10Yep.
06:11That's right.
06:12And you all continue to partner with black women.
06:13So why is it important to give them full autonomy to do what they want to do with these
06:17collections?
06:18Well, my motto is always bet on a black woman.
06:21Yep.
06:22Period.
06:23First and foremost.
06:24And when I came into this, you know, position, one of my non-negotiables was that I could
06:32not sit in this seat unless I created pathways for black people.
06:39Yeah.
06:40And I was very specific about that.
06:42And when my leader looked at me and said, yes, like a resonated yes.
06:48Yeah.
06:49I'm like, oh, okay, this is it.
06:50Yep.
06:51This is the role.
06:52But if any brand ever wants to be resonant or relevant or participate in culture in any
07:00way, have a voice in any way, you might want to start with the people that actually create
07:04culture.
07:05Yes.
07:06And so that is something, you know, we live by.
07:10I don't have to, you know, check all of these boxes or try to like, you know, think about,
07:19you know, having a diverse roster of talent and like, I don't, it doesn't even cross my
07:27mind.
07:28It's just, it's necessary and that's what you do.
07:30And it's a part of our DNA.
07:31Yeah.
07:32Um, and to her point about, you know, allowing people to be their authentic self, like that
07:40is, that's mandatory too, because as a black woman, I understand the weight of not being
07:47able to be your authentic self.
07:49Yes.
07:50And so with Kalana, with other partners, it's like who you are is absolutely enough.
07:56Yeah.
07:57And, and that is most important.
07:59And we want to work with you and not through you.
08:02We don't, we don't want to, we don't dictate.
08:04At all.
08:05That's not, this isn't an ad.
08:07Right.
08:08You know, with the script, you know, it's like, we are partnering with you for you.
08:13So we want to hear your voice, your sound POV.
08:16Yeah.
08:17And we go from there.
08:18So.
08:19And now the people want to know, what does the collection look like?
08:23Oh my gosh.
08:24Oh my gosh.
08:25I know.
08:26I wish I could like, I wish I could give you all the tea, but I can't.
08:29But what I will say is a lot of the collection is designed around my fashion.
08:35formula.
08:36So you're going to get closet staples that can be remixed.
08:39Yep.
08:40So many different ways.
08:41Um, things that are essentials for your closet in a very cool way.
08:46Okay.
08:47Um, and I wish I could tell you more, but I promise you, you, we will not disappoint you.
08:51You will not be disappointed.
08:52You will not be disappointed.
08:53I mean, your fingerprints are all over.
08:54That's all, it's expensive.
08:55Yeah.
08:56I mean, yeah, it's, it's insane.
08:59It's so good.
09:00It's so good.
09:01So good.
09:02So good.
09:03Can you tell me the when?
09:04What we can say is that it's going to be fall.
09:07Okay.
09:08Early fall.
09:09Early fall.
09:10Yes.
09:11Okay.
09:12And that's not far away.
09:13It's not far away.
09:14Yeah.
09:15It's not far away.
09:16It's like a month or so.
09:17Right.
09:18So how would you describe, like you said, it's, it's inspired by you and your fashion formula.
09:24If you had to describe the collection in three words.
09:27Hmm.
09:28Oh, that's a good question.
09:29How would you describe it?
09:31I would say, um, bold.
09:32Okay.
09:33I would say, um, bold.
09:34Okay.
09:35I would say, unisex.
09:37Oh, okay.
09:38I would say unisex, um, in some ways.
09:39Okay.
09:40I would say, um, classic.
09:41I was going to say, I was like, I hope she says classic.
09:42I would say classic.
09:43The samples.
09:44Yes.
09:45It's timeless.
09:46It's timeless.
09:47It's timeless.
09:48It's timeless.
09:49It's timeless.
09:50It's timeless.
09:51That's right.
09:52And when I say unisex, I say that in a way that you can wear, there are a few pieces
10:03in the collection that my husband has put on and I'm like, yes, it can be remixed.
10:10It can be remixed.
10:11Okay.
10:12Can you all continue?
10:13Like, like I said, the Tabitha Brown collection just came out.
10:15Yeah.
10:16A super hit.
10:17I mean, so good.
10:18I've seen so much of it here in New Orleans.
10:19I have too.
10:20Yes.
10:21I've seen so much of it.
10:22What does the future of Target and collaborations like these with more black women look like?
10:28You know what?
10:29Well, right now, well, we're just getting started.
10:32Yeah.
10:33So we're not going to shift our strategy now.
10:37We're going to anchor in, you know, our mission is to curate and create mutually, mutually, and I stress mutually beneficial partnerships that are deeply human.
10:52Because Kalana can call me, Tabitha can call, text, whatever, all of our creators, regardless, you know, the following or whatever, can call, can call my team.
11:02They have that one-to-one, but that's, that's where we're just going to be deeply human in all that we do.
11:09Yeah.
11:10So that those people behind all of that creativity or whatever can shine.
11:15And we're going to continue to pay people equitably.
11:18Yep.
11:19Yes.
11:20Pay black women.
11:21Pay black women.
11:23So.
11:24And I'm going to do a favor to every girl on social media that follows Kalana Barfield because I'm sure her DMs make this question all the time.
11:30So now you guys have it here in one place.
11:32For you, what is a piece of advice for young black women trying to chart a path like Kalana Barfield Brown has?
11:39Is to walk into your truth and own who you are and also know that being you authentically is the, is the sauce.
11:51Yep.
11:52Um, when I think about how I got to where I've gotten, it's just being, being myself.
11:57I don't need to look like anyone else.
11:59I don't need to talk like anyone else.
12:01I don't need to follow anyone else's formula.
12:03I just need to do things my way.
12:06So figure out what works for you and what feels comfortable for you and what feels natural for you.
12:12And don't give up.
12:13Just keep going.
12:14Don't let anybody tell you anything else.
12:16But I really think it's being your authentic self and what makes you different is your superpower.
12:23So own that.
12:24Yep.
12:25Mm-hmm.
12:26There you have it.
12:27There you have it.
12:28You have it.
12:29Ladies, thank you so much.
12:31Thank you, Essence.
12:32Thank you so much.
12:33You heard them.
12:34Early fall, be on the lookout for the Target and Kalana Barfield Brown collection.
12:38I assume in Target stores and Target online.
12:41There you have it.
12:43There you hurry at your 20 days thatаем Snow and Heath.
12:44There you be.
12:45There you be.
12:46There you go.
12:47There you go.
12:48There you go.
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12:49There you go.
12:51There you like the TXXX, learn the Christopher Annaberry Brown Promise.
12:52There you go.
12:54There, there and go at your student thisorex arrogation in common jewelry space.
12:56There you go.
12:58You have a name.
12:59There you go.
13:00There I know.
13:01There you go.
13:02I have your house.
13:03AndRIMM закон.
13:04There you go.
13:05There you go.
13:07There.
13:08I have no comment on your dog.
13:09There you go.
13:10We'll need you.
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