- 1 week ago
Kahlana Barfield Brown is no stranger to “The Art of Street Style” - evident in her inclusion as the first designer in Target’s Future Collective. In this segment, Kahlana will showcase favorites from her newly released, elevated yet affordable collection and take us through the evolution of her signature and personal style.
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00Are you guys excited for today?
00:03Yes, well I'm your host Chasity Saunders and I am so excited to be here with you guys today at Essence Fashion House.
00:09This next panel is powered by Target and we are so, so excited to have this special, special guest with us today.
00:17You guys already know who she is. She's our best friend in our head.
00:20She is known worldwide for her amazing fashion sense and, you know, a fashion and beauty editor turned style expert
00:27who we all love, who dropped her first Future Collection collection yesterday.
00:33Can we give it up for Mrs. Kalana Barfield-Brown?
00:38Thank you guys. Thank you guys so much. It's so good to be here.
00:42Yes, we're so happy to have you here. And as you guys can see, I'm wearing something from the collection.
00:47I cannot hold back from going to Brooklyn and picking something up.
00:49So for anybody out there, Kalana, who does not know you, they've been under a rock.
00:54But tell us, who is Kalana Barfield-Brown?
00:57Kalana Barfield-Brown is many things. I'm a wife. I'm a mother. I'm a woman of God. I'm a black woman.
01:06I am an HBCU graduate. Is anybody from Howard up in here?
01:11Okay.
01:14All day, all day. I am a fashion and beauty editor and just many things and mostly a creative.
01:24Yeah. And we love you for it. I mean, can we give it up for the black girl magic? Did you hear all of that?
01:31I mean, multi-dimensional, multi-talented, multi-hyphenate, and doing it all as a wife and a mother.
01:37Love you for that, sis, because we need representation like you. So thank you.
01:41So tell us, how did the Future Collection collaboration with Target come about? I know you've done a lot of projects with them in the past, but how did this particular project come about? Because it's the first of its kind.
01:53Yeah. So Future Collective, it actually started last year. Earlier in the year, I did a project with Target for their Black Beyond Measure campaign.
02:05And I'm not sure if you guys saw it, but it was a campaign that highlighted the rich legacy of HBCUs. And it was so beautiful because I got to share my personal experience and the legacy in my family.
02:20My grandmother was a big, big, big HBCU advocate. She went to Southern University. And when I was 12, my grandmother was, she was a principal in the Seattle Public School District.
02:32I'm from Seattle. And when I was 12, she retired from her job. And like her gift herself was that she wanted to take all of her grandkids around the country to see all of the HBCUs.
02:46And so she bought this like Chevrolet van. It had a TV in it. At that time, it was like really, really something. But, you know, now it probably will look really old.
02:55But she bought this van and we did a road trip. And we were gone for three months. And we went to every HBCU in the country. We went to Howard, Hampton, FAMU, Clark, Spelman.
03:09And we had to journal throughout the whole process. And so we would stay at a hotel every night. But like every day, it was like, you know, we would get up.
03:17We would have these tours. We would go on. And that really set the tone and like the goal in my head on like where I'm going to school.
03:25Like imagine walking onto a Howard campus at 12 years old. You see all these beautiful black people, especially being from Seattle where there's only so many of us.
03:34For me, that just, you know, in my mind, it was like, wow, it just gave me something to look forward to.
03:40And so I kind of told that story in the campaign and I told what HBCUs meant to me and talked about the rich legacy of HBCUs.
03:47Oftentimes it's our mom, it's our grandmother that's pouring into us because these are the schools that gave us an opportunity when other schools would not cater to black folks.
03:56And so that campaign was really special because when I aligned with Target on it, they really wanted me to kind of like direct and like create the creative.
04:10Like they never tried to, you know, shove anything down my throat. They were like, you tell us about your experience.
04:15And so I knew when I first started working with them, I was like, wow, we aligned.
04:20They, they, we aligned in terms of my values. I never felt like anything was shoved on me.
04:25They really did their research on me and they're just like a really amazing partner.
04:30I got to have my daughter in the campaign with me.
04:34I saw that. She looks so gorgeous. Have you guys seen the photos from the campaign?
04:38Yeah, it was like last year around, I think it came out last year around homecoming.
04:41So it was everywhere. So that was our first real project together.
04:46Right. Immediately after that, we started to work on Future Collective, which is amazing.
04:53Have you guys seen the Future Collective? I mean, we have some pieces right here to the left.
04:58I'm actually wearing a piece. It's incredible. It's incredible.
05:01And so the whole idea around Future Collective is that we wanted to bring really, really fashion forward pieces to Target that were elevated.
05:13And, you know, we all, for me, Target was the right partner because we shop at Target.
05:19Like, all of us, we are in Target once a week, maybe twice a week, maybe three times a week.
05:24And we're, a lot of times, shopping all our money, all of our coins, you know.
05:28We're shopping for our household items.
05:30But you should be able to go over to the apparel section and, like, find really cute pieces at an attainable price point.
05:36And for me, I wanted to design something that could, you could mix and match and remix in your way.
05:42You can buy the whole collection or you could buy one or two pieces, mix it with things that you have in your wardrobe.
05:48Everything is really interchangeable.
05:50Yeah.
05:51And I really wanted to make sure that it was inclusive.
05:54You know, I've worked in the fashion industry for a long time.
05:57And there's a lot of designers who are making these clothes and, like, the biggest size is a 12.
06:03But a 12 is really a 6, you know.
06:05So, like, nobody can fit these pieces.
06:07And I don't like the way that makes people feel.
06:09And I wanted everyone to be able to experience it.
06:12So, the sizes range from extra, extra small to 4X.
06:16And, you know, it launched yesterday.
06:18Yeah.
06:18I was just.
06:19Woo!
06:20Let's give it up for the launch.
06:21Thank you so much.
06:23Like, you guys don't even understand, like, black women have shown up for me in so many ways.
06:29There were people, like, outside of Target.
06:31I went to a store yesterday in California.
06:34And there were just so many black women there supporting this collection.
06:38So, I want to thank you guys.
06:39Because it really, for me, like, I hope you feel through this collection that it was, you know,
06:44it was so much of this collection was for us, you know.
06:48Yeah.
06:48And I wanted to do something for the culture.
06:50I wanted to make sure that we all felt seen.
06:53And so, I hope you feel that when you experience this collection.
06:57Oh, my God.
06:57She did that.
06:58Did she not?
06:59I mean, I'm a plus-size model.
07:01And I can attest to that.
07:02A lot of times, they do not think about us and the sizes.
07:06I mean, when I was in Target yesterday in Brooklyn, literally seeing the sizes go up to 4X and 28.
07:12And I was like, wow, this is so inclusive.
07:14And I've seen that change happen.
07:16So, we know that your personal style ethos is just incredible.
07:19Talk about that.
07:20And what is your personal style and how you included that in the collection?
07:24So, I really kind of approach this collection based off of how I approach my personal wardrobe.
07:31Like, I love to start with the basics.
07:33So, when we were designing this collection, we kind of, I was like, what are the things that I feel like every person needs in their wardrobe?
07:40Like, if you have nothing else to wear in your closet, these are pieces that you can go to.
07:46I always love a great blazer because you can all, I just think jackets are great when you can throw it on top of a tank top.
07:52You can throw it over a turtleneck, whatever.
07:54But it's the outerwear that is really kind of doing the work.
07:58So, I started with the jackets.
08:00I started with blazers.
08:01And then, I'm a denim girl, as you guys know.
08:04And I really wanted to bring some cool denim to Target because it's hard.
08:09And the denim fits amazing.
08:10I tried on some denim yesterday.
08:11I was like, wow, this actually fits really dope.
08:13I mean, it's kind of a little small.
08:14So, you have to go up a size.
08:16But once you go up, up a size or two.
08:18But once you go up, you should be able to find your size.
08:20But it was really important to me to make sure that the colors of the denim were right.
08:25You know, I wanted it to, I wanted the washes to be right.
08:28I wanted the buttons to be right.
08:30I didn't want anything to, any detail to be left untouched.
08:34And so, we were really intentional.
08:36Like, we kept on working at it.
08:38I was like, I don't like the way this feels.
08:39Nope, keep going, keep going.
08:41I love that.
08:41Until you got it right.
08:42So, a lot of denim jackets, like I said.
08:46So, blazers, a great jean jacket.
08:49And the thing that I tried to do with everything was to have some type of interesting detail.
08:53So, like, even if it's a classic denim jacket, like, let's make it asymmetrical at the bottom
09:00so that it has some, like, some flair, something cool about it that just elevates it from being basic.
09:07So, I really just started with the essentials, like Oxford shirts.
09:12Just, I think, everything that you need in your wardrobe, but kind of, like, really making it different
09:18and elevating it without making it too trendy.
09:21Yeah, and you actually were able to design a lot of pieces because there'll be 120 pieces in all in the collection.
09:28Four different drops.
09:29So, you guys are going to be able to refresh and refresh.
09:32And I know that there are a lot of people that are here today that came out to Essence Fashion House
09:36because a lot of your journey is so inspiring.
09:38And I know a lot of these women want to know, like, how did you do it?
09:41So, I want to shift a little bit and ask you about some of your earlier influences.
09:45We know that you came from the editorial side, but who were some of your first influences that made you feel like you could come over here
09:52and actually start designing?
09:53And because you clearly, you did it, sis.
09:56Okay, so my earliest fashion, I guess you would say idol, would be my grandmother.
10:02Because she was just, for me, when I think about, she was just really about etiquette.
10:09She always put her best foot forward.
10:11So, you know, when I'm with my grandmother, she is dressed to the nines, like, all the time.
10:16And we would, she would take me to, like, our time together would be, like, shopping at Nordstrom
10:20or, like, going to get our nails done.
10:22And she was just really big about when you step out, put your best foot forward.
10:26And you can express yourself through your style without ever having to open your mouth.
10:33A lot, your style says a lot about you when you walk into a room.
10:37And, you know, she's very, she was very traditional because I remember, like, one time we were traveling somewhere
10:43and I, like, put on a sweatsuit to go to the airport.
10:45And she was like, where are you going?
10:47Like, where are you going?
10:48Like, you've got to step out of the house with a sweatsuit.
10:53And now I, like, live in sweats.
10:54But, so, my grandmother was, like, my early, early influence.
10:59And then I just think, you know, growing up, like, you just start to kind of develop your own sense of style.
11:04And I always like to be very, a little bit different.
11:06So, I look different than the people that I went to high school with.
11:09And then I got to Howard and I'm at this place with all these dope black women that are from all over the world.
11:16So, you had your New York girls.
11:18You had your West Coast girls.
11:20You had your Midwest girls.
11:21And there's just so much inspiration within that.
11:24Oh, absolutely.
11:24So, always inspired by my environment and just traveling.
11:28And then, and then when I got into the fashion world, into the editorial world, there were black women in the industry.
11:35Very few of us.
11:36Like, we can count it, you know.
11:37No, let's, let's be real.
11:39Very, very few.
11:40But there was one woman, her name is Sydney Bolden.
11:44And she was, when I started at InStyle, she was the style director.
11:47And she was just so fly.
11:50Like, I came in as an intern.
11:53And every day, she was just dressed.
11:55Her hair was done, bouncing in the hallway.
11:57Did you guys hear that?
11:58She said she came in as an intern.
12:00Yeah, I was an intern.
12:00So, wherever you are in your journey, this can be you.
12:04You could be sitting here.
12:05You have to, and like, you have to know that, like, you have to do the work.
12:09I think that that's the thing.
12:11It's like, a lot of times now, everyone wants things to happen for them overnight.
12:15Yeah.
12:16And when you do the work, it will pay off.
12:18And I did the work.
12:19You know, I worked for $6 an hour when I started at, as an intern.
12:24And I just, like, knew that this was what I wanted to do.
12:27So, I was the first person in the office.
12:28I was the last person to leave.
12:30And I committed myself to it.
12:32But I also committed myself to it because I loved what, like, I love fashion.
12:36I love beauty.
12:37And so, when you love what you do, it doesn't really feel like work.
12:41Yeah.
12:41And it shows.
12:42Yeah, thank you.
12:43It shows that you love what you do.
12:45And we love that.
12:46But, yeah, so, you know, over time, I just feel like there were different moments in my life
12:50that just kept giving me inspiration.
12:52But Sydney was definitely instrumental as a woman who was older than me, but just was
13:00always fly, put her best foot forward, and just as a black woman in the industry, she
13:05was an example to me of what I could be if I kept doing the work.
13:09Yeah.
13:10And so, yeah.
13:11And what would you say was your first big break?
13:14Hmm.
13:14Well, I think, so, I graduated from Howard, right?
13:19All my friends are walking into jobs.
13:22We have our degree.
13:23They're walking into jobs.
13:24I moved to New York to intern for $6 an hour.
13:28And so, honestly, when I got hired after, like, working as an intern for a year, you know,
13:34and it's such a competitive industry.
13:36So, getting hired as an assistant, to me, was my first big break because it kind of, like,
13:43unlocked the door for me to kind of get into the industry.
13:46Yeah.
13:47So, I think when I actually landed my full-time job, that was my first big break.
13:52Yeah.
13:53And then I think just going into a job and also understanding that no matter who you're
14:00working for, you are your own brand, right?
14:02Yeah.
14:02I think a lot of times we work for these companies and it's attached to your identity.
14:09So, when you have the understanding that, like, no, I'm contributing to someone else's
14:13brand, but I am my own brand outside of this, like, when you know that and you walk in that
14:18and it's like, okay, I'm going to build my experience, but I'm dipping, you know?
14:24Like, I'm going to dip eventually.
14:25This is a stair step.
14:27This is just the steps to get me where I'm trying to go.
14:31So, and so I want to learn, I want to connect with people, but eventually I am going to
14:36do my own thing, you know?
14:38That's what we all are, our own brand.
14:40Everything you're doing, you are your own brand and everything you're doing is just helping
14:44you get to where you want to get.
14:45So, you know, I think after leaving, after all the years of leaving the magazine, that
14:51was a big break for me because I was then able to just work for myself and do all the
14:57things I want to do and kind of, like, release the, you know, release the shackles, I guess.
15:04Even though I love my job, but I was just free to do everything my way in the way that
15:08I wanted to do it.
15:09I love that.
15:10You guys getting all this?
15:11So much valuable information.
15:13And I just love what you're talking about because the work does work.
15:17If you do the work every step of the way, it's going to show up for you.
15:21Now, we all know that Essence is all about black women and celebrating black women in
15:25fashion.
15:26So I just want to know, what does it mean to you to be highlighted here today at Essence
15:30Fashion House?
15:31Because we love you here at Essence, but we want to know what it means to you.
15:35It means everything to me.
15:38You know, for me, I am real black.
15:43Like, I'm a black woman.
15:46So I always, you know, anything that I do, I feel like I'm representing for us.
15:51Anything that I'm creating, I'm creating for us.
15:53Because I needed to see myself through black women when I was a little girl, when I was,
15:59you know, trying to figure out who I was and what I wanted to become.
16:03Um, so I always feel like I'm a walking image for black women so that they can see themselves
16:09through me.
16:10And even with this launch for Target, you know, we launched yesterday, but we gave the
16:14exclusive to Essence at Essence Fest because that was important to me, you know, making
16:21sure that I'm speaking to the women who support me.
16:24Like, I would not be where I am without any of you.
16:27Like, you guys are the people who have, you know, helped to support me and to build me up.
16:32And I appreciate that.
16:34So it means everything to me.
16:36For me, Essence is always going to be first.
16:38It doesn't matter anything else because these are my people.
16:41So it's always that for me.
16:43We're in alignment.
16:44Now, I know you guys want to know about the collection, right?
16:48Right?
16:48Yeah.
16:49So, well, first I want to ask you, um, what are some of your advices, like advice you can
16:54give us about when getting dressed?
16:56Because you just do such a great job.
16:57We're going to talk about the collection and maybe talk about how you style some of the
17:00pieces.
17:01But could you give us like one or two advice, um, about getting dressed?
17:05I mean, honestly, for me, I like to be comfortable.
17:09Like, to be honest with you, I just like to be comfortable.
17:12I like, when I put something on, if it does not feel comfortable to me, then it's coming
17:16off.
17:16Um, so, you know, whether I'm in sneakers or heels, it really just depends on my mood and
17:23how I'm feeling for the day.
17:24But I'm never wearing anything uncomfortable, anything that I feel restrained in because
17:30then I can't, then it's just not effortless.
17:32It's a lot of effort and I want to be effortless.
17:36Um, it's giving a no.
17:37Yes, it's giving a no for you.
17:38So I feel like, you know, if you're ever forcing anything or you're putting something on where
17:42it's like, okay, this is too tight.
17:43This is uncomfortable.
17:44These shoes I can't walk in.
17:45It's a no.
17:46So for me, that's, that's just the way I approach getting dressed.
17:49Yeah.
17:50Um, and then again, like I said, I like to start with the basics.
17:52So, you know, what, what, what's going to be like, am I doing pants today?
17:56Am I doing a skirt today?
17:57Whatever that's going to be, I kind of start with the bottom and work my way up.
18:01Um, and that's just, that's just kind of how I approach it, but there's so many ways.
18:05I love it.
18:05And you have a lot of pants, a lot of tops.
18:07Do you design a favorite item?
18:09Is there a favorite item that you can tell us about from the collection?
18:12I like so many of the items, but there is, can I get up?
18:15Of course.
18:16Of course.
18:16Of course.
18:17There is this blazer.
18:17I think it may have sold out though, but it's this green blazer.
18:22Love this blazer.
18:23You guys see this?
18:25Yeah.
18:25And let's talk about the price point.
18:27That blazer is only $52.
18:28It's $52 and I like it.
18:30You can wear it two ways because I love to, to, I love versatility with all my clothes,
18:35things that I can mix and match and wear different ways, but you can wear it like a boyfriend blazer
18:39or it comes with a belt.
18:41So if you want to cinch it for a more tailored look, you can do that too.
18:45So this is one of my favorite pieces.
18:47I love that.
18:47I also love the denim jacket.
18:51Love that.
18:51And I just feel like everybody needs a jean jacket in your wardrobe.
18:54But what I love about this one, so I was super intentional about like the lengths.
18:58Like I feel like a lot of times you get a jean jacket and you see it either like it's too
19:03short, like it hits right here.
19:05And it's like, no, like I want it to be a little bit longer.
19:08And then I also, here, I'll hold it for you.
19:10And then I was also very intentional about the color of the denim.
19:14Like I didn't want it to be too light and I also didn't want it to be too dark.
19:18So I worked and worked and worked to kind of make it that perfect, perfect shade of blue.
19:24And even the buttons, I wanted the buttons to kind of have a vintage feel.
19:28I didn't want them to be too shiny.
19:30So we had to find the right buttons for it.
19:32But then I also care a lot about shapes.
19:35So I, you know, I didn't want it to just be a basic, you know, plain jean jacket.
19:40So it has kind of like this asymmetric detail that I think just makes it a little bit more
19:45interesting and elevates it.
19:47And it can really, you can put it on and elevate any look.
19:50I love that.
19:51Give it up for Kalana, you guys.
19:52This collection is amazing.
19:55It is available on target.com.
19:57You guys have to go and shop it.
19:59For me, you know, they have the contact list where you can order online.
20:02I did that.
20:03If you don't want to go into the stores, but there's so many ways that you can get it.
20:06We just want to thank you so, so, so, so much for being here with us today, Kalana.
20:11We are so proud of you.
20:12We are 100% behind you.
20:14And if there's anything you want to give to our audience before we go.
20:17I just want to thank you guys.
20:18Thank you so much for supporting me.
20:20Thank you for supporting this launch, Future Collective, that's available at Target.
20:26And that's it.
20:27I just want to say thank you guys.
20:29Thank you guys so much for being here.
20:31This panel was powered by Target and Essence, of course.
20:34And we love you, Kalana, and we're so proud of you.
20:37Congratulations.
20:41It's so nice to meet you.
20:43So you guys hang out, stay around, check out the collection, and make sure to shop at Target.com.
21:12You're listening.
21:12Holy Spirit.
Comments