- 7 weeks ago
Talent: Antoine Gregory, Black Fashion Fair (Founder)
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00All right, all right, we're about to get started with our first panel.
00:08So if you want to join in, make your way to the front.
00:53All right.
01:00What's up, Essence Fest?
01:05I am Danielle Wright, the content editor of Girls United, and we're going to kick things
01:09off with a bang.
01:10For our first conversation, we're going to talk about all things black fashion with an
01:14amazingly talented creative who's carving lanes and opportunities for others to follow.
01:20Please join me in welcoming Black Fashion Fair founder, Antoine Gregory.
01:30Hello, hello.
01:35Hello.
01:36Yeah.
01:37All right.
01:38How are you feeling?
01:39I'm good.
01:40I'm happy to be here.
01:41Love that.
01:42Love that.
01:43Love that.
01:44So jumping right in.
01:45In comparison to many black designers and brands that are available today, how would you
01:49describe what black fashion looked like prior?
01:51I think right now in fashion, black designers have a lot more opportunities than they've had
02:03previously.
02:04I think we see a lot more black designers at the forefront of their brands and being successful.
02:11I think prior really to 2020, you couldn't really go into a retailer and buy black designer goods.
02:20So now you can go into like Saks, Nordstrom, Neiman's or Essence and you can pick up a black designer.
02:27And I think I've been very fortunate enough to be like a part of that through Black Fashion
02:31Fair and helping designers get into retail spaces through our, obviously through our e-com, but
02:37also like navigating those brand partnerships for them and navigating those contracts.
02:42And Black Fashion Fair has been like kind of super instrumental in that change of being
02:47able to like actually buy black designers and buy so many different versions of what black
02:53fashion could be.
02:54Exactly.
02:55For sure.
02:56And we're definitely going to get into all of that later on in the convo.
02:59So the world came to a stop with the rise of the global pandemic, coronavirus or COVID-19.
03:05This brought upon a new era where Don't Rush by Young T and Bugsy, Say So by Doja Cat,
03:12and Savage Remix by Megan and Sally and Beyonce had everyone turning into TikTok, which
03:17brought on a new wave of influencers and users completely altering the way that we see content
03:23creation.
03:24So alongside the spread of COVID-19, you know, the death of George Floyd sparked national outrage
03:32in the summer of 2020.
03:35But on days that we distanced ourselves from the inhumane murder, we sort of started a blitz
03:41of accountability for brands that weren't showing up to the people who buy, flaunt and style their
03:49products and their pieces.
03:50You know, this gave, you know, a monument to booze for Telfar, who became like the millennial
03:56Birkin.
03:57There was also Brennan Blackwood, you know, and his TSR totes were nearly flying off the shelves.
04:03Um, what were your thoughts watching this sort of black renaissance happen in real time while
04:11the world was bringing on one of the most significant political issues to the forefront
04:17as well?
04:19I think it was super, um, I want to say it was exciting to see, I guess, a lot of my friends
04:25are black designers.
04:26So to see them have opportunities that they otherwise would not have had, I think it was really important
04:32in that way and it's unfortunate that it took someone obviously passing for that to happen.
04:38But we were able to really gain some equity in the industry that we contribute so much
04:44to.
04:45Um, but I also saw it as like kind of like a double-edged sword because these opportunities
04:51were not going to last and I think we're three years in and we can see how that's already
04:57starting to shift, um, to where black creatives, black designers of all different types are
05:02getting way less opportunities than they were in 2020 and 2021 and 2022.
05:06Like we're in 2023 and people are like, okay, what's happening?
05:11Uh, we, it, it definitely didn't last.
05:14Um, so I think it was like also preparing for that in some way.
05:18Um, for sure, for sure, so while black designers and consumers at the time and still are fighting
05:25for their flowers, um, we've also seen black content creators holding brands accountable,
05:32you know, regarding representation, diversity, um, and inclusion in fashion.
05:38So, you know, from a digital creators perspective, how do you encourage creatives to find their voice
05:45when working, you know, with these major brands and really just find their worth, um, and the
05:51respect that they deserve as a black creative?
05:55I think we're so used to not just asking for it that we don't.
05:59So I think it's important that you just ask for what you believe that you're worth and
06:03more.
06:04Um, because the only thing they're going to do is come back and say, hey, we can't meet
06:08that number or we can't meet that deliverable and then you just pivot from there.
06:12But you have to ask, and I think we were for a long time not in a space of asking, just
06:17accepting the first offer, accepting what they were giving us.
06:20And now we have a bit more power to say, hey, this is not enough or I'm not going to do this
06:26or like, I'm not posting this for this amount, like we have a lot more power when it comes
06:30to that.
06:31Um, and I think it's important that brands are building their own communities because like
06:36when you have that, it's like, it's harder for a brand to say, hey, we're just going to
06:40tell you what to do, but no, I have a whole community of people.
06:42I have a following and people are looking for a very specific thing and you have a brand
06:47DNA, you have a culture behind your brand.
06:49I think that's what young designers need to do even more is like build that community.
06:52Love that.
06:53Love that.
06:54And speaking of community, getting into a little bit black fashion fair.
06:59So you know, can you elaborate a little bit on, you know, your, this initial idea that
07:05you had and how it's grown so much from when you first started, of course, I launched black
07:13fashion fair in 2020 with like 21 black designers and artists on our e-com platform.
07:20Um, and we also had like a directory of like over 300 black designers that you clicked on
07:26their name.
07:27It took you to their website and it was shoppable.
07:29Um, and for the, this was like truly the first time where you could go to any, you could
07:34go online and say, Hey, I want to buy a black designer.
07:36I put them all in one place.
07:39And I think from there, obviously like retailers reached out like, Hey, how can you help us get
07:43black designers?
07:45And that's why you see designers at Saks and on Essence and Nordstrom because we did a lot
07:48of that work, um, bringing them to one place with that fact through black fashion fair through
07:53our, um, directory.
07:55Um, so that's really great.
07:58So I know that, you know, you are really one of the ones that's really leading this black
08:04fashion space and you know, we're all human and I'm pretty sure you have had moments where
08:10you might've felt imposter syndrome.
08:13I know that's something that I always talk with my peers about all the time.
08:17Um, so, you know, how do you find ways to really manage that and focus on what you're doing
08:27when that sort of doubt starts to creep in a little bit?
08:31No.
08:32Yeah.
08:33I think it's important to have a good network of friends.
08:36Um, cause we all go through imposter syndrome and we, we go through it together.
08:40Um, so like having a, a good network of friends has helped me to say like, Hey, like you're
08:45doing this work, it's, it's hard.
08:47And sometimes you don't get enough credit for the work that you do.
08:49But like, we believe in you, we see you, we trust in your vision and that's always been
08:53super helpful when I'm just like, dang, I don't know if this is going to work.
08:56Yeah.
08:57It's working.
08:58Like, but I'll still like, I don't know if this is working.
09:01Um, and it's like, when I see like the designers that I work with, uh, I'm like also the brand
09:06direct at the affiliate and we won, uh, emerging American design of the year at the CFDA awards
09:12in 2021 and many black designers do not win those type of awards.
09:18And I think Diddy was the first black man to win one, um, Telfar won one and we've won
09:25one.
09:26Um, so like, that's like super, it's, it's amazing.
09:30And so like, I get to like, look at all that work and like the, the, the, the accolades
09:34I see, the designers that I work with to get, and I'm just like, okay, like it's working.
09:39Yeah.
09:40But like, you still have those moments of this, like, how long will it work for?
09:43Like, am I going to run out of black designers to support and just like, those are real thoughts
09:47that I have.
09:48But my friends have held me down, they've packed packages with me, they've been on photo shoots
09:53with me and they haven't asked for anything but friendship.
09:56And I love that.
09:57Like literally having, you know, like really just always there for you friends and building
10:03a community is like so essential, so essential.
10:06Um, so getting into a little bit of trends, whether you love them or hate them, they help
10:11the fashion realm go round.
10:13Um, what are your thoughts on trends and what are some trends that you're currently loving?
10:19I mean, when it comes to the fashion, I feel like black culture, black people really lead
10:27the trends.
10:28Um, whether it's any, like truly everything, like black fashion and black culture is like,
10:37truly just like fashion is built on the backs of that.
10:40So like if we weren't as creative as a people, I think if we didn't go through so much as
10:43a people, we wouldn't have like all these cool ways to dress and express ourselves.
10:47Cause we spent so many years not being able to.
10:49So now when we have the chance to do that, we do in such a beautiful way and I think people
10:55get excited by that.
10:56But I mean, we both have on sequined pants right now.
10:58Yeah.
10:59Like this was not planned, so I love doing like, um, I'll do like a statement trouser
11:06or a statement top, but never like both, like it's always one or the other.
11:11So like there's some calmness in the outfit when you're looking, um, like right now, like
11:16we're like, it's the 50th year of hip hop and I'm wearing like this FUBU jersey that
11:20I designed in collaboration with FUBU.
11:23They're on blackfashionfair.org if you want one.
11:25Yeah.
11:26They come in many colors.
11:27Yeah.
11:28Easy to style.
11:29Um, but just like oversized, it's boxy, like people love that.
11:33Like we're in like an era of just like being comfortable, um, but I would love to like,
11:38I think the next thing I'm trying to see is like us goes like just like over the top,
11:42like luxury, like even right now with like jewelry, like everyone wears like the dainty
11:46jewelry.
11:47I would love to like see us go into like being big over the, doing big over the top door knockers
11:52and chains.
11:53Like I want, I want to see that era come back.
11:55So yes, I would love to see that era come back too.
11:58Love that.
11:59And then winding down to our final question.
12:02So as fashion continues to move forward, um, you know, with black creatives like Pharrell
12:07recently with Louis Vuitton, I actually read recently that future supposed to be a part
12:12of LVMH, um, make yourself, you know, with the hottest market out right now.
12:18Um, what excites you the most about the next generation as they head into the fashion industry?
12:24I think because there's so much opportunity now, um, just like being, to be a part of the
12:31industry.
12:32I think for so long, we weren't even allowed to be a part of the industry other than setting
12:36the trends or like, you know, being in the background.
12:40And now like we're at the forefront, like we're taking credit for what we own.
12:44And I think younger, the younger generation, they have a lot more ownership over the, the
12:50artistic production that they're creating.
12:52Like they're owning it.
12:53They're on TikTok.
12:54This is mine.
12:55This brand did that.
12:56And they're like very honest.
12:57And that's what I love about like what's happening now in fashion.
13:00Um, but like there's so much access now that we didn't have, um, even like when I was growing
13:06up and I went to like, I went to FIT and I couldn't just Google a list of black designers.
13:12Like it just didn't exist.
13:13Right.
13:14And now you can Google a list of black designers, accessories, designers, handbag designers,
13:19and it will be so many names because like now we have that access.
13:22We have those resources, um, and like brands like Brandon Blackwood, like he's an amazing
13:27designer and to see how much success he has had in this short period of time.
13:31Like that's something to aspire to.
13:33We didn't have the black, the black brands to aspire to.
13:36We had FUBU.
13:37We had Sean John.
13:38We had Rockaway.
13:39And at the time, like that's, that's when we were younger, like those brands aside from
13:44like maybe FUBU, like they weren't really brand that we bought into any.
13:48Yeah.
13:49So like we stopped buying into the culture and I think now we're kind of like getting back
13:53to like supporting it.
13:54Yeah.
13:55Cause like you have to, cause like you see, like if we're not supporting our own, no one
13:59else is going to do it.
14:00And like, you can go out and buy these other labels and they're going to mock you in their
14:05displays.
14:06They're not going to put black models on a runway.
14:08They're not going to hire black people on your team, on their teams.
14:10But those are the brands that us as a people, we choose to continue to celebrate and buy when
14:16we really should be celebrating and buying stuff that black designers are putting out because
14:20it's just as good, if not better.
14:22Exactly.
14:23And with that being said, we are ending on a word.
14:26Thank you so much, Antoine for joining me today.
14:29No problem.
14:30And you can catch us at 1245 as we talk to Atlanta's two hottest eight girls at 1245.
14:37Thank you so much, Antoine.
14:40Thank you guys.
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