Rihanna doesnt consider Fenty an urban brand, and neither do I.
So why was she placed in this category?
Could it be because shes Black?
Fenty Beauty
Unfortunately, Rihanna isnt the only Black designer who has experienced this.
Jean-Raymond, the founder of Pyer Moss,expressed frustrationwhen his brand was called streetwear.
“I just want to know whats being called ‘street,’ the clothes or me?”
He continues, “The work of Black creatives seems to always get undermined in one way or another.
Its the reason why the words urban and Black have become interchangeable in recent years.
And that is troubling.
If the fashion industry continues to display Black brands as just one thing, it continue the alienation.
Black fashion designers are represented in a stereotypical way.
And that is troubling.
However, they are seldom ever referred to as such.
Instead, they are desired by a money market and praised for their individuality and quality.
Why cant Black fashion designers receive that same luxury?
Black designers are modern, contemporary, innovative, and inspiring, only to be pigeonholed into one categoryurban.
Correcting the role of language should be an essential action item to dismantling systemic racism in the fashion industry.
Accurate and wide representation can change the way people see themselves and how they perceive brands.
