by WWD’s role in promoting Black creatives in the fashion industry and the struggles that many have and continue to face were discussed in detail in the “Black in Fashion” talk at the WWD Apparel & Retail CEO Summit.
Using the new WWD book “Black in Fashion: 100 Years of Style, Influence and Culture” she wrote as a springboard, WWD archive editor Tonya Blazio-Licorish spoke with creative directors Mimi Plange and Tracy Reese, and the journalist Constance CR White about their careers and insights into navigating the fashion world.
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Before diving into the discussion of the contribution of Black creatives to the evolution of fashion over the past century and their current endeavors, the panelists detailed some of their experiences.
After studying architecture at the University of California at Berkeley, Plange attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco before moving to New York. Although she didn’t know anyone in the industry, she got a job in merchandising before working her way up with various companies, first as an assistant designer and finally as a creative director. Plange launched her own company in 2009 with a focus on clothing craftsmanship, and since then she has collaborated with big names such as Manolo Blahnik and more recently The Shade Store.
Reese described coming to New York from Detroit to attend Parsons School of Design and starting out at Arlequin Martine Sitbon. Over time and at her father’s suggestion, as well as his initial funding, she started her own business. After 18 months, she decided to work with others for a while and relaunched her company in 1996. That business lasted for 23 years and over that time generated $1 billion plus in clothing sales – more than designers Another Black, according to Reese.
Despite global distribution, licensing and “achieving all the trappings of a successful business,” the designer decided not to get into fast fashion to focus on sustainability. In 2019, Hope for Flowers by Tracy Reese was unveiled in Detroit to do just that and to inform the local community.
“It’s not a conversation that many of us have in urban settings. Everyone needs to know that they have agency to advocate for a better world for themselves, their families, their communities, and our country,” said Reese.
White, who is senior executive director of the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Center for Social Justice, spoke of having a career in fashion and media that was “covered in hard work, passion and an appreciation for fashion”. Having “got really lucky through a combination of hard work and good old-fashioned luck,” she cited starting out as Gloria Steinem’s assistant at Ms. Magazine as an example of that. Referring to Steinem and “the other incredible women at Ms.” at that time as iconic, White said they were “very relevant to what’s happening today, in terms of women, women’s rights and what America stands for. It is my responsibility to use the platform that I have to move us all forward.”
White, a former WWD staffer, noted that she was “pleasantly surprised” by how WWD included Black people in its coverage near its inception. She also raved about how many times Josephine Baker had appeared in WWD over the years. White recalled being able to put on “Soul of Seventh Avenue.” [aka “The Black Battle of Versailles”] honoring pioneering Black models and designers through support from Fairchild and WWD. “Fairchild was really one of the media platforms in fashion at that time with an unusually inclusive team,” she said.
As for whether Black designers have achieved full visibility, Reese said it’s still challenging. Although WWD covered her launch, it took her about 10 years to show her collections before she was covered by Style.com and Vogue.com. “Some of the media have largely ignored us, and I think that happens a lot. It’s challenging to be taken seriously as a true participant in this industry,” she said, noting that Diotima’s Rachel Scott’s recent win as CFDA American Womenswear Designer of the Year was a step forward.
Plange spoke about the importance of being recognized for your work and not for who you are and what you look like. And if there were “certain powers that decide not to talk about your brand, you have to find your own ways to make things work for you,” she said.
Regarding the resilience of the panelists, Plange emphasized the need for curiosity, flexibility and a focus on connecting with the consumer.
Reese spoke about the strength of the inner mind and the power one can achieve. She said, “In the midst of resilience, you find a way. There is always a way, if you intend to succeed, if you intend to reach your customer, if you intend to explore your craft the best way you know how, then you find a way.” Reese emphasized the importance of “finding a way and how there always is a way.”
White added that as a creator of words and images, it’s “very important” to have that audience in the room with you when you’re writing and creating an image. From her perspective, resilience is “built into working in the fashion industry, because fashion is always about looking around the corner and seeing what’s next,” White said. “We will be beaten a little bit. Someone said they love to hire people who’ve been around the block a little bit because by the time you get to a certain age, you know what it’s like to get kicked a little bit and you know what’s going to come back from there.”
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