Black Design Collective Established to Help Designers Navigate Industry

The founders of Black Design Collective hope to encourage their members to participate in fashion weeks around the world to increase their exposure. They also plan to have a web site where people can see all the collections of their members. They will feature capsule collections of the designers and will link back to the actual web sites of the designers. Primary members, who are black designers in business for five years or more, will be charged $50 for dues for the first year. There’s also an associate membership for black designers in business under five years for $40 annually. The organization is offering affiliate memberships for people associated with design, such as photographers, models, fabric sources, and production, for $30 a year. The affiliate members don’t have to be black. Student membership is $20 a year. Currently there are 40 members including fashion designers, costume designers and stylists. Among the fashion designer members are Kerby Jean-Raymond (Pyer Moss), Waraire Boswell, Charles Harbison, Sergio Hudson, and Kenneth Nicholson. Costume designer members include Antoinette Messum, Gersha Phillips, Alita Bailey and Rita McGhee. The plan is to assist costume designers within the film, entertainment and television industry, said Hall. The organization will provide a membership directory, which will include contact information for members to have access to industry professional members including photographers, models, stylists, hair/make-up artists, graphic artists, pattern makers, fabric sources, sample makers, technical designers, financial, legal, bookkeeping, social media and designers.