While fashion is far from lacking in the area of collaborations, Harlem's Fashion Row just created a new standard through its partnership with Nordstrom . The company, which champions diversity by bridging the gap between brands and Black designers, has worked with everyone from Nike and LeBron James to Banana Republic . Partnering with a retail behemoth like Nordstrom, however, hits differently.
In fact, HFR founder & CEO Brandice Daniel calls it "a celebration of Black consumers' cultural and economic power." Daniel has dedicated her career to amplifying Black voices in fashion, so it was only fitting that she highlighted three monumental Black-owned brands with this Nordstrom collaboration: House of Aama , Harbison , and Megan Renee . The Nordstrom by Harlem's Fashion Row collab arrives just in time for the summer-to-fall transition and features pieces that speak to the longstanding impact of Black culture in fashion.
House of Aama's signature feminine aesthetic is elevated by unique tailoring inspired by African Diaspora Dandy culture. Highlights include jewelry adorned with etching-type motifs you would normally see in antiquity pottery. Meanwhile, Harbison's designs serve as an ode to his mother, who he says navigated society with unmatched poise as a working-class, utilitarian woman.
He was also inspired by Simon Maris's "Portrait of a Young Black Woman" (1890), where the woman's eyes reflect innocence and curiosity, communicated in the abstract color-blocking and invi.