Latest news with #AuroraJames
Vogue
10-06-2025
- Business
- Vogue
On the Podcast: Five Years in, Aurora James Is Still Working to Create a Diverse Meritocracy With the 15% Pledge
With DEI rollbacks affecting every facet of American business and culture, this week's episode of the Run-Through is a timely conversation between Nicole Phelps and Aurora James, the founder the 15% Pledge, a nonprofit organization whose aim is to engage retailers to give 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses. The Brother Vellies founder and designer brainstormed the idea for the organization in 2020. 'In the wake of George Floyd's murder, I was getting a lot of calls and texts from different people in the industry—not just fashion—but major retailers across America,' she explains. 'Small businesses were getting annihilated during the pandemic; 44% of Black-owned businesses were expected to close—which was double the national average—and 90% of Black-owned businesses didn't get access to the first round of PPP money. So I [looked] to those retailers and I thought, okay, they're good at selling product, and Black people are almost 15% of the population, so major retailers should consider committing 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses.' She wrote down her idea on the Notes app on her phone ('where most of the brilliant ideas live'), posted it on Instagram, and the rest, as they say, is history. Except of course, that's only when the hard work began. Five years later, with DEI a hot-button topic, it could be said that the 15% Pledge is more vital than ever. In this candid conversation James talks about the organization's success stories, the importance of industry support for small, independent brands, and the responsibility she feels to ensure the organization's success. 'If it were to fail, then the narrative becomes, 'oh, actually DEI is a horrible thing, giving founders of color opportunities isn't necessary.'' She went on to say: 'But for me, it's: Did these and do these opportunities to give everyone a more equal starting line in the race bear fruit? It's hard to see that instantly, but I really do believe that we're proving that out; that part I feel really good about.' Listen to the episode below.
Vogue
03-06-2025
- Business
- Vogue
Meet the 10 Finalists of the 2025 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund
The finalists for the 2025 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Fresh off celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Fashion Fund, the Council of Fashion Designers of America and Vogue announced early this morning the group of finalists taking part in this year's competition. They are: Ashlyn's Ashlynn Park; Aubero's Julian Louie; Bach Mai; Bernard James; Don't Let Disco by Ashley Moubayed; Gabe Gordon and Timothy Gibbons from Gabe Gordon; Heirlome's Stephanie Suberville; Jamie Okuma; Meruert Tolegen; and Peter Do. The new class features a diverse group of designers across markets—womenswear, menswear, jewelry, and accessories—and also at different points in their careers, a reflection of the precarious state of independent labels in the industry. 'Now entering its third decade, we see just how much the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund has transformed American fashion into a diverse and inclusive industry, and this year's designers underscore the point,' said CFDA CEO Steven Kolb. 'We look forward to seeing how the finalists will make their mark on American fashion.' Along with Kolb, this year's selection committee included Vogue's Anna Wintour, Mark Holgate, and Nicole Phelps; Instagram's head of fashion partnerships, Eva Chen; founder of the Fifteen Percent Pledge and Brother Vellies Aurora James; the model Paloma Elsesser; Nordstrom vice president, fashion director Rickie De Sole; Roopal Patel, SVP of fashion at Saks; CFDA chairman Thom Browne; and Zac Posen, executive vice president and creative director at Gap Inc and chief creative officer at Old Navy. This year's winner will receive $300,000, and the two runners-up will each take home $100,000, along with business mentorships.
Eyewitness News
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Eyewitness News
Magugu's Met Gala debut emphasises African style and storytelling
JOHANNESBURG - Award-winning creative director and designer Thebe Magugu, who is well-known for using fashion as a narrative and educational tool, made his Met Gala debut. Canadian creative director, activist, and fashion designer Aurora James wore Thebe Magugu's debut couture appearance at the MET Gala, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style." This year's lavish Manhattan benefit highlights Black dandyism's subversive aesthetic. The topic of the blockbuster night delves into the intricate history of the precisely cut dandy look. It also commemorates the debut of a related display at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Magugu said: "I was inspired by the female muses of the Central & West African sartorial photographers in the 50's and 60's. Photographers like Seydou Keïta, Malick Sidibé, and Mama Casset, themselves style icons of the superfine, photographed women in a powerful blend of vintage elegance, cultural pride, and subtle sensuality. The self-assured gazes of these women ensured that they sit before the lens not as subjects, but as co-authors of their image and likeness. Silhouette has always been so key in these images, with the women taking on an almost totemic and sculptural shape."
