The murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police and the resulting uprisings sparked a wave of support—some of it genuine, much of it hollow—for the Black community. The response from the fashion industry ranged from posting black boxes on Instagram as a clumsy, superficial display of solidarity to creating grant initiatives like the Designers Hub, founded by Bethann Hardison with help from the CFDA. Publications churned out list after list of Black-owned brands to support—which, for many, meant a major boost in sales. The question now is: Will that support endure? As the nation still reels from the pandemic and nearly a full year out from Floyd’s death, 15 designers of Black-owned brands open up about the impact of COVID-19, the protests of last summer and what it takes to build, sustain, and grow a fashion business.
