It is, however, a starting point for those looking to support Black-owned and Black-led menswear businesses fighting for the recognition they deserve. This list, which we'll continue to update, is not exhaustive. In other words, it's time to put your money where your mouth is. It's our responsibility as consumers, then, to help push for substantive change. And while efforts like the 15 Percent Pledge and organizations like the Black in Fashion Council represent very real strides forward, there's still much to be done. A lot of (very public) handwringing has followed.
Over the last few years, cries for a long-overdue assessment of the industry's inability to make significant inroads when it comes to embracing inclusivity have reached a fever pitch. Even as it borrows freely from Black culture, strategically aligning itself with key figures to capitalize on the demand for surface-level diversity, Black faces remain conspicuously absent from the boardrooms where decisions are made and the design studios where fashion comes to life.
Historically, the fashion industry has been a fickle friend to the Black community.
