BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Celebrating Black Leaders in Style and Fashion
As trendsetters and entrepreneurs in the Adina Eden's community, my team and I hold the core belief that true style is rooted in diversity and equality. It's what makes this world so beautiful. Many of the most phenomenal trends that motivate our choices in fashion today come from Black leaders. We're in awe and beyond grateful for all of the fantastic contributions of Black leaders to art and fashion. These remarkable individuals have pushed the boundaries of style and blazed a trail toward more inclusivity and love in the world. In honor of Black History Month, I reflect on which which Black entrepreneurs and brands inspire myself, my team and my community within the world of style to push the fold of fashion and be our most true, authentic selves.
Find out how Kai Collective, Pyer Moss, and other Black leaders inspire the Adina Eden's Community and me to continue working toward the ideal of inclusivity and unapologetic self-expression. The products from these extraordinary leaders and companies not only have made dressing stylishly so much easier, but they reflect the determination, creativity, and indomitable spirit of self that I hold dear to heart. These remarkable individuals inspire me beyond words, and I hope they inspire you too.
Beauty is Power: Adina Eden is rocking the stunning Claudie Shirt in Brown from
KAI Collective while putting on some Skin Fetish by Pat McGrath.
KAI Collective
Founded in 2016 by fashion and travel blogger Fisayo Longe, KAI Collective is a London-based womenswear brand for the multi-dimensional woman who wants the very best out of her life. KAI focuses its efforts on affordable, environmentally sustainable clothing with a luxury aesthetic for the woman who believes she can have it all and flaunt her true, fearless self. The bold prints, gorgeous colors, and luxe fabrics reflect Longe's eye for detail while rejecting obsolete fashion "rules."
KAI's designs weave confidence, strength, and femininity into its collections. Each piece looks stunning on every woman, echoing KAI's core value of inclusivity. Clothing articles like the Claudie Shirt in Brown are among our absolute favorites for its eye-catching color and versatile design. You can effortlessly wear it with a pair of dark jeans and a pair of diamond studs or a cute pencil skirt, heels, and a couple of chain necklaces. Either way, you'll understand why KAI is more than fashion. It's a movement of all fearless, beautiful, confident women around the world.
Pat McGrath Labs
The power of transformation is something that no brand does better than Pat McGrath Labs. This is the Golden Revolution of legendary make-up artist Pat McGrath. Everything about this collection of palettes, lipsticks, eyeliners, lip pencils, and more exceeds the imagination of standard make-up essentials just like McGrath herself. It's art in make-up form. Why? Because nearly every movement that pushes the fashion fold involves McGrath, whether it is the red carpet, editorial, or runway. She's at the center of it all. This legend knows the definition of beauty. And now her make-up reflects just that.
From mesmerizing color shades to lipsticks that look like real velvet, each product in McGrath's line reflects the three words she uses to turn her visions into reality: obsession, inspiration, and addiction. She pulls inspiration from the world around her. "Everyone's a genius," McGrath says. This belief is reflected in her diverse array of make-up products ranging from eyeshadow "eye-stravaganzas" that look heaven-sent to face highlighters that make any skin tone naturally glow upon command. We love all of it for this reason and more. If you want a real game-changer, look at Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation. This genius product sets completely new expectations for what a foundation should do. It's a foundation that you can easily make a part of your everyday skincare routine – something which is pretty rare about foundations we've found. We do all the time now. If you have any hesitations, don't. You'll feel 100% sublime and stunning when you're wearing this in your favorite hoops. And then you'll understand the real power of beauty that Pat McGrath Labs brings.
Art in Apparel Form: Pyer Moss is a "timely social experiment" that brings together so many different aspects of life Adina Eden admires.
Each collection is sold limitedly. Be sure to grab a piece before it's all gone for good!
Pyer Moss
Clothing might merely be pieces of fabric to most brands, but Pyer Moss is anything but this. Pyer Moss transforms clothing into a living art project. Kerby Jean-Raymond founded this forward-thinking, cutting-edge brand in 2013 to bring together storytelling, debate, social commentary, theater, and activism into an ever-evolving representation of the world we live in. Season after season, Pyer Moss expands its brand's vision by pulling together different Black artists to collaborate in creating one-of-a-kind collections. The point of these collaborations remains the same throughout, though – "to reclaim black history and stories we tell ourselves about how we got here," as Raymond-Jean said to the New York Times. With an extensive network of visionaries from the Black community, Raymond-Jean seeks not only to change how we think about clothes but also who gets to be a part of shaping "American fashion."
It's all breath-taking to witness; the true embodiment of art in versatile, everyday apparel. And to think, we get to wear stunning pieces from the different Pyer Moss collections season after season. We're rocking the evolution of American fashion or, as Jean-Raymond cites, a "timely social experiment." Admiration does not start to describe how we see Pyer Moss. All we can do is put on our favorite tee and support. It's something that will go down in history.
A note to remember: Be sure to grab the next collection before inventory runs out. Pyer Moss is known for its limited quantities. It truly upholds its ideals in creating a living social experiment that changes with society while looking fabulous with any choker or dainty ring stack you have in your jewelry box.
Fair-trade for All: The décor in Adina Eden's new apartment in Manhattan is not only exceptionally stylish but gives back to the world of artisans thanks to brands like SustainAble Home Goods.
SustainAble Home Goods
Sustainability is more than a brand name for Sustainable Home Goods. It's a life's mission. Founded by Latoya Tucciarone in late 2017, SustainAble Home Goods is a company deeply rooted in culture that works to bring together people, businesses, and the environment. It's about producing fair-trade home décor, jewelry, kitchenware, and more that works to build up jobs, communities, and relationships. Tucciarone cites her childhood as a large source of inspiration for the creation of SustainAble Home Good. "I grew up with an innate love for culture. I think it was because of the African artifacts my parents had all around the house coupled with the wonderful sounds of music from around the world,"
Tucciarone realized that the world's beauty should be cherished and preserved. Pairing this with the observation that there aren't many options for fair-trade home décor in the market, Tucciarone and her team forge partnerships with different artisans worldwide to create an inventory of unique products both stunning in form and mission. Each SustainAble collection is the result of unique collaborations with artisan groups from all walks of life. These collaborations form the foundations for a relationship that promotes equality, access to new markets, and an unfounded connectivity between heritage and modern society. "SustainAble was born out of a deeply held belief that all men and women are made in the image of God and have inherent worth and value, skills and talent," Tucciarone says. Each product shares its creators’ story while providing the artisans with new avenues to spotlight their abilities.
Everything that SustainAble Home Goods sells echoes its core mission of enablement and fair trade through global collaboration. The home décor effortlessly goes with any interior design schema you can imagine, and every piece of kitchenware is something you will Instagram daily. All the while, you'll understand the story behind each stunning product and know you're improving the lives of communities around the globe. It's the beauty of this brand, and we can't wait to see what it goes in the future.
Shining Bright: Classic pieces like the Dana Scott Cropped Sweater and Brother Vellies' Ankle Sock are some of Adina Eden's go-tos for rounding out any outfit.
Dana Scott
Step into the world unapologetically. This is the attitude Dana Scott wants every woman to embody. From matching loungewear sets and sophisticated accessories to elegant cardigans and timeless blouses, confidence, spirit, and self-empowerment shine bright in this brand's designs. Led by founder Dana Little in the belief that fashion should uplift and inspire, each piece of apparel enables any type of fashionista to love who she is, inside and out. When creating the brand, Little made sure that women of all backgrounds could feel as if anything is possible when she wears the Dana Scott designs.
Flaunt a minimalist chic vibe in monochromatic lounge sets or rock a bold vibe in a tie-dyed sweatshirt that'll make all heads turn to you. Not many brands let you do both, but Dana Scott comes through in stunning fashion (pun intended). Add in a cute stud stack or a pair of bangles, and you'll have the full effect for any occasion ready to go.
The minimalist chic styles available in an array of colors, patterns, and prints speak to Little's vision and Dana Scott's reality of a clothing line rooted in inspiration, body positivity, and beauty. We all seek to create something that reflects our innermost passions and values, and Dana Scott shows that is possible through hard work, dedication, self-love, and a steadfast commitment to a kinder world.
Brother Vellies
Sustainable practices and culturally-striking designs come together in Brother Vellies. Founded in 2013 by Toronto-native and New York-transplant creative director Aurora James, Brother Vellies strives to keep traditional African design techniques alive while creating and promoting artisanal jobs across the globe through its eco-friendly clothing and accessory collections. James' diverse background in the fashion world pulls together her expertise in journalism, art, music, photography, and horticultural and passions in design, artisanship, and humanitarianism to create spectacular one-of-a-kind footwear and accessories that become closet staples while giving back to the world. With this holistic approach, Brother Vellies honors the people who make its products and the places that the products are made.
Through its creation process, Brother Vellies strives to minimize its carbon footprint as much as possible. Each step in the process is treated with the utmost care, which results in the improved livelihood of the artisans and customers involved as well as for the betterment of the planet. Reused or recycled materials found in Brother Vellies shoes, décor, and bags include vegetable-tanned leathers, hand-carved woods, floral dyed feathers, and more. Such materials illustrate Brother Vellies' dual dedication to encapsulating different world cultures' traits in its products while practicing eco-conscious work ethics. This process makes James' collaborations, and the Brother Vellies line is a distinct entity in the fashion world. We wouldn't have it any other way, especially when we flaunt our favorite 14K gold jewelry with it.
From honoring different cultures worldwide to weaving social commentary into unique apparel pieces to incorporating eco-friendly policies into production, these brands and Black leaders of style are sources of true inspiration for how we can make a better world. We all strive to express ourselves in the most authentic way possible. Follow along with these Black leaders and their works to learn how anything is possible by following our heart and staying true to who we are.
For Black History Month, I chose to show my admiration and love for these incredible people who give this world the diversity, passion, and truth it so badly needs.
Keep shining. It's spectacular to be a part of.
Xoxo,
Adina Eden