On what was an idyllic evening at Grant s Tomb in Harlem—clear skies, comfortably cool air, and a palpable excitement for the impending arrival of New York Fashion Week—Harlem s Fashion Row (HFR) held its 17th Annual Style Awards and Fashion Show.
“We started planning in February,” HFR fonder and CEO Brandice Daniel told Vogue. “I ve met with the same committee for years to decide our honorees, and that meeting was fifteen minutes this year; It s normally an hour. We knew immediately: theses are the right people to be our honorees this year.” Comprising that group of luminaries was Editor of the Year, Harper s Bazaar EIC Samira Nasr; Stylist of the Year, Shiona Turini; Icon of the Year, Naomi Campbell; and Harlem native Teyana Taylor, who was recognized with Virgil Abloh Award presented by LVMH.
“I ve always believed that our world would benefit from Samira having as large a platform as possible,” Tracee Ellis Ross shared from the open air podium while introducing Nasr, her friend of over 30 years. Following the top editor s remarks–which acknowledged the importance and role of community her ascent up the masthead—Lena Waithe took the stage to present Turini with her award. Waithe s assertion that the editor-turned-costume designer “refuses to be surrounded by anything less than beauty” further crystallized when Turni emerged in head-to-toe Valentino pink (both her top and trousers by the Italian house, we later learned). “I am where I am because of Black women,” Turini said, naming June Ambrose, Ruth Carter, and a present Misa Hylton as inspirations who “lit a fire under me.”
The evening took an emotional—albeit still celebratory—turn, when Taylor accepted the Virgil Abloh Award from Corey Smith, LVMH s Head of Diversity Inclusion, North America. “I was a kid who often dreamt too big, but that was not out of the ordinary for a Harlem kid,” Taylor said, later adding, “from Harlem World to Vogue World, you can take this girl out or Harlem but you can t take the Harlem out of this girl.” Her look proved as much: leather pants, a crisp white top, and a LV-buckle belt all from Pharrell s third Louis Vuitton collection—topped with a Yankee fitted. The event fell on what would have been Taylor s late brother s birthday. “Today feels special,” she said. “I feel him here.”
Prior to the event, at a gathering to fete her latest Boss collection, Campbell told Vogue of her HFR honor: “It means more than anything to be honored by my community of people [and] my culture.” Up in Harlem—on the heels of opening remarks from Anna Wintour and an introduction from Nasr—the model highlighted Daniel s work. “You ve created a platform that doesn t just showcase talent; You nurture it, you champion it, and you propel it forward.”
In Daniel s words, “it can take a minute for people to really recognize an amazing designer.” As such, this year s runway featured two returning designers—A. Potts and Nicole Benefield Portfolio—alongside newcomer LaTouché.
“I found this image, I believe it was from 1976, of Iman on the beach in Zanzibar, and that sort of grounded the whole collection,” Aaron Potts said backstage of his latest A. Potts effort. An alum of Escada, Emanuel Ungaro and and Anne Klein—who also interned for Marc Jacobs during the designer s tenure at Perry Ellis—Potts presented a collection of Grecian-style gowns and separates in sea-like shades of blue and green, inspired by the ocean. “I wanted to make beautiful clothes for creative professionals,” Potts says of the motivation behind launching his brand five years ago. There was a goal for the team he sought to assemble, too: “To create the environment that I needed as a young person in this business that I never found; An environment that is creative, collaborative [and] healthy, where people feel seen, and valued. That is equally as important to me as the clothes, and we hope that that spirit comes through the clothes, and that people feel that.”
Following A.Potts was the first-ever full collection by LaTouché, who counts Jimmy Fallon, The Roots, and various members of the Golden State Warriors as clients who turn to him for custom suiting. “Coming from Haiti, it s all about using what s around you to the best of your ability," he told Vogue. To that end, his double vented blazers, trenches, and slacks were fashioned from wools and tweed (the latter is a favorite of his) but also from more unexpected textiles, like those used in upholstery. “The number one thing for me is individuality,” he shared of his approach to design. “The next thing is for each piece to be timeless.”
The show concluded with a collection from Nicole Benefield of eponymous label Nicole Benefield Portfolio. Having recently collaborated with Abercrombie Fitch, she was mindful about returning to similar proportions that felt relaxed but elevated. “The unlock for me was taking the causal silhouettes and putting them in refined fabrics,” she said. Lightweight flannel wool and washed linen were employed for pieces that are often know for more structure and heft, like military style jackets and tapered trousers. “It s not easy doing what we do,” she said, noting the lack of support many Black designers face. “I m so full of gratitude towards Brandice.”
Seventeen years in, Daniel is still fully invested in expanding opportunities for designers of color. “My passion for this is literally the same as it was day one,” she shared from the afterparty at Sofrito—the same restaurant where she hosted the first HFR runway show in 2007. “It s absolutely a calling. All of that you just saw came from an abundance of talent but a lack of resources. I would love to see what designers of color could do with unlimited resources."
