On Tuesday evening, Harlem's Fashion Row celebrated the return of New York Fashion Week with a hybrid in-person and virtual presentation, bringing together a crowd that included Jordan Alexander, Anna Wintour, activist and journalist Emil Wilbekin and more uptown, on the very street where Brandice Daniel started it all.
The 14th annual Style Awards honored Zerina Akers as Stylist of the Year, Christopher John Rogers as Designer of the Year and i-D's Carlos Nazario as Editor of the Year; Liya Kebede was recognized with a Fashion Icon Award, while famed stylist and creative director Freddie Leiba received a Lifetime Achievement Award. Then, there was the fashion show, starring collections from Charles Harbison Studio, Shawn Pean of June79, Johnathan Hayden and TIER — all brands owned and created by Black men — as well as Harbison's collaboration with Banana Republic. Afterwards, guests boarded double-decker buses to view a special Harlem's Fashion Row window display created in partnership with Bergdorf Goodman, featuring looks from each designer.
Originally studying architecture before switching to fashion, Harbison began his career in New York with stints at Michael Kors, Luca Luca and Billy Reid before launching his own label in 2013. The core values of both his design process and his business practices are sustainability, inclusivity and innovation. That's why he trusted Daniel to broker the collaboration with Banana Republic.
"Frankly, I trust Brandice," he says. "I have a relationship with Banana Republic because I worked there in college, and their sensibilities around modern luxury, easy separates and a connection to the environment all resonate with me. And that accessibility is important to me." The capsule launches in October on bananarepublic.gap.com and in select Banana Republic stores; the Harbison Studio collection is available for purchase online now.
"When I was thinking about the inspiration behind this collection, I thought about the things I was presently in love with, and honestly what I missed the most was my mother because I hadn't seen her in over a year," Harbison says. "The place where I was finding the most respite and peace was in nature, so I found a story that linked those two ideas — that of a Black woman pioneer."
Harlem's 137th Street, where CEO and founder Daniel started Harlem's Fashion Row in 2007, served as the runway, with guests seated in the traditional row format and on the stoops of local residents. This only added to the sense of community within the Black creative space, which aptly reflected the evening's theme: Renaissance Forever.
During the Great Migration, Harlem drew about 175,000 of nearly six million African Americans fleeing the terror and violence that followed the Civil War and seeking better lives outside of the South. This small Manhattan neighborhood became home to some of the brightest minds in writing, music, art, dance and philosophy, which gave rise to the Harlem Renaissance. This became a crucial point in the evolution of Black American culture as we worked to create an identity beyond that of enslaved people.
As we're currently enduring yet another period of social injustice, Daniel felt it only right to bring HFR back home for this year's event. "You know with Harlem and with Black people, there's a forever renaissance," she says. "We're continuing to evolve. We're continuing to create. We're continuing to innovate."
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