BLK in Fashion
By: Adriana Brown This past year has brought along many trials and tribulations for us all. As we have been faced with foreign challenges, we have learned to preserve with a newly found ferocity. For VCU fashion merchandising students Nana Opoku-Manu and Taniya Evans, this perseverance came in the form of forming a student organization: Blk in Fashion. When these two students had time to reflect on their careers at VCU as well as their lives during COVID-19, they both realized that they were lacking something integral: a sense of community and belonging. As the Black Lives Matter movement has taught us, it is vital that everyone has a safe space to grow and thrive. For Opoku-Manu and Evans, this space did not exist for them within the fashion program at VCU. So what did they do? They made space. When asked why she founded Blk in Fashion with co-founder Evans, Opoku-Manu said, “the Black Lives Matter movement was happening, and it was really eye-opening to what the world was doing and what everyone was doing,”. Both founders explained that after being a part of the fashion programs for three or so years, neither of them felt a sense of community or belonging within it. Evans expanded on her feeling of being underrepresented by saying, “we come out with these experiences of not feeling valued or feeling unprepared to go into the industry because a Black person’s experience in the fashion industry is not the same as someone who isn’t Black— in terms of looking for jobs, going up in the industry, negotiating a salary,”. While the pandemic has sequestered all of us to our homes and computer screens, Blk in Fashion has taken this limitation and ran with it. In their eight months of existence, the organization has hosted several events via zoom. These events have given fashion students the opportunity to hear the testimonies of people within the fashion industry who they can relate to, some being VCU alumni. The purpose of these talks are to “educate and empower” students, as well as the wider VCU community, on subjects related to diversity in the fashion industry. Blk in Fashion is looking forward to a bright future of inclusivity and representation within the fashion industry. For this organization, it’s all about having the difficult conversations that have otherwise been silenced. It’s about inspiring other students, especially those who are new to the program, to create space for themselves where there otherwise is none. “To younger students,” the two founders said, “don’t feel discouraged if you’re not seeing people like you. We are here now”.
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Your Shop Local Holiday Gift Guide: Jewelry Edition
BY: AAYESHA POUDEL RICHMOND, Va– Black Friday: the unofficial holiday synonymous with hyper-consumerism. It is a big day for most retailers and has widened to include eCommerce in the form of “Media Monday.” For some of us unknowingly subscribed to retail email blasts and mail promotions, this holiday happens to start earlier each year. Fast fashion company, Shein, started their Black Friday deals as early as two weeks before the official date. But let’s focus on what this Holiday actually marks: the start of the busiest shopping season of the year. For many people, the holiday season is a time of exchanging meaningful and sentimental gifts with friends and families. Therefore, we loved Small Business Saturday. The underrated shopping day scheduled right in between Black Friday and Media Monday. At RCFU, we want to bring gifts that the most important people in our lives will not only cherish but also gifts that support our community through shopping locally. Richmond is a community strengthened through its climate for local business. While semi-annually retail business is celebrated through Richmond Fashion Week and ShopRVA, it is the constant support from local patrons that strengthens the roots of each store. By supporting local businesses, we help strengthen the local economy and even reduce climate change impacts. Consider both buying locally for friends and family along with ensuring that your holiday wishlist includes small business finds. Here are some of our favorite stores in Richmond This week, we’re going to share our go-to small businesses for our friends. Today, we bring you our favorite stores for the jewelry lover friend! For the Jewelry Lover Sun & Selene: Both handcrafted and holistically inspired, Sun and Selene is our Scott’s Addition destination for quality jewelry. Mod & Soul: Mod & Soul is the Richmond staple retailer for everything in fashion. They offer a well-curated selection of accessories, jewelry, and apparel. Brand Sara: Sara began her company to sell unique and handcrafted polymer clay earrings. Her online store through Instagram showcases a positively branded display of earrings that are both personal and individual.