Two fashion designers of Jamaican descent are included on Vogue Magazine’s top 15 black designers to know about in 2020.
Vogue compiled the list to mark Fashion Week and Black History Month. According to Jamaicans.com, the designers on the list have taken strong stands on societal issues with their designs and have often refused to follow traditional fashion industry demands.
Fashion editors have praised Carly Cushnie, who relies on her Jamaican identity in her work, for her first solo collection. She is known for her signature high-slit dresses and jumpsuits with peek-a-boo silk lines.
The other designer, Aurora James is founder of Brother Vellies, a firm she created to introduce the world to her favorite African footwear and to develop sustainable jobs for craftspeople in Africa. Her fashion footwear line includes boots, shoes, and sandals made in South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Morocco. A trip to Jamaica has also inspired some of her designs.