In 1969, black educators along with Black United Students at Kent State University advocated for a time where black people could be celebrated. In 1970, Kent State made history as the first alma mater to observe Black History Month.
In the past few years global health crises, war, and politics have driven consumers, namely Gen Z, to practice thoughtful buying practices. Participating in boycotts, selective shopping, and employing a “shop where you’ll be hired” mindset has swayed many people to also participate in “No Buys” in 2025.
Consuming is political. Here is a list of black brands to buy from, not only during Black History Month, but all year round. We must, as future Kent State alumni, go back to our roots and champion Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Brandon Blackwood became popular with their trunk bags that open similar to a suitcase with a top closing latch. Blackwood is a Brooklyn-born and raised designer who studied neuroscience at Bard College before secretly following his passions, interning at Nylon and Elle magazines.Founded in 2013, Brandon Blackwood was first featured only two years later in Essence and Elle magazines and has since become a luxury apparel and accessories brand. In 2020, they became internationally recognized for their “End Systemic Racism” bag.
Ashley Ciriaco is the founder and designer of Ciriaco. The Atlanta native wanted to combine luxury and streetwear at an affordable price. Though the brand is most popular for its Ashley Baguette bags, they have also released leather jackets, heels, and other accessories. The brand started in 2020 selling only on their website, but now is currently sold in Kith and Atmos USA stores. The brand also recently participated in a Nike x Ciriaco embellishment kit at Nike’s Soho store.
Homage year was founded by Antoine Manning in 2014 after his fathers passing, when he decided to pursue his dreams. The brand is known for its colorful egg shaped bags, though they have recently also started creating jewelry. The brand says “Every piece, accessory, and object we create is charged with sociopolitical intention. Each creation is an activation, an HOMAGE to our people, our culture, to our environment, and acknowledging where we stand in the midst of all of that”
Lagos-born designer Mowalola Ogunlesi is currently the creative director of Yeezy. She was raised in the UK where she attended Central Saint Martins and earned her BA in textiles. The brand had their debut show at London Fashion Week in 2019, where her impressive collection led her to collaborate with Nike to design the Nigerian soccer team’s uniforms. The brand is known for its erotic and often controversial designs.
Telfar Clemmons is a Liberian-American designer based in New York City. The brand is famous for their shopping tote which has, for years, come in three standard sizes and a plethora of different colors. This year, the brand launched a fourth size–schmedium, and released shoppers new textiles including real pebble leather and paper. This brand is a master of media with all of its campaigns placing importance on diversity and community. The brand’s flagship store opened this past November on Canal Street. The contemporary environment is the perfect place for showcasing Telfar products which include subversive basics and futuristic athleisure.
Celebrity Brands:
Golf Le Fleur was founded by Tyler the Creator as a collaboration with Converse in 2016, since then it has become a stand alone brand. The brand is known for its preppy aesthetic and pastel colors. Their assortment ranges from perfume to luggage and everything in between. They have even released an ice cream!
Popular brand Savage X Fenty was founded by R&B singer Rihanna. The brand focuses on inclusive lingerie, undergarments, and sleepwear. In contrast to other large lingerie providers, the brand sells undergarments for people of all genders and is especially size and shape inclusive. The brand launched in 2018 exclusively online but is now among leaders of AI technology in their namesake stand alone stores.
Yitty is a brand co-founded by four-time Grammy winner Lizzo. The brand makes size and gender inclusive shapewearusing innovative textiles that can be worn under clothes or as outerwear. The brand launched in 2022 in collaboration with Fabletics.
Support Student Media
Hi! I’m Kayla Friedman, A Magazine’s editor-in-chief. My staff and I are committed to bringing you the most important and entertaining news from the realms of fashion, beauty and culture. We are full-time students and hard-working journalists. While we get support from the student media fee and earned revenue such as advertising, both of those continue to decline. Your generous gift of any amount will help enhance our student experience as we grow into working professionals. Please go here to donate to A Magazine.
