BL8K

Photo: John Lamparski via Harper's Bazaar

With this being the beginning of black history month, it is important to highlight black designers in the industry that shape and influence it with their contributions. Today we spotlight British fashion designer Carly Cushnie, who’s been in the industry for more than 12 years. Cushnie was the creative director of her namesake brand Cushnie, a brand she and her friend Michelle Ochs (then it was called Cushnie and Ochs) started in 2008 after they graduated from Parsons School of Design. After Ochs left the brand in 2018, Cushnie took the brand under her wing and became the sole creative director, making it an ever popular black owned brand.

Her brand’s garments could be described in one word: sophisticated. The collections she had designed were full of drapey or sleek silhouettes that melted onto models. The garments had classy design elements that included various floral and wavy patterns. The brand specialized in sleek silhouettes and minimalist color in addition to bridal collections. Unfortunately, Cushnie closed the brand in 2020 but since their inception, the brand had grown in popularity with fans such as Beyonce and Rihanna rocking it from time to time.

Of course, being a black woman in the fashion industry, she has faced prejudice and discrimination. Even with the fashion industry being seen as a feminine one, it is still run by white men and it is harder for black designers to get their foot in the door for their brands.

During the 2020 George Floyd protests, before the brand closed, people did buy things from her brand but it was not enough. When talking to Vogue, Cushie explained why she closed down her namesake brand, “Like any small business we had our challenges, but it was really the pandemic that grinded everything to a halt,” she said. “There were seasons canceled and orders canceled and it was super, super tough. I’d gotten to a point where I was obviously concerned and thought we couldn’t make it, but then the Black Lives Matter movement started to surge. After that, there was a lot more interest in my brand, which was great, but it would have been [better] if it [had] come a bit earlier. And that’s, of course, not any sort of opportunistic wishing that the movement would have come earlier, but rather, a recognition that while added support during this time has been nice, it would have been better had there been more support for female designers and women of color in the industry before everyone started to support Black-owned brands so visibly over the last few months.”

Additionally, Cushie talked about how the quickness of the fashion industry can be tiring and made her feel burnt out or tired after a while. Not only do designers have to plan out multiple collections a year with various concepts but they also have to plan campaigns/editorials and other press and manage stores or contracts with other sellers. However, she has not completely left her love of designing. She has created jewelry capsule collections, worked in interior design, been a content creator and been a design consultant for other brands. Just last year, she collaborated with Anthropolgie’s wedding boutique called, BHLDN, to create a wedding dress capsule collection.

Although she is not actively designing under her label anymore, she is still influencing the fashion world and her clothing continues to be worn 3 years after its closing. Cushnie was not afraid to create simple minimalist collections with draped or structured garments. In an industry that has always taken a more approach when it comes to fashion, Cushnie is a breath of fresh air. Her clothing is stylish with not too much going on but is still head turning and makes a statement without saying too much. It is no secret that Cushnie is one the most prominent black female fashion designers in the industry even now. She has paved the way and made a mark for other black female designers after her and for that alone, she deserves praise.

Here were some of Cushnie’s best looks: