What does fashion mean to you?
For me, fashion is about expressing yourself, telling your story with confidence, be it how you feel that day or an expression of your heritage. Many of the Untapped Creatives brands champion this spirit of inclusivity and expression within fashion, bringing designs to the British luxury market that fuse elements of traditional African cultures with Western styles. This is what fashion should be about: feeling comfortable and expressing your individuality, identity and uniqueness.
What have you achieved in the last year that you’re proud of?
Developing and finalising our Untapped Creatives collaboration with Selfridges whilst continuing to work as a lawyer has been my highlight of the past year. Negotiating preferential rates with Selfridges has allowed the 10 Untapped Creatives brands, which we have curated for them, access to premium retail space that they may otherwise have struggled to secure.
Consequently, the collaboration will herald a seminal moment within luxury retail, as buyers now have access to brands, like womenswear designer House of RG, now designing exclusive pieces for the Selfridges client to enjoy. Designer Dorothy Ogwuru takes great pride in producing Nigerian-inspired slow-fashion hand-beaded pieces in small runs with zero-waste designs. For me, this is the ultimate luxury and something I’m really proud to see come to fruition.
Currently, Black consumers are greatly underserved within the luxury sector, where there is still an assumption that the luxury consumer is white and, conversely, the incorrect assumption that white and non-Black customers will be unable to relate to Black brands. The Untapped Creatives team is excited to bring Black-owned brands to the attention of all Selfridges customers, who may not have otherwise discovered these brands. Personally, I am thrilled that we have launched in-store and online with a campaign backed by Selfridges, which I believe to be rather rare in this space.
In your opinion, did the events of the last year—George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests—impact your career going forward? Were any changes felt in the industry?
I see the Black Lives Matter protests as a key turning point for all of us. More people are now prepared to listen and support calls for greater diversity and inclusivity—not only within fashion and retail but also within wider society. We were pleased at Untapped Creatives to see brands and retailers launch initiatives to improve diversity and inclusivity, particularly the launch of Selfridges’s Diversity Board and its supportiveness with our collaboration. This clearly signals to all consumers that brands are serious about working to make sure their consumers have access to Black-owned brands in both their product ranges and their core brand messaging. This has been compounded by the success of the Black Pound Day initiative and the greater focus in the media on shining a light on Black-owned brands. That being said, whilst change has definitely occurred and narratives around diversity and inclusivity have evolved noticeably, retail still has a long way to go before truly being able to claim full equity and parity for Black-owned brands.
A year later, what actions would you like to see beyond performative social media posts going forward?
With Untapped Creatives’ work in the luxury retail sector, we would like to see more premium and luxury retailers making serious and tangible commitments to improving diversity, inclusivity and ESG [environmental, social, and corporate governance]. Whilst social media messages of solidarity are well intentioned and can help spark conversation, tangible action to back them up is the next necessary step.
We would like to see the luxury sector challenge some of the underlying assumptions unfortunately still held by some that Black-owned brands are somehow not considered premium and that the luxury consumer is always white.
We would also love for the luxury space to embrace Afro-Luxe. Afro-Luxe is a term coined by Untapped Creatives and is used to describe the growing trend of art that illuminates the creativity and elegance of Africa and Black people across the diaspora and ensures that the beauty and luxury of African artisans and craftsmanship are seen, appreciated and presented by a wider audience. Features showcasing African-inspired work and craftsmanship will go a long way in highlighting the luxury and detail behind their processes and promote African artisans in the same way as those of European countries. Where we understand the beauty of Italian leather goods, it would be wonderful to understand the luxury and beauty of leather handcrafted work from the likes of Mali or Nigeria.
Changing these entrenched attitudes is key to rectifying the current ethnic and racial imbalance within the luxury sector and moving towards positive storytelling celebrating Black creativity in all its forms.
We understand that these next steps can be challenging on a practical level, and that challenge is a pain point Untapped Creatives aims to solve for premium retailers and their buyers. My hope for Untapped Creatives and our Afro-Luxe concept is to be an effective conduit and build upon wider societal momentum within the diversity and inclusivity spaces. Untapped Creatives will keep championing, nurturing and opening doors for Black-owned luxury lifestyle brands to reach their full potential and be seen in the retail spaces they truly belong in.
Black-owned fashion recommendation:
House of RG Adaku Long-Sleeved Embellished Mini Dress (£1850). Having Nigerian heritage, I have a special appreciation for the way Dorothy fuses influences from her Nigerian heritage into Western-style dresses. Nigerians love colour and opulence. I love the craftsmanship, detailing and colour in House of RG’s Capsule Collection 2021, which is perfect for social occasions as we enjoy the reopening of hospitality… I might even just wear it to Tesco!”
