Supporting Black talent should go beyond Black History Month

By: Angel Agbontaen

With Black History Month in full motion, our Instagram feeds are probably full of infographics containing who and what to support in this one short month. But Black talent isn’t exclusive to February

Black Canadian creatives are making moves everywhere and the designers are not exempt. They work hard all year round, and deserve to be celebrated all the time.  From loungewear to cat beanies, here are some Black Canadian fashion brands that you could be supporting beyond Black History Month.

Love & Nudes

This loungewear brand puts women of colour at the forefront of comfort. Founded by Chantal Carter, the brand mixes diversity and body positivity to empower women of colour.  According to Carter, the making of the brand is “motivated by the glaring absence and misrepresentation of everyday products for women of colour.” With a focus on promoting diversity, Love & Nudes has partnered with women in South America to provide fair pay to single mothers

Spencer Badu

Spencer Badu is a brand named eponymously by the Ghanaian-Canadian designer. The brand’s use of vibrant colours and uniform-like clothing bridges the gap between minimalist and experimental fashion. With 90 per cent of their pieces made in Canada, Spencer Badu’s  inspiration stems from Black history and progression around the Black diaspora. The label provides gender-free clothing through its thought-provoking and distinctive designs that push the boundaries of traditional fashion. 

Lillon Boutique

Ankara fabrics, wood and beads are just some of the materials Lillon Boutique uses to share African artistry in Canada. The boutique produces bold-coloured and stand-out accessories that can be worn all year round. Founded by Congolese-born Elisabeth Lengema, Lillon Boutique intends to share Congolese and African culture with the world.

Shop888energy

Created by Toronto–based model and content creator Abigail Fiawornu, Shop888energy is fun, free, effortless and young. According to Fiawornu, the brand was made as a way to explore creative direction, styling and video editing, along with her love for fashion. What started as just making clothing pieces soon turned into the artist discovering metal stamping, screen printing and more. Shop888energy strives to provide endless possibilities for versatility and creativity with the use and love of fashion.

Headless Forever

The brand’s motto, “Use Your Head,” is an embodiment of the brand itself. Headless Forever is more than an underground brand that bridges the gap between streetwear and comfort. The brand produces beanies, denim pants, zip-up hoodies, button-up shirts and more. They’re well-known for the quality material pieces and eye-catching logo — the letter H made up of stars.