A celebration of the best and brightest creators of color within the fashion space, ESSENCE’s inaugural Best in Black Fashion Awards shines a light on top designers, stylists, photographers, models and insiders who made an impact in 2019. The star-studded roster of honorees and nominees will gather at pre-NY Fashion Week dinner on September 4th.
Celebrating and showcasing Black Beauty, Dana Scruggs, Itaysha Jordan and Nadine Ijewere take it from the lens to editorial print outlets. These three artists, hailing from the South Side of Chicago to the U.K., create soul-stirring portraits that celebrate Black beauty at its best.
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Read more about these standout creatives below and visit ESSENCE Fashion House on September 5th for exclusive runway shows where you can see their collections up close. Stay tuned to find out who takes home the prize!
01
Dana Scruggs
In 2016, Dana Scruggs launched SCRUGGS Magazine, a publication dedicated to her vision of the male form. She has created original content for over six years, which led her to become the first Black female photographer to shoot an athlete for ESPN’s Body Issue. In November 2018, Dana broke more barriers, as she became the first Black Person to photograph for Rolling Stone magazine in its 50-year history. Now Dana’s clients include, Nike, GQ, InStyle and The New York Times.
@danascruggs
02
Itaysha Jordan
Itaysha Jordan possesses a distinctive cache of photography skills. Jordancombines her expertise with the tools of the digital world. She is an innovative force to be reckoned with as she creates images that communicate, resonate and inspire. Jordan has had the opportunity to capture photos for My Black Is Beautiful, Glamour South Africa and Lancome USA – just to name a few.
@itayshaphoto
03
Nadine Ijewere (photo of her work)
Nadine Ijewere was born and raised in South-East London. Ijewere’s work primarily focuses on identity and diversity that she inquired from her own Nigerian and Jamaican background. She aims to showcase a new standard of beauty with hopes to shed light on different cultures. Nadine has had the pleasure of working with editorial outlets like Vogue, Wall Street Journal, and Allure and her clients include, Stella McCartney and The Gap.
