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.
Following her big-screen debut in last year’s Oscar-winning If Beale Street Could Talk, Kiki Layne has continually turned out stunning looks, transitioning from classic glamour – a la her 2019 Academy Awards dress to her camp-inspired Met Gala getup. Yara Shahidi remains a unique red-carpet mainstay with just the right touch of whimsy, while Tessa Thompson had a breakout year with a string of wow-worthy outfits for her Men in Black international press tour.
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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
Tessa Thompson
When it comes to Tessa Thompson’s style, daring is certainly an understatement. The actress is no rookie when it comes to fashion as she has had some iconic looks over the years. Her carefully crafted aesthetic is always so rare and edgy. But, exude exactly what every outfit should, personality.
Photo:Getty
02
Yara Shahidi
It’s safe to say that Yara Shahidi is a bona fide fashionista. Whether it’s on the red carpet, at award shows or on her spinoff series, Grown-ish, the drip never stops. Her fashion sense helped her to become the face of Beyonce’s Ivy Park brand and made her receive the stamp of approval from the fashion icon herself, Michelle Obama.
Photo:Getty
03
Kiki Layne
During this year’s award season Kiki Layne proved that bold is the only way to go when it comes to fashion. The actress is far from a minimalist and is continuously willing to embrace color. Her rebellious style streak is one of the reasons why you will more than likely see her stepping on the red carpet in a head-to-toe runway look from designers such as Chanel and Gucci.
