Vanessa Morgan, actress, mother, and now designer, has been in the entertainment industry for quite some time. The Canadian actress (notably known for her work on the CW hit show Riverdale) has been on countless shows prior to Riverdale, showcasing that this industry needs young Black women like herself. Now another refreshing form of representation is coming to us in the form of fashion, and we couldn’t be more ready for summer. Vanessa has joined forces with Cupshe to create a capsule collection that is a love letter to motherhood and Mother Earth. “During the design process, I reflected a lot on Mother Earth and wanted that to shine through in the collection. All of the leaves, flowers, and animal prints were a reflection of that thought, along with how bright the colors are to reflect all the light that mothers bring into the world,” Morgan tells ESSENCE.
Her son River coincidentally, “has such a love for water,” and Morgan’s inspiration behind the collection has much to do with her love for him. It only made sense to do this collection as everything was aligned quite easily. “I wanted the collection to have a nature water vibe as when I think of my son, that’s what I think of. Also, his eyes are blue, so I do tend to put him in a lot of blue! hence why I wanted to make the matching trunks blue.” Matching sets with your kids has never been cooler.
Morgan’s favorite part about her new project was watching the ideations she had come to life. “All of the leaves, flowers, and animal prints were a reflection of [Mother Earth] that thought along with how bright the colors are to reflect all the light that mothers bring into the world.” Another thing that played a major role in the design process was inclusion, as many mothers have changing bodies, a natural occurrence in motherhood. “Making sure all body types and women feeling confident was a strong point of emphasis for me, and that’s why we have all different types of styles! From tankinis to two pieces, I wanted to make sure there’s something for everyone in this collection and to be reflective and cognizant of all the changes mother’s bodies go through – and I think moms become more beautiful too.”
For the actress, the ultimate pool or swim look is actually a piece from her newest collaborative collection–the mesh cover-up dresses. “I love how they are form fitting and can look great at the pool, walking around in the sun, plus can wear with any accessories.” The 31-piece capsule is now available to shop on cupshe.com. Sizes range from XS to XL in women’s sizes and for kids’ sizes 4 to 6, with prices ranging from $17.99 to $37.99.