In honor of audacious Black designers, a stately Harlem residence is the stage for an epic fashion showcase that brings Black style home to the historic neighborhood where ESSENCE got its start.
Left: Full look, Balenciaga, necklace, Patricia Von Musulin. Right: Full look, Bianca Saunders, shoes, Samsøe.
This story is featured in the July/August 2025 issue of ESSENCE, on stands now.
For 55 years, Black style has been both mirror and muse. Our evolution lives in fabric, form and fearless self-expression. Every hem, every hue, every bold silhouette is memory in motion, threading personal history into a timeless archive. This is where past and present converge, where the legacy of our fashion gaze doesn’t just echo—it leads.
Left: Full look, Balenciaga, necklace, Patricia Von Musulin. Right: Full look, Bianca Saunders, shoes, Samsøe.
Left: Suit, archival Patrick Kelly courtesy of The Real Real, earrings, Patricia Von Musulin. Right: Dress, archival Kevan Hall.
Dress and shoes, Tory Burch, ring, Patricia Von Musulin, earrings and bracelet, MISHO.
Left: Dress, Theophilio, earrings and necklace, MISHO, rings, Patricia Von Musulin, shoes, Sportmax. Right: Dress, Tory Burch, earrings and bracelet, MISHO, ring, Patricia Von Musulin, shoes, Tory Burch.
From left: Suit, Luar, hat and shirt, stylist’s own, belt, Patricia Von Musulin. Top and pants, Stella McCartney, earrings, MISHO. Vest, Louis Vuitton. T-shirt and socks, stylist’s own, shorts, Louis Vuitton, shoes, Gucci. Top, Wales Bonner.
From left: Top, Coach, shoes, Giuseppe Zanotti. Top, skirt, and earrings, Chanel, shoes, Roger Vivier. Top and bottoms, Meryll Rogge, shoes, Roger Vivier, earrings, Chanel.
Top, bottoms, and shoes, Loewe, earrings, MISHO.
Full look, Wales Bonner.
Suit, Lyar, hat and shirt, stylist’s own, belt, Patricia Von Musulin, shoes, Florsheim.
Jacket, jeans and T-shirt, Louis Vuitton.
Skirt suit, Ferragamo, shoes, Marc Jacobs.
From left: Shirt, vest, pants, and shoes, Alexander McQueen, ring, Patricia Von Musulin, hat, stylists own. Right: Suit, archival Victoria Beckham courtesy of Albright Fashion Library, shirt, Theophilio, earrings, Francesca Simons, shoes, Gucci.
From left: Dress, pants, shoes and bag, Prada, earrings, AGMES, ring, Patricia Von Musulin. Shirt, vest, pants and shoes, Alexander McQueen, ring, Patricia Von Musulin, hat, stylist’s own. Dress, archival Marc Jacobs courtesy of Albright Fashion Library, hat, Theophilio, earrings, Patricia Von Musulin, ring, Dinosaur Designs, shoes, Giuseppe Zanotti. Jacket, Prada, T-shirt, stylist’s own, pants and shoes, Prada, rings and bracelet, model’s own.
CREDITS
Models: Giannie Couji at Kollektiv Management, Sharif Qasim at KevMgnt, Amelie Nsengiyumva at Heroes Model Management, Syd Acker at Muse Models, Grailing King at Ricky Michiels Management, ZuriLee, Kuch Deng, Euro
Photographed by Quil Lemons
Styled by Mel Renee Leamon
Hair: Akihisa Yamaguchi using Oribe Hair Care at Forward Artists
