Excellence is the word that comes to mind when describing the Black Design Collective and the powerful impact it has made for the future of black designers.
The Black Design Collective, also known as BDC is comprised of accomplished designers expressing individual, unique design. Through resources, mentorship and business opportunities, the organization has been able to empower up and coming black and brown designers while also bringing awareness to the history and relevancy of the global impact of black design.
Founders, Angela Dean, Kevan Hall and TJ Walker created BDC with the purpose of developing, producing and marketing products globally for designers of color. Aspiring designers are given the opportunity to work alongside a professional, gaining valuable knowledge and hands on experience. The organization has started a scholarship fund that assists young designers in their pursuit of higher education in the fields of fashion, design and costume design. On Saturday, April 13 students, faculty, and celebrities such as Gabrielle Union, Tina Knowles Lawson, Representative Maxine Waters, Loretta Devine, Beverly Johnson, Yolanda Adams and many others came out to support the recipient of the BDC scholarship as well as honor the Oscar winning costume designer for Black Panther, Ruth E. Carter.
Loretta Devine, Ruth E. Carter, Black Design Collective Honoree and Academy Award Winning Costume Designer for ÒBlack PantherÓ, U.S. Represenative, Maxine Waters, Gabrielle Union, Supermodel, Beverly Johnson and Tina Knowles-Lawson attend the Black Design CollectiveÕs 1st Annual Scholarship Tribute, honoring Ruth E. Carter, at FIDM, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday, April 13, 2019.
(Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages)
The glamorous event took place at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, CA, which was only fitting. The evening kicked off with a cocktail reception with delicious assortments of hors d’oeuvres which paired perfectly with Mozart’s exclusive chocolate cream liqueur. In honor of the occasion the three signature drinks were “Building for the Future”, “Upward and Onward” and “Collective and Powerful.” The bustling guests mingled and networked as the spirit of unity and positivity encapsulated the room. Esteemed designers and founders of BDC took to the stage to welcome the guests and thank them for their support. Kevan Hall explained what it means to be able to uplift designers of color, “It’s exciting, look at this turn out tonight! It’s incredible that we have the support of the community, the support of FIDM and it’s important to be able to give back. We’ve had great careers, we’re still in the midst of our great careers and we just thought it necessary to be able to pour our information, pour our mentorship into young people and to celebrate and amplify other talented black designers.” All three designers accredited their inspiration and success to their mothers whom played a key role in the development of their talent. Actress Gabrielle Union later stepped up to the podium, addressing the crowd as “family” as she recalled her wonderful experience working with the honoree of the night, Ruth E. Carter.
Ruth E. Carter, Black Design Collective Honoree and Academy Award Winning Costume Designer for ÒBlack PantherÓ attends the Black Design CollectiveÕs 1st Annual Scholarship Tribute, honoring Ruth E. Carter, at FIDM, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday, April 13, 2019.
(Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages)
Ruth E. Carter has excelled in her field of costume design for many years. After working on almost 50 films, including Do the Right Thing, Malcom X and Selma, Carter was awarded the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for her work on Black Panther. While the finish product was a masterpiece, Carter explains how the process was quite difficult. “When I was working on it [Black Panther] I was faced with a lot of deadlines every day. I was always thinking that I had to do this perfect, I had to do it right, so my stress level was really high. We don’t know how things are going to turn out, we just hope that they turn out magnificent, that was our goal every day.” Well her hard work paid off and she was able to pay it forward by awarding the 2019 scholarship to Devert Monet-Hickman who graciously and tearfully accepted his giant cardboard cut out check for ten thousand dollars. What an incredible way to foster the next generation of great designers of color!
TJ Walker, Founder, Cross Colours and Black Design Collective, Ruth E. Carter, Black Design Collective Honoree and Academy Award Winning Costume Designer for ÒBlack PantherÓ, Devert Monet-Hickman, FIDM student and Black Design Collective Scholarship Recipient, Angela Dean, Fashion Designer and Founder, Black Design Collective and Kevan Hall, Fashion Designer and Founder, Black Design Collective attend the Black Design CollectiveÕs 1st Annual Scholarship Tribute, honoring Ruth E. Carter, at FIDM, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday, April 13, 2019.
(Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages)
