Emil Wilbekin, founder of Native Son, and Bloomingdale’s hosted an event called PRIDE: A Deeper Love.
Shoppers were invited to sit and have Belvedere cocktails with Wilbekin as he moderated a panel of gay, African American men who are taking over the fashion industry. The panel held Ty Hunter, known for styling Beyoncé and working for Fashion Bomb Daily, Jerome Lamar, known for styling Rihanna, SZA, and other celebrities; and last but not least, Yashua Simmons, style editor of Hearst magazine.
The panelists spoke on what it meant, in their opinion, to be “proud.” They also shared their personal styles and and how they fell in love with fashion. Naturally, the three men offered up some advice that applied to both the fashion industry and everyday life. Most notably, Hunter made it a point of duty to stress how important it is to love yourself. “When you love yourself and really know who you are, the rest is history. It’s not about the clothes,” Hunter said, “it’s about confidence and being comfortable in your skin. So work on that.”
During the rest of the evening, everyone was able to enjoy music provided by DJ B MAJR and the Native Son collection that surrounded all the action; which hung on the racks proudly colorful and discounted. Be sure to check the Native Son PRIDE Capsule Collection at Bloomingdale’s and support both Wilbekin and PRIDE.
