In the fashion world, it is always the underdogs who work behind the scenes to create the magic that we see on the runway or in the collections of big brands. They are the true pioneers of making history and paving the way for other creatives to express their art out into the world. This is especially true for up-and-coming designers June Ambrose and Laquan Smith. They are forwarding the progress being made for other black designers to be seen in predominantly white industries. Who have recently made history in being two of the newest black designers to be added to Nordstrom’s apparel department to showcase their most recent collections.

Nordstrom is one of the biggest luxury retail department stores in the US based in Seattle, WA founded in 1901 by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. It is currently run by his grandson Erik B. Nordstrom who is now CEO & President of the company. For over 100 years they have been the leading fashion retailer in the world expanding in 98 different countries with over 350 stores including their offspring brands Nordstrom Rack and Nordstrom Local. The brand offers a large selection of quality fashion apparel, shoes, and accessories for men, women, and children. In 2021 for black history month, the company took a progressive shift to being more inclusive to black-owned businesses and designers by launching a new section on their website dedicated to black-owned businesses as well as pop-ups in most of their locations, one of which
being their flagship store in New York.

On December 8th, 2021, Nordstrom held a private collection release party at their flagship store in New York. In which I had the pleasure of attending among a few other VIP guests. At the event I not only got to see the collection for the first time but, I got to meet with June Ambrose and speak with her one-on-one about what went into creating such an innovative collection. June Ambrose is an Antiguan-born American stylist, costume designer, author, creative director, influencer, and TV host. She is also a personal stylist to Jay-Z and Beyonce who she has worked with throughout the years since the start of her career. Most recently she was given the position as creative director for Puma in 2020 and is the first black female designer and creative director to create their first women’s basketball line that released in 2021.

At her press release party with Nordstrom June discusses how proud she is to break new ground in being a black female designer and being given a platform to work with such a huge company to debut her collection. “It feels surreal. I feel so blessed to be given such an opportunity to break barriers in these industries as a black woman,” says Ambrose. Which she aimed to achieve with her high-court collection in collaboration with Puma. “I wanted women to feel comfortable & empowered in their everyday grind combining leisure and streetwear to add to their daily wardrobe,” says Ambrose.

Attention to detail and quality is seen throughout with usage of bold prints, faux fur outerwear, and color block two-piece athletic sets. Focusing on
giving consumers leisure and comfort as they wear each piece.

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After things started to settle down, I got the opportunity to take photos and sit down with June for a quick interview to ask her questions about the collection. We kicked the discussion off with the challenges she faced in producing the collection. “There were times I felt pressure in exceeding consumer expectations as creative director, especially being the first black woman under Puma to create a line dedicated to women’s athleisure, but I had to remember why I was chosen to do this and to put that faith into my work,” says Ambrose. In follow up we discussed what it felt like partnering with such a huge company like Nordstrom that has been around for decades.

“It feels very humbling to be allowed to work with such a big company that has been around for longer than I have. It also means a great deal to me to inspire not only
women but other black creatives to create spaces for themselves in these industries,” says Ambrose. As we wrapped up Ambrose finished the night with one-on-ones with all her guests and thanking her team in addition to Nordstrom for making the event possible.

Ambrose continues to make her mark in the industry being deemed on out of 28 forces in the fashion industry by the CFDA. Ambrose is recognized for playing an influential role behind the scenes of 90’s hip hop fashion and has even styled many big names from that era like Missy Elliot, Busta Rhymes, Janet Jackson, Puff Daddy, and even Biggie Smalls to name a few.

She is also highly coveted amongst black television network BET as one of 100 entertainers & innovators of the year. Notion has even paid respects to the designers work in the industry describing her collection as “Changing the Face of Sportswear” in nod to her recent Puma release. Most recently this year Ambrose has also attended Gucci’s Fall 2022 runway show, rubbing shoulders with other great designers and high-profile celebrities such as herself and she does not intend on slowing down anytime soon.

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Following the new year, on March 31st, 2022, I was allowed to attend a private event for Laquan Smith held at Nordstrom’s flagship store in New York. Laquan Smith is a New York-based luxury fashion designer specializing in womenswear. He showcased exclusive looks from his Fall 22 ready-to-wear collection that consisted of sample pieces taken from the actual show. I and several other attendees were able to have a personal styling session with Laquan himself in addition to having access to ordering one-of-one sample pieces from his collection. At the event he had models showcase his pieces and even gave styling tips to those looking to spice up their wardrobe for the upcoming season slated to release later this year in July once production is finalized.

His collection really attests to not only Smith’s abilities as a designer but as a creative. He incorporates precise attention to detail and quality with every garment that was previewed at the event. This is seen through his usage of heavy beading, tulle gowns with long ruffled trains, cropped shearling outerwear, Swarovski embedded mesh suiting, and strong color palettes just in time for the season. Smith remains true to his brand identity drawing focus to well-tailored womenswear with each piece. One of which being his most talked about dress seen being worn by actress and fashion influencer Julia Fox who opened Smith’s show as a model for his fall 22 ready-to-wear collection.

As the night went on, me and Laquan was able to sit for a quick interview regarding his collection and the inspiration behind it. “I really pulled a lot of my inspiration from my travels in Paris and what that transition looked like post-pandemic from the natives that lived there,” says Smith. He went in-depth about how it inspired his collection when he felt fashion was starting to fade during lock-up due to COVID-19. “Coming from the States it felt as if everyone including designers had lost hope and inspiration with fashion given people were staying home to avoid getting sick. At the time when I was stuck in Paris, I saw locals on the street in full looks as if they were going somewhere important or so I thought. It seemed as if they were trying to find hope through fashion at such an uncertain time.” Says Smith.

We also addressed concerns in the fashion industry from news outlets regarding body positivity and the challenges that come with he inclusivity of plus-size models in sample sizing. “There is this misconception that all designers don’t want to include plus size models when it comes to producing samples for their brands. That
may be the case for some, but for me, it is not. What people don’t understand is that budgeting is a huge factor, especially for small designers, who are given opportunities to put out a collection. Most times we take on that financial burden and must factor in the cost of materials to make inclusivity of all sizes possible which presents a challenge with a minimal budget,” says Smith.

Later in the interview, we touch on what it is like for Smith to have his collection in such a big department store like Nordstrom. “Sometimes it’s hard to stop and take in everything when it feels like I’m moving a mile a minute. I am always focused on what’s next while I’m working on my current thing, but now I have time to sit and appreciate all these wonderful opportunities. Nordstrom is a huge company I never saw myself working with, so I am very grateful,” Says Smith. We began wrapping up as he and his team packed up all the pieces from the event and he went on to thank everyone in attendance in gratitude for their support.

This collection pushes boundaries for Smith in showcasing his progression from his previous Spring 22 ready-to-wear collection where he made history in being the first African American fashion designer to host an event for his line at the Empire State Building in 2021. He has also been featured in several big news publications including Vogue, WWD, and even Forbes regarding this groundbreaking event that will forever be remembered in history.

Smith continues to break barriers earning a spot on the list of many greats before him as one of the youngest black fashion designers at 21 to be added as a CFDA member in their organization. He has been a member since 2021 and is widely recognized by other big brands such as Heineken, Tidal, Samsung, Microsoft, and Verizon for Smith-directed activations. In 2021 Smith joins the list of recipients who were nominated for grants and mentorship under the CFDA & Vogue Fashion Fund for up-and-coming designers like himself.

He continues his philanthropy in collaboration with Moët at the 11th Annual Golden Globes Toast for charity. Smith continues to operate his business out of his headquarters located in Long Island City, NY where his clothing is manufactured and delivered globally to consumers all around the world.

after attending both events I spoke with one of Nordstrom’s managers, Kevin Rice, who was responsible for helping coordinate both Ambrose & Smith’s collection release events. “As a black man working for a big company like Nordstrom, I feel so empowered having had the opportunity to work with them both. It was truly an experience and both designers worked very hard in making this happen.

Being able to assist in that process is something I will never forget,” says Rice. We talked about the preparation that went into both events and what that was
like for Rice and his team. “There were days where me and my team spent hours and even nights past stores close to making sure everything was perfect for both run-throughs. We wanted to make sure that we had enough resources and staff to make both events possible for not only the designers but our VIP guests who were in attendance as well,” says Rice. In closing, we ended our brief interview on a great note with Rice having nothing but great things to say about each of the designers. Ambrose & Smith prove themselves as individual forces to be reckoned with in the industry and continue to invest hard work into both of their brands as they advance in the fashion industry as big-name designers. With hopes of the future, they look forward to shaking up the fashion industry even more and making history as trailblazers in other business ventures. It is time now more than ever for these designers to make their presence known and they set out to achieve just that through their
brands.

Up and Coming Black Designers

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