aurora james
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The 2021 September Issue of American Vogue May Be Its Most Diverse Yet. Here’s Why That Does—and Doesn’t—Matter
After promises made by Anna Wintour to improve representation throughout the legacy imprint, the September issue celebrates several firsts on its cover.
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What Does the 15 Percent Pledge Look Like in Practice? Sephora’s Trying to Show and Prove
The beauty juggernaut has already increased its total Black-owned brand offerings to 15 percent, with a plan to reach 15 percent in haircare alone this year.
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Wat U Iz: Pyer Moss Made Haute Couture History With an Emphasis on Black Innovation
Kerby Jean-Raymond staged 'Pyer Moss Couture 1' at Madam C.J. Walker's Villa Lewaro, opening with words from former Black Panther Party leader Elaine Brown.
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Ulta Is the Latest Retailer to Join the Fifteen Percent Pledge, Promising a Bigger Assortment of Black-Owned Brands
Ulta Beauty has joined Sephora, Macy’s, Gap, and American Vogue in creating a retail and media landscape more representative of America’s racial demographics.
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The Glow Up 50 2021: Meet the Arbiters of Influence
The category is: Influence. Who got the juice? When it comes to this year’s TGU 50 Influence honorees, their impact is overflowing. These 10 luminaries aren’t just doing it for the ‘gram; they’re doing it for us—holding companies, cultural institution and entire industries accountable and ensuring inclusion isn’t just a trend. Whether it’s convincing some…
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Big Beauty Tuesday: How Brother Vellies' Aurora James Is Helping Retailers Make a Giant Step for Black Businesses
As a new year dawned in January, so did a staggering statistic: 140,000 jobs had been lost in December, all of them by women. Actually, it was worse, reported Fortune magazine: “Technically, women accounted for more than 111% of jobs lost…the U.S. economy lost a net 140,000 jobs in December…But women lost 156,000 jobs overall…
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Fall Into the 15 Percent Pledge: Gap Inc. Commits to Increasing Equity and Inclusion With a $200,000 Donation
The ask may be 15 percent, but the number of retailers joining Aurora James’ 15 Percent Pledge keeps growing, with names like Sephora, West Elm and Macy’s agreeing to allocate a minimum of 15 percent of their offerings and efforts to Black-owned brands, designers and staff members—a move that has prompted more than a few…
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Rihanna, Aurora James and Cardi B Step Into Honors at Star-Studded Footwear News Achievement Awards
This year may have not been one of our most winning, but there are still achievements to celebrate; particularly the handful of designers who harnessed the energy and activism of the moment to compel substantive structural changes in the fashion industry and beyond. As The Glow Up has previously reported, Aurora James, founder of the…
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Proving Black Is Always the New Black, the British Fashion Awards 2020 Celebrated 'Leaders of Change'
Fashion prides itself on being one well-heeled step ahead of the moment, and setting the trends, rather than following them. But the converging moments that comprised 2020 demanded more introspection from the industry that is always looking forward; as an already raging pandemic debilitated economies and discretionary spending worldwide, many hid behind black boxes this…
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![Sole Food: The Black-on-Black Footwear Collab Between Pyer Moss and Brother Vellies Makes Its Debut [Updated]](https://www.theroot.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/jdr57l3kyowoeiuirzuk-300x170.jpg)
Sole Food: The Black-on-Black Footwear Collab Between Pyer Moss and Brother Vellies Makes Its Debut [Updated]
In the lexicon of “boy-meets-girl” romances, there is one love rarely explored: our love of shoes (foot fetishes notwithstanding). We also love nothing more than a Black fashion moment, so the long-awaited release of the collaboration between two of our favorite labels—Brother Vellies and Pyer Moss—which walked the runway during Pyer Moss’ epic presentation at…