BLACK ELEGANCE

Black style has had numerous influences across the decades. Elegance came into popularity in the 1920s with everchanging movements impacting Black culture, including jazz and the Harlem renaissance. Movements like these have created a space for Black fashion to become more sophisticated through dress. In the 1920s, Black consumers were willing to spend money on new luxury goods and clothing, like buying furs and new cars, for example. Magazines like Ebony emerged in the mid-1940s to tap into Black consumerism. Ebony was a prominent force in Black fashion literature published from 1945 to 2016 and showed glamorous lives through images and stories that were accompanied by luxurious fashions. Designers such as CD Greene and Beulah Cooley, both featured in the Black Elegance case, have also been promoted in Ebony magazine. Ebony readers and fashion designers alike strived to emit refined elegance and sophistication via design work and style techniques. In the contemporary setting, elegance has become prominent in the revamp of urban street wear. Designer, Jerome Lamaar continues to make huge contributions to glamourous street style and has successfully brought elegance to the contemporary everyday setting by applying luxury and maximalism to everyday lifestyle garments.

Look K - L : Purple Embellished Turtleneck, Navy Embellished Denim Jacket & Tropical Dress

Jerome Lamaar is a Bronx, New York native and a multifaceted entrepreneur. He has an interdisciplinarity approach to fashion: “I didn’t care about being recognized as a true designer. I wanted to be recognized as a trend forecaster, a futurist that is using design as a medium.” Lamaar’s career has been about bringing various aspects of industry together through design practice. He empowers other designers by example: “I’m very brave and I use myself almost as a guinea pig to test ideas to and concepts […] I push spirituality, I push streetwear as I said before, I push whimsical ideas of magic… I pushed all those things”

Lamaar began working in the industry at the age of 15. Throughout his career he has worked with numerous designers, including Russel and Kimora Lee Simmons, founders of Baby Phat and Phat Farm brands, and Chado Ralph Rucci. Lamaar has navigated and prevailed in the industry since a young age, “My career started at age 15 and I was working for the then company called Baby Phat, and so this is the second year around 2001, 2002. It was so cool that it was, [and] I was, so young; I didn’t realize that the company was going to grow so big. That allowed me to basically do whatever I wanted to do while staying within the grounds of a corporate environment.” The position allowed Lamaar to become a jack of all trades, discovering how to do marketing, design, and consultations.

Lamaar explored trend forecasting through top international luxury brands and companies within the fashion industry and beyond. Lamaar has had a major impact on his home in the Bronx, giving back to his community in various ways. He has established the Bronx as a major hub for fashion and style trend setting. “I’m from the Bronx,” says Lamaar, “so that alone was something a hurdle to jump over or an obstacle. They don’t want you to win, so they say. So, I took it upon myself to take an internship at Baby Phat, which led me to become the creative director or junior creative director for Baby Phat, which lead me to become a freelance consultant out in the world and work with many clients. So, I’m very grateful!” Lamaar, coined the term “South Bronx Luxe”, and created 5:31 JEROME brand, known for maximalism and glamorous streetwear. He said, “I opened a store in the South Bronx no one thought South Bronx is going to do anything. And you know now it’s the hottest spots in New York City.”

“I started my brand and in 2013 because everyone was being so minimal it was a total war thing happening and I was like we can’t let this be the end of fashion. Let’s do something else! So, with my experience […] I created 5:31 Jérôme.” The brand launch was Lamaar’s preload to the progression of contemporary with streetwear. Lamaar remembered explaining what maximalism and luxury streetwear was at his first show. He was not afraid to let others know: “As of now I believe that my brand did what it needed to do. And it empowered people to think differently. It brought the maximal movement through. No one was doing embellishment; no one was doing embellishment on denim; no one was talking about streetwear. You know all these avenues I was pushing at the time I didn’t care about being recognized as a true designer. I wanted to be recognized as a trend forecaster, a futurist that is using design as a medium.” Lamaar mentions that he will bring his 5:31 Jerome back when people are lacking inspiration. He also opened and curated his distinguished 9J, a pop-up concept store in the South Bronx where creatives are welcomed to experience the fluidity of its original space. Having a network of innumerable prominent brands and companies, celebrities, and clientele in the entertainment industry, Lamaar embodies what it means to prevail. He uses his platform to advocate for the Bronx, for LGBTQ and for the Black community and believes that the fashion industry is changing, “We are at a point in the industry where people are starting to notice African Americans as African American designers. I say that as something that is to be proud of!” Lamaar is optimistic that the contemporary fashion system will allow Black designers to really make their mark.

CD Greene
Emerald paillette halter gown designed by CD Greene, USA. On loan from CD Greene Inc. Photo by Grace Anderson.
CD Greene
Emerald paillette halter gown designed by CD Greene, USA. On loan from CD Greene Inc.

Look M: Emerald paillette gown

CD Greene, the founder and creative designer for CD Greene New York, has been using timeless design elements liaised with exquisite fabric to embrace the epitome of haute couture elegance, luxury, and craft in every design. Greene is an alumnus of the Art Institute of Chicago and moved to New York City to start his journey in fashion. After moving to the city, Greene worked for various brands and designers on Seventh Avenue and later decided that he wanted to start his own collection. He began with private clients, later did a small pilot collection for Bloomingdale’s, another for Henry Bendel, and finally one for Bergdorf Goodman. Greene explained, “At that point I was extremely excited because it’s a phenomenal store and I’ve always wanted to be in that store for as long as I can remember.” Creating a space for his garments in one of the most prestigious spaces of fashion retail was just the beginning for CD Greene. Having received accolades for his designs, CD Greene’s work retails and displays store front in Bergdorf Goodman.

Greene’s distinctive designs have set him apart, he states “It’s kind of a thing of where I love embellishments. I like to create a fabric that you just can’t buy on a roll. I mean who can do that? when women see my dresses, they can say that’s CD Greene and that’s the ultimate recognition for me.” Greene always knew that he wanted to do something in clothing design. He began his journey in fashion by being inspired: “I always admired well-dressed women, I always loved movies from the 30s and in the 50s, where women really got dressed up with all the regalia and what have you and it always inspired me to want to do something in the clothing business”. One of his favorite moments in his career was working with Tina Turner for her Wildest Dreams tour. Turner’s team requested CD Greene because of the stage potential of his elaborate and magnificent designs. While he enjoyed designing for those in the entertainment industry, he has since expanded his brand to cater to the modern everyday woman. CDGNY is an emerging second brand, with a lower price point, that will be more accessible to everyday, working women. CDGNY will be launched online and in brick and mortar stores. Greene’s refined designs innately embody the elegance of women through his designs. Greene explained, “I like designing evening wear because it kind of punctuates in a woman’s life. Special occasion in her life, whether it’s a wedding or an anniversary or whatever particular special occasion it is. It’s that dress that she wore she is going to remember, that’s the picture that lasts forever.” CD Greene has glamorously clad royalty, celebrities, and entertainers for decades.

Look N: Crème four-piece gown and cape

The Crème four-piece gown with strapless sequined bustier overlaid with a sheer chiffon blouse features an A-line skirt and cape with Peter Pan collar adorned with two rhinestones and a handmade button loop. The gown was inspired by the one worn by Jacqueline Kennedy to the White House Inaugural Ball in 1961.

Designer Beulah Cooley has had an affinity for fashion design from a very young age. “I started out as a young girl watching my mom sew and making… I wouldn’t say all our clothes, but she made us our Easter dresses and some school clothes. As I watched her then, I just was so fascinated by her taking a picture in the newspaper or a paper bag and cutting out patterns and making our own patterns to make our clothes,” said Cooley. Cooley was already designing and wearing the clothes she fashioned for herself by the eighth grade. Her interest in fashion grew further as she used her talents in Art Illustration at Oakland University in Michigan. Pursuing her apparel design interest, Ms. Cooley began to acquire industry experiences holding positions in New York City at Bobbie Brooks, Barney’s, and Meridian. She would later work on contracting the “Blue Jean Denim Line”, retailed at, JC Penney’s for another company. Shortly after her time at Bobbie Brooks, her designs took off, and she remembered: “I bought this outfit from one of the department stores in NY and I thought I was so sharp. The outfit was beautiful and when I got dressed, went to church, and I looked around, it was a about 6 people that had on my same outfit! I said, I don’t like this! This will never happen to me again! (laughter) So, I started making my own clothes then, and kept it up” Cooley, moved to Detroit, Michigan in 1977 and by the next year she had established her own unique submarket of clientele (beulahcooleycollection.com). Her designs continued to attract interest, and in 1983, she opened “Beulah’s Designer Fashion,” a retail outlet for her designs.

After reaching one of Cooley’s many milestones, she was determined to have her work displayed in the Ebony Fashion Fair. Mrs. Cooley remembered, “From there, I started sending in designs to Ebony Fashion Fair and 10 years went by. I didn’t hear anything back from them. So, I said, well I’m not going to try anymore, and that particular year was when they (Ebony Magazine) said “We would like to see your Fall collection!” Cooley recalled a phone call with Mrs. Eunice Johnson, who said, “You are a talented designer here… we want to take all 3 of your pieces this year and we want to give you some exposure!” Cooley continued, “So, they (Ebony) got the 3 pieces that came out that year.” Ms. Cooley and Mrs. Johnson’s designs even walked down the runway, side by side.

The exposure that Cooley received after being featured in Ebony was something like she had never experienced before. She recalled, “I got so much exposure. I had every newspaper in the city interviewing me, I was on all of the TV Channels. The major stations!” She was even bombarded by fans at an Ebony Fashion Fair show. Cooley stated, “When she (The shows MC) called my name and she said, “We have designer Beulah Cooley in the audience! People rushed me! It was so frightening! People wanted my autograph!” Into the 1990s and 2000s Ms. Cooley was still flourishing, having won awards from International Design Competition Sponsored by Canadian Mist Designers of the Future, having work displayed in the Black Art Museum in New York City, winning the Spirit of Detroit Award, having work showcased in the 2002- 2003 "Simply Spectacular" Ebony Fashion Fair segment, features in Jet magazine, and pieces from her collection graced the cover of B.L.A.C magazine and much more. Cooley’s design business is still flourishing. Cooley explained, “My inspirations come from colors of fabrics and different textures of fabrics. When I see fabric, it could be I walk in the fabric store, and I see fabric. Then I’m inspired by the texture of the fabric and the style.” Her “Burlap Collection” is her best seller. Still designing from Detroit, Cooley has recently expanded her business, opening up a new store in April of 2018, whilst teaching sewing and training classes to local youth Cooley supports the future of fashion through teaching, which enables her to share the industry knowledge she has gleaned throughout her career.

Look O: Burgundy 3-piece gown

The burgundy 3-piece ensemble was worn by Ebony magazines Fashion Fair commentator Jada Jackson-Collins. The ensemble features a lace-up bustier and mini skirt with floor length detachable overskirt worn as flowing train. The overskirt is accented with floral ruffles around the waist band and features a large tie bow on the front.