Whereas trend is much from missing within the space of collaborations, Harlem’s Style Row simply created a brand new customary by way of its partnership with Nordstrom. The corporate, which champions variety by bridging the hole between manufacturers and Black designers, has labored with everybody from Nike and LeBron James to Banana Republic. Partnering with a retail behemoth like Nordstrom, nonetheless, hits otherwise. In reality, HFR founder & CEO Brandice Daniel calls it “a celebration of Black shoppers’ cultural and financial energy.” Daniel has devoted her profession to amplifying Black voices in trend, so it was solely becoming that she highlighted three monumental Black-owned manufacturers with this Nordstrom collaboration: Home of Aama, Harbison, and Megan Renee.
The Nordstrom by Harlem’s Style Row collab arrives simply in time for the summer-to-fall transition and options items that talk to the longstanding impression of Black tradition in trend. Home of Aama’s signature female aesthetic is elevated by distinctive tailoring impressed by African Diaspora Dandy tradition. Highlights embrace jewellery adorned with etching-type motifs you’ll usually see in antiquity pottery. In the meantime, Harbison’s designs function an ode to his mom, who he says navigated society with unmatched poise as a working-class, utilitarian lady. He was additionally impressed by Simon Maris’s “Portrait of a Younger Black Girl” (1890), the place the lady’s eyes mirror innocence and curiosity, communicated within the summary color-blocking and alluring florals of his designs.
Whereas Home of Aama and Harbison leaned into the visceral energy of our tradition, Megan Renee caught to the plain elan of being a lady. The model’s eponymous founder Megan Smith is all about celebrating daring, sturdy womanhood, and her assortment exudes simply that. Wearable staples with exaggerated shapes and revolutionary proportions like silky button-ups, fake leather-based tiered skirts, and the quintessential swimsuit all depict the picture of the modern-day phenomenal lady Maya Angelou described.
Smith’s option to collaborate with HFR and Nordstrom was a no brainer, given she showcased her designs on the company’s annual Style Present and Model Awards in 2023. “Retail placement has been on the forefront of initiatives for my model, and I knew this chance would open so many doorways,” she says. “Working with Harlem’s Style Row is all the time seamless, and since connecting and dealing collectively, I’ve began to really feel like they’re household now.”
I constructed my model round my love of sturdy fits and blazers and I really feel just like the piece actually captures not solely who I’m however the lady I’m dressing.
When the time got here to design the gathering, Renee discovered inspiration from an unlikely supply: a quote that motivated her to maintain going when she discovered herself at a crossroads and unsure in regards to the model’s future. “I used to be at a degree with my model the place I wasn’t certain what route I needed to take however I knew I nonetheless had extra I wanted to say to the world,” she says. “I got here throughout this quote by Erin Hanson, ‘What if I fall, however oh my darling what for those who fly?’ and that grew to become my inspiration. As soon as I heard that, it made me consider birds flying so the feathers grew to become the route for the jewellery and print. I needed the gathering to really feel very aspirational and ahead. It actually helped me envision the place the Megan Renee model ought to be headed.”
As for her favourite piece within the assortment, Renee instantly names the structured blazer and wide-leg pantsuit. “I constructed my model round my love of sturdy fits and blazers and I really feel just like the piece actually captures not solely who I’m however the lady I’m dressing,” she says. “It is daring, sturdy, however nonetheless female. I performed with the match and proportions that actually communicate to a lady’s physique and it feels very recent and stylish.”
Megan Renee’s full assortment is now out there to buy, together with items from Home of Aama and Harbison. With a powerful dimension vary of XXS to 2XL — sizes 00 to 18 for ladies and S to 2XL for males — and costs as little as $45, there’s actually one thing for everybody. You’ll be able to store instantly on the Nordstrom web site in addition to in 20 shops throughout the nation, together with New York’s flagship location. Preserve scrolling to buy our favourite items from the Nordstrom x Harlem’s Style Row assortment.
Megan Renee Silk Button-Up Shirt From Nordstrom x Harlem’s Style Row
Megan Renee Silk Button-Up Shirt ($179)
For these days while you’re not within the temper for a white button-down, take into account this silk quantity as an elevated various. Go full monochrome with a coordinating backside, boots, and coat, or put on with smooth black pants.
Home of Aama Corset From Nordstrom x Harlem’s Style Row
Home of Aama Dandy Button-Up Corset ($119)
This corset is an immediate head-turner because of its female aesthetic blended with tailoring impressed by African diaspora dandy tradition. Pair it with a pleated skirt or striped trousers for a pointy menswear look with a romantic contact.
Home of Aama Cropped Sweater From Nordstrom x Harlem’s Style Row
Home of Aama Uptown Cardigan ($129)
This cropped quantity paired with a ’90s mother jean or pair of low-rise, wide-leg denim is the right early fall vibe. We love its vibrant but muted tone and useful buttons, which make it a flexible layering piece.
Harbison Trench Coat From Nordstrom x Harlem’s Style Row
Harbison Trench Coat ($229)
A trench coat is a staple in any fall wardrobe, however not all types are made equal. This Harbison topper stands out among the many relaxation with its flowing flap and clever belted cuffs — romantic particulars that seize the designer’s model ethos completely.
Harbison Minidress From Nordstrom x Harlem’s Style Row
Harbison Balloon Lengthy Sleeve Minidress ($169)
In case you had been on the hunt for a brand new LBD, look no additional than this standout costume. We love the way it incorporates a refined pop of tan with attractive puff sleeves and a dainty bow.
Naomi Parris is a New York-based trend and sweetness author with over seven years of expertise. She served as an editorial operations affiliate at PS, specializing in all issues trend. Obsessive about telling tales that merge trend and tradition, her areas of experience embrace Style Week protection, day by day information, high-profile interviews, buying roundups, and sweetness tales.