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Internationally-published designer Dominique Renée is announcing the launch of Black Designer Diaries, a platform with a mission to share the struggles and celebrate the successes of Black designers worldwide.
Inspired by recent incidents of racial unrest, Renée says she wanted to do something that would make a difference. “I designed and sold some Black Power pins,” she says, “The proceeds were donated to a couple of different organizations, but that just didn’t seem like enough.”
After that, the hashtag #blackdesignerdiaries came to her. “I believe this will inspire change,” she says, “Not just in the fashion industry, but also it will create a space for conversation that will contribute to our healing and cultivate a community for us by us.”
Renée is accepting rolling submissions from designers at https://blackdesignerdiaries.com. Designers who wish to be featured can provide three photos of their collection and answer a short survey inquiring about how they got started in the field, their primary source of inspiration, and struggles they’ve encountered as a Black designer.
“I’ve dealt with everything from lack of resources, lack of knowledge, and lack of equality/opportunity,” Renée says. After years spent doubting her own abilities, she realized the problem was with the industry as a whole.
For example, after an unsuccessful opening to her first trade show, she was informed by other designers that buyers usually don’t visit the booths of first timers. “However, there were plenty of first time exhibitors who not only had buyers show interest but placed wholesale orders too,” she says, remembering the experience as both painful and eye-opening. “And most major wholesalers tend to carry very little collections by Black Designers, for example Nordstrom carries less than 1%.”
Renée specializes in designing 3D printed handmade jewelry that reflects personal experiences, ironies, lies, and truths, inspired by everything from heartbreak to loving again, alienation and self-love. She encourages aspiring Black designers to stay true to themselves, listen to relevant opinions, develop a thick skin, and don’t give up.
