PHASE ONE BACK TO BLACK Shade’ Newkirk of Shade’ Marshele New York
Before the world shut down, Black creatives in the fashion industry were in a boxing ring surrounded by an arena full of noise, unheard and overlooked. When phase one of quarantine went into effect, we had no choice but to be left in the ring with our opponents, forcing all eyes on us. The flaws and racial complexities of both the fashion industry and the country at large were magnified, obliging everyday people to pay more attention to humanistic issues they didn’t have time to combat while navigating through their pre-pandemic lives. I wholeheartedly give credit to the pandemic for making us reset and go back to Black. There’s something about fighting together that drives us to reach our fullest potential.
