FashionAFRICANA

FashionAFRICANA FashionAFRICANA celebrates the beauty and diversity of the African Diaspora through fashion & art

🇭🇹✨ Haiti Unveils STUNNING Olympic Uniforms Haiti just raised the bar on Olympic fashion.Designed by , the official uni...
02/04/2026

🇭🇹✨ Haiti Unveils STUNNING Olympic Uniforms

Haiti just raised the bar on Olympic fashion.
Designed by , the official uniforms for the Winter Olympics are a breathtaking fusion of heritage, craftsmanship, and contemporary elegance.

Rooted in Haitian culture and brought to life through Stella Jean’s signature global aesthetic, the designs celebrate identity, pride, and the power of storytelling through fashion.

This is more than a uniform.
It’s culture on the world stage.
It’s fashion as diplomacy.
It’s Haiti, radiant and unstoppable. 🔥

GlobalBlackDesign DiasporaDesign RepresentationMatters

As we reflect on a year filled with creativity, culture, and community, we extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who ...
12/24/2025

As we reflect on a year filled with creativity, culture, and community, we extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported FashionAFRICANA and the AFRICANISM Gala.

May this holiday season bring you peace, joy, restoration, and abundant blessings. Thank you for standing with us as we celebrate Black artistry, storytelling, and global heritage—and for helping us create space where beauty, history, and culture are honored with intention.

Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed holiday season and a luminous New Year.

With gratitude and love,
FashionAFRICANA & AFRICANISM Gala

🖤✨


Photography by

12/12/2025

Congratulations !👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 from
•
just won the second Empowered Vision Award. Supermodel and made the announcement at a celebration in New York City. Baptiste receives a $100,000 financial grant and a year-long mentorship program valued at an additional $100,000. In addition, each finalist will also receive a grant this year. Head to link in bio for more.

11/16/2025

✨ THE AFRICANA INITIATIVE — THIS IS WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO ✨

2025 HIGHLIGHTS

We’re proud to share a glimpse into the AFRICANA Initiative — the heart of FashionAFRICANA and the beneficiary of the AFRICANISM Gala. Every moment at the Gala is rooted in the work we do year-round: creating opportunities, building bridges, and celebrating Black excellence.

💛 Jay Chapman began with us as a high school student through the Bill Nunn Theatre Outreach Project and winner of the August Wilson Monologue Competition. Today, he works with top theaters in the region and returned as Stage Manager at Heinz Hall for our 3rd Annual AFRICANISM Gala.

💛 Jamen Thurmond, part of our Workforce Development Program, has served as Media Director for the AFRICANISM Gala for three years, capturing our story through his brilliant lens.

💛 Artist-in-Residence Kontara Morphis created a new work and worked with featured artist Simon Frederick, which premiered on our Gala stage.

💛 Recent grad & Workforce Development participant Laura T**i co-designed our VIP Activation Area featuring Weisshouse pieces and served as Project Manager, showcasing exceptional emerging talent.

💛 Darnell Peak, a current high school student in our arts education program and an August Wilson Monologue Competition winner, is now training as an emerging photographer under our Media Director, Jamen Thurmond — inspired after seeing Jamen’s work in our program.

💛 40+ PPS high school students attended the Gala — many seeing themselves on the big screen and imagining what’s possible.

This is the AFRICANA Initiative:
Pathways. Access. Representation. Creative excellence.🖤

As we prepare for FashionAFRICANA’s 25th Anniversary and the 4th Annual AFRICANISM Gala in 2026, we invite you to stay on this journey with us.

🙏🏾 If this work inspires you, please consider supporting the AFRICANA Initiative. Please visit FashionAFRICANA.com for more information.

11/16/2025

✨ The 3rd Annual AFRICANISM Gala: A Love Letter to Black Women ✨

The energy was electric! 🔥 Guests wrapped around Sixth Street and Penn Avenue, eagerly waiting to hit the Black Carpet and step into an unforgettable night of art, style, and celebration.

FashionAFRICANA proudly premiered Simon Frederick’s film The Unspoken Elegance of Stillness: A Love Letter to Black Women, accompanied by a breathtaking live performance by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra 🎻.

The evening also honored icons of excellence — Olympian Swin Cash, international model Fatou Jobe, and Mayor Ed Gainey, alongside stunning performances including Kontara Morphis’ powerful new work, ROOTED, which ignited the audience with emotion and pride.

From Damon Young’s stirring opening Love Letter to Black Women to our extraordinary co-chairs Kiya Tomlin and Mary McKinney Flaherty, the night was filled with grace, purpose, and pure magic.

And guiding us through every unforgettable moment were our emcees — the brilliant Lisa Smith and Tamara Abney — whose energy, elegance, and seamless flow elevated the experience for everyone in the room.

The night culminated with 100 radiant Black women — leaders, creators, innovators, and visionaries — standing together on stage in a breathtaking tribute to the beauty, brilliance, and diversity of who we are. 🖤✨

- Director of Media
- Assistant Director of Media
- Editing
- Cinematography

10/13/2025

You REALLY don’t want to miss this! Buy your tickets TODAY to the 3rd Annual AFRICANISM Gala on Saturday, November 8th at Heinz Hall - visit AFRICANISMgala.com for ticket information.

from
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Every generation gets one night that defines its moment.

Will you be one of the few who can say, I was there?

On November 8, The Unspoken Elegance of Stillness takes centre stage at Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh — a film written and directed by Simon Frederick,
featuring an original symphony dedicated to Black women, composed by Carlos Simon, and performed live by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Presented as the centrepiece of the AFRICANISM Gala, this historic evening celebrates the beauty, strength, and brilliance of Black women. Raising vital funds to support the next generation of Black artists and cultural leaders.

History will be made.
One night only.

🎟️ Tickets available now at AFRICANISMgala.com



IMPORTANT UPDATE!The FASHIONAFRICANA: THE SHOW, originally scheduled for Saturday, July 12, 2025, has been postponed to ...
07/06/2025

IMPORTANT UPDATE!

The FASHIONAFRICANA: THE SHOW, originally scheduled for Saturday, July 12, 2025, has been postponed to a later date.

Our upcoming model casting call on Sunday, July 13, 2025 has been so well received that we’ve decided to reschedule the fashion show to allow us to feature some of the amazing talent from the casting call.🤩

A new date for the FASHION SHOW will be announced soon…stay tuned! In the meantime, we look forward to seeing you at the model casting call on Sunday, July 13, 2025 from 10AM to 4PM.

JOIN our mailing list at FashionAFRICANA.com to be the first notified of the new fashion show date and to stay updated on all of our exciting FashionAFRICANA programming.

Thank you for your support! We are looking forward to seeing some of you at the 100 BLACK WOMEN MODEL CASTING CALL on Sunday, July 13, 2025 from 10AM to 4PM. REGISTRATION REQUIRED at https://100BlackWomenCastingCall.eventbrite.com or see link in bio.

—The FashionAFRICANA Team

from •“Love speaks a language whose only barrier is a person’s willingness to share it. Love looks like ministering to...
06/18/2025

from
•
“Love speaks a language whose only barrier is a person’s willingness to share it. Love looks like ministering to the youth with interests in AFRICANA arts, and the African diaspora.”

This Thursday, June 19, 2025 (Juneteenth) at will launch their “Open Studio” a “new cultural experience presented by FashionAFRICANA as part of its AFRICANA initiative”. 

“Open Studio” will offer guests a behind-the-scenes look into dynamic works in progress of Black creatives across all mediums.

This will be a wonderful opportunity to thrive in conversation, connectivity, and the celebration of Black creativity and ingenuity.

This free, and special affair, features “the premiere of AITNEMED, a powerful new work by acclaimed dancer and choreographer 💃🏽

Get your free ticket today through the link in bio•!

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾❤️ from •TWO-TIME TONY WINNER KARA YOUNG 🏆 just made history as the first Black performer to win two consecutive...
06/09/2025

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾❤️ from
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TWO-TIME TONY WINNER KARA YOUNG 🏆

just made history as the first Black performer to win two consecutive Tonys after receiving the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role (“Purpose”) at this year’s show. Revisit our 2023 interview with Young at the link in bio.

Photo: Getty Images

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