Harlem’s Fashion Row Pays Tribute to Industry Legends and Rising Brands at 17th Annual Style Awards and Fashion Show

In Daniel’s words, “it can take a minute for people to recognize a truly great designer.” That’s why this year’s runway featured newcomer LaTouché as well as two returning designers: A. Potts and Nicole Benefield Portfolio.

“I found this image of Iman on the beach in Zanzibar, I think from 1976, and that kind of grounded the whole collection,” Aaron Potts said backstage of his latest work. A. Potts effort. Potts, a graduate of Escada, Emanuel Ungaro and Anne Klein who also interned during Marc Jacobs’ design stint at Perry Ellis, presented a collection of Grecian dresses and separates in sea-like blues and greens inspired by the ocean. “I wanted to make beautiful clothes for creative professionals,” Potts says of her motivation for launching her brand five years ago. The team she wanted to assemble also had a goal: “To create the environment that I needed as a young person in this business and never had: a creative, collaborative (and) healthy environment where people feel seen and valued. That’s as important to me as the clothes, and we hope that spirit comes through in the clothes and that people feel that.”

The first full collection has arrived after A.Potts La Touché’s“Coming from Haiti, it’s all about getting the best out of what’s around you,” he said, counting Jimmy Fallon, The Roots and various members of the Golden State Warriors among his clients for custom suits. Fashion. To that end, her double-vented jackets, trench coats, and trousers are made from wool and tweed (the latter being her favorite) but also more unexpected textiles, such as those used for upholstery. “The number one thing for me is individuality,” she says of her approach to design. “The next thing is for every piece to be timeless.”

The show ended with a collection by Nicole Benefield, owner of the brand of the same name Nicole Benefield PortfolioThe artist, who recently collaborated with Abercrombie & Fitch, was careful to return to similar proportions that felt relaxed yet elevated. “The key for me was taking everyday silhouettes and putting them in refined fabrics,” she said. Lightweight flannel wool and washed linen were used for pieces known for more structure and weight, like military-style jackets and tapered trousers. “It’s not easy to do what we do,” she said, noting the lack of support many Black designers face. “I’m so grateful to Brandice.”

Seventeen years later, Daniel remains fully invested in expanding opportunities for designers of color. “My passion for this is literally the same as it was on day one,” he said at the afterparty at Sofrito, the same restaurant where he hosted his first HFR runway show in 2007. “This is definitely a calling. Everything you just saw was created from an abundance of talent but a lack of resources. I would love to see what designers of color can do with unlimited resources.”