Actively Black Delivers A Historic Night for the Culture During NYFW
“This Is Not a Fashion Show” was held at Sony Hall with stars from Lauryn Hill to Dapper Dan on hand.
Texx Henry
Actively Black’s New York Fashion Week Experience, presented by Mielle Organics, reached a crescendo in an epic night at Sony Hall. “This Is Not a Fashion Show” served as a living tribute to Black excellence with appearances from luminaries such as Lauryn Hill, Dapper Dan, Tyrese, Ghostface Killah, Naturi Naughton, Jamil Hardwick, Dascha Polanco, and more.
Civil rights icons took to the runway, as Dr. Bernice A. King (daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) and Ilyasah Shabazz (daughter of Malcolm X) both walked the runway wearing collaborative pieces. Cecil J. Williams, famous from the historic image of him drinking from a “Whites Only” fountain, was on hand, as was Ruby Bridges, the first Black child to integrate an all‑white elementary school in 1960. Olympic legends Tommie Smith and John Carlos were also honored on the runway, and Ben Haith, designer of the Juneteenth flag.
“Me being pro‑Black doesn’t mean I’m anti‑anything else,” said Lanny Smith, founder of Actively Black. “Tonight was about honoring our ancestors, uplifting our communities, and reminding the world that our stories, our innovation, and our style are indispensable to the global culture.”
The “Black Women Are Superheroes” collection featured influential leaders and athletes, including Valeisha Butterfield Jones, T’ea Cooper, Deja Kelly, Bozoma Saint John, Cari Champion, and Monica McNutt. And there was also a salute to HBCUs presented by Terrence J, a tribute to the Harlem Globetrotters, and a surprise appearance by former 106 & Park hosts AJ & Free to celebrate the show’s 25th Anniversary.
