Essence USA – August 2019

ESSENCE: I’ve read that when you were building your fashion company, you decid- ed to invest in yourself as an entrepreneur. Wha ...

Serena wears an Issey Miyake glow pleats jacket and Philip Treacy hat. Earrings and ear cuff, stylist’s own. Hair, Vernon Franço ...

“From New York City to Lagos, Black culture and beauty have influenced the fashion industry globally.” —MOANA LUU, ESSENCE CHIEF ...

T here are moments in fashion that change the course of history. Le Grand Divertisse- ment at the Chateau de Versailles was one ...

NOMINEES: BEST FASHION CAMPAIGN Standout Fashion Advertisements Winnie Harlow for Byblos Spring/ Summer 2019, Binx Wa lton for M ...

Clockwise from left: Looks from Tongoro, Fe Noel and Sukeina. NOMINEES: DESIGNER OF THE YEAR Standout Fashion Label Sukeina, Fe ...

N O M I N E E S : MODEL NEWCOMER Burgeoning Model to Watch Ugbad Abdi, Aliet Sarah & Adut Akech Somalia’s Abdi stormed the r ...

N O M I N E E S : STYLIST OF THE YEAR Standout Image Maker Shiona Turini, Zerina Akers & Wayman + Mica h Former fashion edit ...

“As a Black woman in Sweden, everything I do is political.” —SELAM FESSAHAYE Clockwise from left: Winning looks from Selam Fessa ...

N O M I N E E S : EMERGING DESIGNER OF THE YEAR Fashion Brand on the Rise Selam Fessahaye, Christopher John Rogers & Rich Mn ...

NOMINEES: RED-CARPET MAVEN AWARD Style Ingenue Making Waves Kiki Layne, Yara Shahidi & Tessa Thompson Following her big-scre ...

Clockwise from left: Aminah Abdul Jillil’s thigh-highs; one of the cofounders of L’Enchanteur hard at work; Johnny Nelson’s thre ...

ITUEN BASI Pattern play by the Nigerian designer LOZA MALÉOMBHO Artful accents from the Ivorian creative DONOVAN DEPASS The Jama ...

LOXION KULCA Bold sportswear made in South Africa TRÈFLE Rainbow hues from the British Virgin Islands MAKI OH A tailored topper ...

ESSENCE.COM I 130 I SEPTEMBER 2019 ...

wild WANDERER Known for slaying ballrooms with grace and style, trans actress Leyna Bloom readies for her big-screen debut BY RA ...

On Leyna: a CHLOE top, KIRIN pants, IPPOLITA earring and NEW YORK VINTAGE necklace and ring. W hen Leyna Bloom walked the 25th a ...

Leyna wears an ISABEL MARANT top, BROOKS COLLECTION bra, SACAI pants and NEW YORK VINTAGE rings. ...

after, she became the second trans woman of color to be featured in an international edition of Vogue—Vogue India—following in t ...

This page: Leyna wears a GRETA CONSTANTINE dress and GUCCI ear accessory and choker. Belt, stylist’s own. Opposite page: She wea ...