Clockwise from left:
Aminah Abdul Jillil’s
thigh-highs; one of
the cofounders of
L’Enchanteur hard at
work; Johnny Nelson’s
three-finger ring.NOMINEES: ACCESSORY DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Standout Accessory DesignerJohnny Nelson, L’Enchanteur &
Aminah Abdul Jillil
Nelson creates hip-hop-inspired jewels celebrating Black
trailblazers and cultural icons. The Brooklyn artist’s hand-
carved portraits feature likenesses of Biggie, Malcolm X,
Shirley Chisholm, Tupac and others. Nigerian Yoruba twin
sisters team L’Enchanteur specializes in culturally
informed pieces molded in metal and stones worn by Lauryn
Hill and Erykah Badu. Hailing from Anchorage, Alaska,
Abdul Jillil creates exciting footwear beloved by Tracee Ellis
Ross and Angela Simmons.NOMINEES: CHANGE
AGENT AWARD
Label With a Mission
LemLem for Moncler
Genius, Hope for
Flowers by Tracy
Reese & Pyer Moss
Liya Kebede’s sustainable label
partnered with Pierpaolo
Piccioli for artful homage to
the Ethiopian artisans she sup-
ports. Tracey Reese returned
with an eco-friendly capsule
collection, and Pyer Moss
founder Kerby Jean-Raymond
teamed up with Lena Waithe
and Johnny Nelson to create
Met Gala looks with a message
of inclusion.N O M I N E E S :
PHOTOGRAPHER
OF THE YEAR
Visionary Lensperson
Dana Scruggs,
Itaysha Jordan &
Nadine Ijewere
These three artists, hailing
from the South Side of
Chicago to the U.K.,
create soul-stirring por-
traits that celebrate Black
beauty at its best. ºDana Scruggs is
making her mark.CL
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COURTESYOF^L’ENCHANTEUR;ITAYSHA^JORDAN;^ COURTESY^OFDANASCRUGGS;^COURTESYOF^ JOHNNY^NELSON.ESSENCE.COM I 127 I SEPTEMBER 2019