First-Ever Black Fashion Week Debuts in Paris

With a focus on black designers and models, Black Fashion Week in Paris isn't about trying to add diversity in the world of fashion; it's about highlighting extremely talented individuals who might have otherwise been overlooked in the industry.

On Friday, Black Fashion Week debuted in Paris on the heels of the official Fashion Week of the City of Light. Black Fashion Week, the brain child of designer Adama Ndiaye, was created to bring exposure to designers inspired by African themes, and to black models who often find it difficult to find mainstream work. She sees the promotion of black fashion as necessary to unite those interested in what she sees as an all-inclusive cultural revolution.

“This is not a fashion show by black people, for black people,” Ndiaye told France24. “It’s part of a movement, like ‘black music’ and ‘black art,’ and it is inclusive of all the people that are drawn to it.”