Then, in November, Jordyn Woods appeared in a full Object & Dawn set in the video for Megan Thee Stallion’s paeon to the female form, “Body.” And this past Friday, Gwen Stefani teased her upcoming single on Instagram, declaring “LET ME REINTRODUCE MYSELF,” wearing a slew of Object & Dawn items: the beaded Elohim harness, the Amaya garter belt with long, black tassels, and a matching necklace.
Read moreVogue Business | African-made luxury fashion is making a comeback →
In 2016, Suno shuttered after a decade of creating critically acclaimed collections in Africa. The next year, Maiyet, whose Nairobi artisans were once featured in a glossy New York spread, stopped making its own products and became an ethical-wear boutique in London. Edun, which Bono and his wife Ali Hewson founded in 2004, held on until last year when LVMH divested, and operations ceased in the US. It had suffered about $80 million in accumulated losses.
Read moreThe Harsh Reality Of When Mass Retailers Find Indie Designers →
It’s an up-and-coming designer’s dream. You’re laboring over handcrafting earrings or oils or needlepoint in your apartment to sell at flea markets and on your Etsy shop, and then you receive a single order from a retailer (one you’ve actually heard of!) for more units than you’ve sold in the entire time you’ve been making them. Validation!
Then…panic.