Aurora James Explained

Aurora James
Birth Place:Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Known For:Fashion design
Notable Works:15 Percent Pledge
Awards:2020 The Bloomberg 50
2021 Time 100

Aurora James is a Canadian creative director, activist, and fashion designer. In 2013, she founded the fashion label Brother Vellies, with the goal of promoting traditional African design practices and techniques. In 2020, James founded the 15 Percent Pledge as a non-profit organization to support Black-owned businesses. Her memoir Wildflower was released in 2023.

Early life

James was born to a Ghanaian father and a Canadian mother in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.[1] Her childhood was split between Canada and Jamaica.[1] [2] In 2010, James relocated to Los Angeles and later to New York City.

Career and brand

After traveling across Africa[3] in 2011, James spent the next few years experimenting with design, testing designs at local markets in New York and working with various artisan groups. She launched Brother Vellies in January 2013, started with $3,500 in savings, with a goal of promoting the work of African artisans. The first formal Brother Vellies collection was produced for the spring 2014 season and was created entirely with shoemakers in South Africa. James later expanded to working in other countries within Africa and beyond, including Mexico and Honduras, to continue producing desert boots, shoes, slippers, and sandals.[4]

In 2015, James began producing handbags for Brother Vellies, the same year she won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund prize.

In 2020, James was featured on the cover of the September issue of Vogue magazine, in a portrait by Jordan Casteel.[5] [6]

In 2022, she was unanimously elected as a Vice Chair of the CFDA.[7]

In 2023, James was presented the Honorary Clio Award.[8] [9]

Brother Vellies has been worn by activists, celebrities, artists and musicians, including Beyoncé, Solange Knowles,[10] Nicki Minaj,[11] and Elaine Welteroth.[12] James designed the "Tax the Rich" dress worn by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the 2021 Met Gala.[13] [14] [15] [16]

The 15 Percent Pledge

See main article: 15 Percent Pledge.

In 2020, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the wave of Black Lives Matter activism that followed, James launched an initiative called the 15 Percent Pledge,[17] [18] with an Instagram post on May 29 that Vogue writes "immediately went viral and resulted in an outpouring of interest." The 15 Percent Pledge Foundation was then created as a non-profit organization to urge major retailers to commit 15 percent of their shelf-space to Black-owned businesses.[19] The foundation offers large corporations accountability and strategy suggestions[20] as well as consulting services. The goal of the foundation is to advocate on behalf of Black-owned businesses and to build generational wealth in Black communities;[21] according to its website, the initiative "was born from seeing multiple acts of social injustice and police brutality in the United States, with a lack of corporate accountability for the systemic issues at play."[22]

Time magazine writes that James wanted to "find a way that companies could make a tangible change", and "from there, the 15 Percent Pledge was born." Cam Wolf writes in GQ magazine that "James is careful to note that the 15 Percent Pledge is not the only solution", and that James said, "This is a really tough time for everyone, and people shopping is by no means going to ease the pain of the lives that we have lost ... There are also a lot of other things that we need people to be doing, like donating to bail funds."[23]

Memoir

In May 2023, James' memoir Wildflower was released.[24] According to a review in Kirkus Reviews, "Throughout the text, James is vulnerable and frank, cultivating a narrative voice that is both intimate and captivating; on the line level, her language is impressively lyrical."[24] Bianca Betancourt writes in Harper's Bazaar, "James doesn't hold back. She movingly intertwines memories of her youth with deeply honest accounts of the life she leads today as a designer and entrepreneur."[25]

Cat Woods writes in Observer, "While reading Wildflower, it can sometimes be hard to see how James conjured up the resolve and determination to carry on in an industry notoriously defined by privilege, exploitation and savage competition."[26] In Fashionista, Andrea Bossi writes, "Sure, a fashion lover can appreciate how James takes the reader through learning about the footwear trade, but the book speaks to a broader audience. Specifically, it appeals to anyone who has ever questioned their path and purpose, especially women and women of color."[27]

Awards and honors

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Okwudo . Janelle . Aurora James on Fashion, Feminism, and the Fifteen Percent Pledge . 16 December 2020 . VOGUE . August 26, 2020.
  2. News: Holman . Jordyn . Aurora James, the Founder Seeking Shelf Space . 16 December 2020 . Bloomberg . December 7, 2020.
  3. News: Zarrella. Katharine K.. June 12, 2020. Meet Aurora James, a Designer Advocating for Black-Owned Businesses. en-US. Wall Street Journal. August 17, 2018. 0099-9660.
  4. Web site: Milch . Nora . Brother Vellies' Aurora James Just Wants Women to be Comfortable in their Shoes . W. March 25, 2016 . 16 December 2020.
  5. News: Laing . Sarah . Why Aurora James being on Vogue's September cover is so significant . 17 December 2020 . The Toronto Star . August 25, 2020.
  6. News: Kazanjian . Dodie . The Making of Vogue's September 2020 Covers . 25 December 2020 . Vogue . August 25, 2020.
  7. Web site: CFDA . 2024-02-03 . cfda.com.
  8. Web site: 2023-06-12 . Creativity in Conversation: A Q&A with 2023 Honorary Clio Award Recipient Aurora James . 2024-02-14 . Clios . en.
  9. Web site: 2023-06-12 . Honorary Award Recipient . 2024-02-14 . Clios . en.
  10. News: Salam. Maya. Bromwich. Jonah Engel. Safronova. Valeriya. Shutler. Natalie. 2018-06-28. Met Gala 2018: See Photos From the Red Carpet. en-US. The New York Times. 2020-08-17. 0362-4331.
  11. News: Ho . Jason . How Canadian designer Aurora James is persuading retailers to support Black-owned businesses . 17 December 2020 . CBC News . November 19, 2020.
  12. News: Laura . Regensdorf . Aurora James on This Week's Big Win for the 15 Percent Pledge and Black-Owned Brands . 17 December 2020 . Vanity Fair . June 12, 2020.
  13. News: Testa . Jessica . A.O.C.’s Met Gala Designer Explains Her ‘Tax the Rich’ Dress . 12 February 2022 . . September 22, 2021.
  14. News: Abel . Katie . Everyone's Talking About AOC's 'Tax the Rich' Dress, But Aurora James' Designs Have Been Making Powerful Statements for Years . 14 September 2021 . . Yahoo News . September 14, 2021.
  15. News: The Best Met Gala 2021 Red Carpet Photos . 14 September 2021 . The New York Times . September 13, 2021 . Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York sent a message with her gown by Aurora James. The back of her dress was emblazoned with the words "Tax the Rich" in red. Her bag had the same phrase..
  16. News: Segran . Elizabeth . Meet the visionary designer behind AOC's Tax the Rich dress . 14 September 2021 . . September 14, 2021.
  17. Web site: Kent . Sarah . Lieber . Chavie . Designer Aurora James Calls on Retailers to Commit to Black-Owned Businesses . Business of Fashion . May 31, 2020 . 16 December 2020.
  18. News: Robinson . Roxanne . Aurora James, The Designer Behind The #15PercentPledge, On Supporting Black-Owned Businesses Long Term . 16 December 2020 . Forbes . June 16, 2020.
  19. Web site: Rougeau . Naomi . How Aurora James Took the 15 Percent Pledge From an Instagram Post to a 501(c)(3) . . 16 December 2020 . September 15, 2020.
  20. Web site: Interested in taking the Pledge? . Fifteen Percent Pledge . 16 December 2020.
  21. News: Duffy . Clare . 15% Pledge calls on Target, Whole Foods and other retailers to dedicate shelf space to black-owned businesses . 17 December 2020 . CNN Business . June 7, 2020.
  22. Web site: FAQ for businesses . Fifteen Percent Pledge . 16 December 2020.
  23. Web site: Wolf. Cam. This Initiative Could Direct Billions of Dollars to Black-Owned Businesses. 2021-03-22. GQ. en-us.
  24. News: WILDFLOWER . 28 August 2023 . . March 1, 2023 . en.
  25. News: Betancourt . Bianca . Aurora James Has Never Claimed to Be Perfect . 28 August 2023 . . 9 May 2023.
  26. News: Woods . Cat . Aurora James Is Breaking the Fairytale Founder Memoir Mold . 28 August 2023 . . 8 May 2023.
  27. News: Bossi . Andrea . There's Something for Everyone to Learn in Aurora James' Memoir . 28 August 2023 . . 22 May 2023 . en.
  28. Web site: Codinha. Alessandra. Breaking News! Brother Vellies, Gypsy Sport, and Jonathan Simkhai to Share 2015 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Win. 2020-08-17. Vogue. en-us.
  29. Web site: Aurora James Profile . CFDA . 17 December 2020.
  30. Web site: The 2016 CFDA Fashion Awards Nominees and Honorees . CFDA . 17 December 2020 . March 17, 2016.
  31. Web site: The 2018 CFDA Fashion Awards Nominees & Honorees Are In! . CFDA . 17 December 2020 . March 15, 2018.
  32. Web site: Greene . Greg . Honoring the Black Women Who Stand Up for Reproductive Health Care . Planned Parenthood Blog . 17 December 2020 . September 21, 2019.
  33. Web site: 2019 International Canadian Designer Award Recipient – Aurora James. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200805214250/https://www.cafawards.ca/2019/03/18/official-2019-international-canadian-designer-award-recipient/ . 2020-08-05 . 2020-08-17. www.cafawards.ca.
  34. Web site: 2019-03-24. 40 Under 40 - Aurora James. 2020-08-17. Crain's New York Business. en.
  35. News: The Fashion Award 2020 Winners Share Their Hopes for the Future of the Fashion Industry . 17 December 2020 . Vogue . December 3, 2020.
  36. News: Marriott . Hannah . British Fashion Awards: move online heralds different set of priorities . 17 December 2020 . The Guardian . December 3, 2020.
  37. News: Aurora James Brings the Fifteen Percent Pledge to Store Shelves . 16 December 2020 . Bloomberg BusinessWeek . December 4, 2020.
  38. News: The Bloomberg 50 . 17 December 2020 . Bloomberg BusinessWeek . December 7, 2020.
  39. News: Butler-Young . Sheena . FNAA Person of the Year Aurora James Is Fashion's Vitamin Supplement — Why It Needs Her Bold, Brilliant Energy Daily . 14 September 2021 . . December 7, 2020.
  40. Web site: Dewberry . Sarah . TIME unveils list of 100 most influential people of 2021 . . November 11, 2021 . en . September 16, 2021.
  41. Web site: 2021-11-11 . Christopher John Rogers And Emily Bode-Aujla Take Top Honora At The CFDA Awards – See All The Winners . 2024-02-23 . British Vogue . en-GB.
  42. Web site: 2021-11-11 . All of the CFDA Fashion Award Winners . 2024-02-23 . Harper's BAZAAR . en-US.
  43. Web site: Ogunnaike . Lola . With the Fifteen Percent Pledge, Aurora James Is Offering Corporate America a Deal . . August 2, 2023 . en . October 25, 2022.
  44. Web site: 2023-10-16 . Inside the 10th Annual Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards . 2024-02-03 . Vogue . en-US.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Aurora James".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.