During this past Juneteenth celebration, Black Fashion Fair and Theophilio hosted an event at Industry City NYC titled Family Reunion. The celebration was for Black creatives and allies to convene and enjoy each other’s company, and to celebrate their recent collaborative capsule that Christian Cody
The turf was dressed with branded Black Fashion Fair blankets, adorned with much-needed snacks and games for guests to indulge in. Guests were flicked up by photographer, Christian Cody against a vibrant blue backdrop where friends and family were able to flex their melanin all-day-long. The interactive elements of this joyful event didn’t stop there. Black-owned florist, Olivee Floral, created by Karla Smith-Brown, was also present with a mini-shop for guests to choose from a selection of flowers and plants for a complimentary flower arrangement wrapped in branded Black Fashion Fair newspaper. “I wanted to literally give Black people their flowers,” said BFF owner, Antoine Gregory. The second to last interactive element was a Theophilio pop-up shop being run by the designer, Edvin Thompson, which gave guests the chance to view his beautiful pieces up-close, purchase what caught their eye, and meet the designer.
Christian CodyLater in the evening, guests were graced with an intimate performance by Elle Varner, with everyone gathering in front of the stage to dance and sing along to the beautiful melodies. Afros, cornrows, dreadlocks, durags, and Telfar bags filled the crowd as they hummed and moved in harmony. In the midst of Elle Varner singing one of her fan favorites, Refill, it began to drizzle rain, but Miss Varner and the guests were unfazed and continued to sing together with full-volume. Then came another exciting artist, Theophilus London. The Trinidadian rapper/singer provided a unique sound that filled the body with rhythm and a desire to dance, all while looking great in his full Theophilio look.
Gregory shared that the intention of Family Reunion was to celebrate the Black experience. He preferred it to be an open space for everyone with easy access to each element. Gregory also opted-out of security for the performers to maintain the intimacy as the event was purely about community.
Christian CodyESSENCE: How would you describe the experience of being gathered at Family Reunion on Juneteenth?
Thompson: It was amazing to say the least. The family reunion in the U.S. is a little different from how we would celebrate a family reunion in Jamaica. But it was really nice to see how the experience merged the communities together and to see the story of me creating the bridge between Jamaica and the U.S., and cultivating space where we own our vision.
Family Reunion was surely an event to remember and will definitely be something we look forward to each year as BFF plans to make it an annual occurrence. It encompassed all of the attributes of a traditional family reunion and more by bringing communities together to celebrate shared heritage and culture.
TOPICS: Black fashion black fashion fair fashion Juneteenth
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