black owned vintage & contemporary fashion brands

In honor of Black History Month, we pulled a selection of Black-owned fashion brand pieces from our sales floor to spotlight their impact on fashion history.

Are you familiar with these brands? What’s your favorite thrifted Black-owned fashion find? All items listed below were discovered at our Greenpoint location.

FUBU

An acronym for “For Us, By Us,” FUBU was founded in 1992 to create clothing for Black American communities and music artists when mainstream and Luxury brands wouldn’t. As the brand gained traction and recognition, FUBU went on to help define the streetwear market and influence fashion globally.

WilliWear Ltd.

Founded in 1976 by designer Willi Donnell Smith, WilliWear Ltd. was active through 1990. Smith was one of the most successful African-American designers of his time, creating stylish, affordable clothing inspired by the streets of NYC for modern women and men.

THEOPHILIO

Founded in 2020, TheoPhilio is a contemporary fashion label by Jamaican-American designer Edvin Thompson. Based in Brooklyn and inspired by island soul and New York energy, the brand embodies raw freedom, individuality, and cultural expression.

Baby Phat

Founded in 1999 by Kimora Lee Simmons, Baby Phat grew into a lifestyle brand and became one of the most defining labels of the early 2000s.

Phat Farm

Founded in 1992 by Russell Simmons, Phat Farm rose alongside the growing influence of hip-hop culture. Its success reflected a moment when Black-owned American brands filled a long-standing gap in the fashion industry.

Essentials Fear Of God

Originally founded in 2011 by Jerry Lorenzo, Fear of God helped usher in the modern luxury streetwear era. In 2018, the brand introduced Essentials, offering stripped-back wardrobe basics rooted in the same elevated design philosophy.

OFF-WHITE

Founded in 2013 by Virgil Abloh, OFF-WHITE is a contemporary American luxury brand. Abloh described the name as representing “the gray area between black and white,” a concept that shaped both the brand’s identity and its influence on fashion.

Tracy Reese

Founded in 1998 in NYC, Tracy Reese produces both ready-to-wear and resort collections. Diffusion lines Plenty (2000) and Frock! (2006) made the brand more accessible. Known for classic femininity and retro inspiration, Tracy Reese has dressed notable figures including Michelle Obama.

Brandon Blackwood

Founded in 2015, Brandon Blackwood launched with just $7,000. The brand gained massive attention in 2020 with the viral “End Systemic Racism” (ESR) tote. Its first hit, the Portmore backpack, came from a idea when Blackwood was forced to stay in vs going out in nyc nightlife, and turned creativity into an iconic design.

LaQuan Smith

Founded in 2013, has cultivated a iconic private order clientele and can be seen on most star studded red carpets. Smith founded the brand at the age of just 21, and has been renoqned for their glamourous designs.