Designer using fashion to promote African beauty

By Gabriella Chapman
DISCRIMINATION against people of African descent has long been prevalent in society. So much so that some have lost their sense of identity, and pride in who they are. This discrimination comes in many forms, some very subtle, but it still has a negative effect on the Afro- society.

Though this may seem like a national issue that the government and people in influential positions should commit to eradicating, the micro efforts of ordinary citizens are just as important, and if multiplied, can have a macro effect.

So much to say, the Pepperpot Magazine came across a social media page that has been, over the past few months, emphasising black empowerment, through fashion.

TWENTY-year-old Kevonna Glenn the force behind these beautiful creations and, in an interview, the young woman said that she has always been very passionate about her culture. That, paired with her love for fashion, she decided to use her skills to preserve the African culture, and encourage people, especially women of African descent, to love themselves for who they are.

“I don’t think that black folks get the recognition that they deserve, especially black women. I just feel like this is my time to transfer this energy. Because for me, when I wear anything Afrocentric, I feel a sense of [pride], I feel like I’m representing something. So I want to transfer that energy to other young folks growing up and just give them that same confidence, and have them understand that we are great people and they ought to embrace that and be proud,” Glenn said.

She designs clothing, using African print fabric, and to advertise her pieces, Glenn would only use black models, predominantly dark-skinned ones.

When asked about that, Glenn said that she wants to send the message to every black girl, that they are beautiful regardless of what society may think or celebrate. And dark-skinned girls, mostly, feel the discrimination given the fact that not many people deem them beautiful.

“Recently I introduced a lighter skin model just to balance it off because we are all beautiful. But I focus more on the darker [models]because that’s where more negativity surrounds,” Glenn said.

And knowing that almost every girl loves fashion, she is using her fashion pieces to speak to black beauties and empower them to be confident in their dark skin.

Before the startup of her fashion business, which she has named ‘Melaninaire’, Glenn said that while growing up, she developed a passion to be more than just a regular person.
“I wanted to have something of substance to my name. It took some time for me to actually figure out what I wanted to do. But like I mentioned, my passion for culture and black excellence, and my love for fashion, I used that to my advantage and created Melaninaire in March of this year,” she said.

She advises that one should not settle to be mediocre, but rather, to discover their ability, and use it to be a great contributor to positive change in our society.

Even though the fashion industry is somewhat crowded in Guyana, given the emergence of several designers regularly, Glenn said that this is not a deterrent.

She said that it motivates her to be more creative, unique, and add her own flavour to her creations. In fact, the young woman said that she has a lot more to unlock, and will soon be expanding on her designs to Afrocentric, swimsuits, household pieces like bedsheets and more.

Glenn said she is also good at paintings, and that will be something that she will later add to her business.

“I’m going to mix what I do and try to do other things in between, but I’m still going to put in that splash of African in there,” she said.

Though she has not yet launched her business officially, the feedback from her social media posts are very encouraging, and her business already started booming, she shared. But the official launch is in the making, she said, and from there, “I see myself going international, getting my own website so people from all over the world can order and so on.”
Glenn also obtained a Diploma in Accounting from the University of Guyana and is preparing to read for her Bachelor’s from September.