The latest venture of Melissa Butler, founder of the Lip Bar, is thread beauty, a brand created with inclusion and representation at the forefront. Described as a “Beauty Brand Created For Humans Of Color Who Are Expressive & Unapologetic In Their Being,” thread beauty is a Black Owned Brand championing gender diversity and unbridled self-expression — we love to see it!
So it makes total sense that their first-ever celebrity ambassador is none other than Celebrity makeup artist and queer music icon, Saucy Santana.
As their first-ever Celebrity Beauty Ambassadorship, Saucy Santana is working with thread beauty to continue to push the envelope and push boundaries of representation in the mainstream makeup market.
For thread beauty, this partnership also emphasizes the brand’s commitment as an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community. While some brands only show up for queer communities during pride, thread beauty currently donates 15% of every purchase on their brand site to LGBTQIA+ allyship organizations year-round.
SaucySantana is in full support of thread beauty’s ongoing #takepride campaign, which has been active since June of 2022 and donates to LGBTQIA+ causes, including the LGBTQ FreedomFund, Black AIDS Institute, The Trevor Project and Joshua Home: An LGBTQ Safe Haven.
“It’s one thing to be the first celebrity face of thread beauty, but to also be the first celebrity face as a black, feminine, gay man will mean so much to my community – especially for boys like me!” said Saucy Santana in a press release. “Within the community, boys that are considered bigger, dark skin, plus-size & feminine don’t get a lot of opportunities. So it means a lot to me and speaks volumes to who thread beauty is as a brand, that they chose me for this opportunity to show up for my community and make us more visible! And I love that!”
saucy santana x thread beautyvia thread beauty
Popdust got the opportunity to go behind the scenes of this partnership and ask the icon himself a couple of questions. Here is the inside scoop:
How does this partnership connect with your personal brand?
Considering that before I was rapping, I was a Celebrity Makeup Artist, this partnership with thread beauty feels like it is bringing me back to my roots. It’s a full circle moment to collaborate with a makeup company that’s excited about me, and I’m excited about their brand. With me being part of the LGBTIA+ community and thread beauty being both an ally and a Black-owned, female-based beauty brand, this partnership just made sense, as I make a lot of my music for Black females.
Also, when I first started doing makeup, even on YouTube, there wasn’t anyone that looked like me, that I could reference and learn from. Everything was self-taught, so it’s important to me to be an example for the beauty boys and everyone that loves beauty. Today, I have a lot of these supporters that look like me, for example, boys that have facial hair, a fade, and have full glam. This partnership can inspire them and represent what’s possible. Like I’m out here living my best life and here’s an example of how you can do it too!
What are you most excited about with this partnership?
I’m excited to be partnering with thread beauty because it is a Black-owned, female-founded brand that’s relatable and affordable. I think it’s a great thing that thread caters to a wider range of deeper, melanin tones, and everything is $8. I know so many pretty, dark chocolate people that used to have to spend $38-$42 to get a really good shade at a department store. The fact that thread beauty offers 26 shades at Target, and everything is $8 is groundbreaking. It allows the brown girls, boys, and thems, to be pretty at an affordable price.
thread beauty was created specifically for Gen-Z people of color, so it’s fun to partner with a makeup company who is excited about me and my supporters, and I’m excited about them!
“Prior to launching thread beauty, we weren’t seeing diversity in the beauty space, especially when it comes to men in makeup. thread was very proud to be the first brand to put a man-in-makeup on our main header displays in Target. I know first-hand that representation matters,” says thread beauty CEO & Founder, Melissa Butler.
“If there’s a little boy out there that wears makeup or wants to wear lip gloss but doesn’t see that in the retail spaces,
then there’s room for shame or the need to seek validation,” she shared to announce the partnership. “I truly believe that without representation, you are left seeking validation, and thread beauty shows up to validate the niches that were not being previously validated – especially in the color cosmetics space. Who better to be the face of a beauty brand championing unapologetic self-expression and genuine authenticity than ‘the’ Saucy Santana? We are overwhelmed & overjoyed that we get to embark on this first partnership with him.”
You can shop thread beauty online and at Target stores nationwide. Make sure to bump your favorite Saucy Santana song while you do.
For years, Moda Operandi has been the best, worst-kept-secret of fashion girls. This curated fashion hub sells selects straight from the mind of Lauren Santo Domingo — a Vogue columnist, former socialite, and one of the most stylish people on the planet.
But what makes Moda a fashion mainstay for those in the know, are its trunk shows. The concept is simple: what if you didn’t have to wait for stunning pieces to land in department stores or storefronts but rather you could order pieces straight off the runway? With that idea, Moda Operandi was born. This innovative platform puts fashion in the hands of the people, not just editors and buyers, and industry gatekeepers. (Well, as long as you can afford it.)
Now, Moda is known for spotlighting all the latest drops from all the hottest brands. From more affordable, high-quality basics to cool-girl indie brands, to the big-name designers you know and covet, you can find everything you crave on Moda.
And since they’re obsessed with reflecting the current times, it makes sense that they’ve made major strides in highlighting diverse talent — particularly from Black designers. This year, they’ve unveiled a major initiative to uplift the work of the hottest, most in-demand Black fashion visionaries working right now: a trunk show highlighting Black designers in collaboration with the 15 Percent Pledge.
The 15 Percent Pledge was started by fashion superstar and founder of the celeb-favorite shoe brand, Brother Vellies — Aurora James. You probably know her from her Met Gala looks — think: Solange in 2018, and that AOC dress in 2021. James sparked the 15 Percent Pledge in 2020 to bring the calls for inclusion and diversity to the world of fashion and beauty.
The foundation’s mission is simple: Black people are approximately 15% of the population. So Black businesses should take up 15% of shelf space at multi-brand retailers. She has appealed to major retailers to take the pledge and grant more space to Black businesses.
Retailers that have taken the pledge include Sephora, Nordstrom, MatchesFashion, and Moda Operandi. This new trunk show, which runs until April 7th, takes the pledge a step further, donating 5% of their total proceeds to the Pledge.
“Moda Operandi has been an important partner as we’ve worked to expand opportunities for Black fashion designers and find new, creative ways to showcase their creations to the world,” James told Vogue. “Uplifting Black business owners is central to our joint mission, and this collaboration is just one piece of our holistic approach to create a sustainable ecosystem for Black businesses.”
If you follow James on Instagram, you’ll agree that she has spectacular taste. She curated this slate of designers herself to forge a lineup of eight powerful brands which showcase the diversity and vitality on display amongst Black fashion designers.
“Our goal was to further challenge how the fashion industry interacts with Black creators, and expand the visibility of these incredible brands,” James said. “We hope that consumers and retailers alike can appreciate the craftsmanship and care that each of these brands demonstrates, and see that shopping Black brands is for everyone,” James told Vogue. “Throughout the curation process, we wanted to ensure that consumers had access to a wide selection of styles that demonstrated the diversity among Black brands.”
Fashion fans will notice familiar brand names and hopefully discover exciting new brands.
“What is so special about this trunk show is that each designer brings something different to the table—from Harwell Godfrey’s stunning jewelry to Sukeina’s bold and striking collections. And what every business has in common is that each designer has a powerful story, which you can see reflected in every product across their brand.”
Here are some of the best picks from the exciting, innovative collaboration.
All products featured are independently selected by our editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.
If all the good girls go to heaven, all the fashion girls go to SSENSE.
SSENSE is an online shopping platform that’s synonymous with daring, alternative styles — always at the cutting edge of the latest trends and hottest brands.
This fast-moving platform sits comfortably at the intersection of culture, community, and commerce. It features a refreshing mix of established and emerging luxury brands across womenswear, menswear, kidswear, and home. SSENSE will inspire unique, thoughtful design into every aspect of your life. Want to elevate your style? Start here.
The bible of all things anti-basic, you’ll find fashion students, influencers, and internet cool people scrolling through SSENSE. Whether they’re carting like crazy or merely analyzing the trendscape, SSENSE is a fashion lover’s guide to staying relevant.
But don’t be intimidated. SSENSE is accessible to all. It may be a fashion aesthete’s best-kept secret. But if you’re only dipping your toes into alternative fashion, there’s hope for you yet!
Have the sneaking suspicion you could do more with your white sneakers? Shop fresh silhouettes and covetable collabs for your favorite shoe staple. Or are you fruitlessly trying to liven up your white-tee-and-blue-jeans uniform? Guilty! SSENSE has surprising cuts and eye-catching washes by high-quality brands, so you’ll never look blah even when dressing basic.
Take a deep dive into the minds of fashion’s most thrilling personalities, their editorial section is not to be slept on. Call me a style nerd, but their profiles of my favorite designers, creators, models, and Insta baddies always delight and surprise! (As an ex-skate rat turned fashion devotee myself, their interview with Nico Hiraga is fantastic — let’s hear it for the male crop top!)
SSENSE also boldly champions diversity. When it comes to fashion in America, many style trends adopted by white people have been co-opted from Black culture. Yet Black people tend to be underrepresented in the fashion industry.
Content creator Pierrah launched a platform that exhalts Black Owned brands you can shop wherever you shop for any occasion. It was no surprise when she recently posted about the exciting brands available on SSENSE.
On SSENSE, you get a clearer picture of culture. It’s a cornucopia of singular, vibrant pieces from Black-Owned brands that makes shopping according to your values easy.
February is Black History Month, so we’re advocating that you incorporate more Black-owned brands into every aspect of your beautiful life. We’ve rounded up nine Black-owned fashion brands to help you spruce up your wardrobe, from shoes and accessories to swimwear.
Go ahead. Treat yourself. And remember to keep supporting Black Businesses moving forward.
Showcasing a subversive vision, London-based label Martine Rose draws inspiration from elements of the early ’90s-era rave and hip-hop cultures. Combined, these two influences inspire a catalog of reinterpreted menswear staples. Oversized French terry hoodies, sweatshirts, and bonded cotton shirts are blown out to exaggerated proportions.
Signature wide-leg jeans, billowing cord trousers, and denim jackets make a strong statement. Nylon flight jackets and athletic windbreakers are rendered in deconstructed silhouettes. Embroidered patches, cursive logos, and striped rib knit trims elevate soccer shirts and basic tees. Unexpected draping, ruching, and cut-out accents are all part of the label’s discerning eye for detail.
Taking inspiration from her British and Jamaican background, the Bianca Saunders brand is spearheaded by award-winning Designer & Creative Director Bianca Saunders. Addressing the tension between tradition and modernity, between masculine and feminine, the brand’s multi-disciplinary attitude that brings cross-cultural references to reinvigorate the evolution of menswear.
Based in London, Bianca Saunders has garnered international recognition since its inception in 2017. The British Fashion Council deemed the brand ‘One To Watch’ in 2018. And in 2021, it won The 32nd Andam Grand Prix Fashion Award.
Multi-award-winning label Ahluwalia was launched in 2018 by Priya Ahluwalia. The label blends elements from the designer’s dual Indian-Nigerian heritage and London roots. It leverages the potential of vintage and surplus clothing by giving existing material a new life through textile and patchwork techniques. So, many Ahluwalia pieces are one-of-a-kind.
This startlingly sustainable design approach combines an eclectic mix of influences like art, music, and literature. Much of Ahluwalia’s creations extend beyond her collections to collaborative campaigns, books, and films.
Launched in 2017 by Toronto-based emerging designer Tyrell Harriott, Tyrell is famous for its slinky and sensual silhouettes. Tyrell garments are designed with a warm vacation in mind and readily transition from day to night. Inspired by architecture and the feminine form, Tyrell’s cutouts and asymmetrical lines empower the wearer. Tyrell’s versatile fabrics and cuts revealing or concealing skin as desired.
With influences ranging from nineteenth-century West Indies fashion to early 2000s MTV, Maximillian Davis is an East London designer whose celebratory designs merge with a devotion to precise tailoring. After graduating from The London College of Fashion and working under Wales Bonner, these fresh, unconventional designs are delightful. The audacious, young designer is brazenly translating the spirit of Trinidadian Canboulay into contemporary cityscapes with bright, bold prints.
Toronto-born multidisciplinary artist Sean Brown dedicates his career to seeking meaning through process. His first solo exhibition — a 2018 interactive multimedia show that featured archival ephemera and process work — inspired Curves by Sean Brown. This was an expansive line of contemporary homeware and everyday objects. The brand’s signature collection of handmade CD-shaped rugs contrasts the notion of obsolete tech with the lasting nature of art. Interactive objects such as sculptural incense holders and puzzles promote Brown’s mission of engagement and exploration.
In our long-running series “How I’m Making It,” we talk to people making a living in the fashion and beauty industries about how they broke in and found success.
Ah-Niyah Gold is a superhero of a fashion publicist. But this wasn’t a career she thought of pursuing until only a few years ago.
“It’s not that I didn’t see myself owning my own company,” she clarifies. “It just wasn’t something that crossed my mind. If anyone ever told me back then that this was what I would be doing, I would’ve a hundred percent laughed in their faces, like ‘Hell no, I will not.’”
She’s always been a self-described hustler — as a pre-teen, as a staffer at an agency, even as part of the touring ensemble of Disney’s “Lion King” on Broadway.
“I became a well-rounded person at a very young age, very understanding to the ways of the world,” she tells Fashionista. “It shaped me to look at things a lot differently.”
Following her time on stage, she had a few agency roles before opening up her namesake firm, A Gold Consulting, in 2020 with the hopes of connecting consumers to emerging Black-owned brands. The New York-based company currently represents the best of today’s Black fashion and beauty businesses: Theophilio, Brandon Blackwood, Homage Year, Topicals.
“We’ve been working very diligently to continue to grow,” she says. “I don’t glamorize the idea of entrepreneurship in any shape or form. I absolutely love the work that we do — the motivation and the fuel that honestly keeps me going. But I feel like people don’t understand how hard it actually is and what it means to operate that. I’m still learning and growing, but again, the passion that we have for our work is what gets me through the week and, honestly, through each day in an hour.”
We caught up with Gold to discuss her career, her time as a child actor, how A Gold Consulting came to be and so much more. Read on for the highlights from our conversation.
Before you started in fashion, you spent some time working as a Broadway performer. Tell me about that.
I have a very unusual background, but I feel like if you know me, it makes so much sense for who I am.
I got my first job when I was 11 years old, when I was cast in Disney’s “Lion King” as Baby Nala on tour. When I first started, I didn’t look at it as a job, obviously. I was just excited to be there. I was doing what I loved. I was in middle school, working full-time alongside adults. I feel like being a kid on the road is sometimes harder — we pretty much had double the schedule because we had to do both school and work. I learned how to develop a work ethic and a schedule during this time, though, which are things no 11-year-old is typically thinking about.
What role did fashion play in your life?
Aside from performing, I’ve always loved dressing up and being immersed in fashion. That was really me and my mom’s thing. I also used to sit with the costume designers backstage and see their processes. I was just interested in all the different archetypes of the show. That influenced me heavily — even now, because it’s shaped the mindset I have past just my career in PR.
What made you want to start your own PR firm?
I come from working for larger agency environments and smaller ones — that experience was essential for me because I was able to take away things that I either absolutely loved or absolutely knew that I didn’t.
I still feel like, as I continue to navigate through fashion, my knowledge is growing. But I make it a point to study. I’m always going to be a student. I always want to know how things are moving in the production space or on the backend, with actual materials and things like that.
Being a resource — not just in the sense of dealing with press, but a resource to help brands create longevity for themselves — is really the main goal. I really want to continue to help develop brands in all aspects, in getting them across that five-, 10-, 15-year milestone.
How do you choose brands to represent? Is there a vetting process?
I don’t think there are any absolute no’s. The only time that I would say no is if I just don’t feel like they’re ready for PR or need it at the moment. I’m not out to take people’s money — I want to work with people when they’re at their best place to actually do what needs to be done.
When I work with clients, I tell them that this is a partnership. We’re working together to make this happen and to do what needs to be done. I don’t want younger brands to ever feel overwhelmed, because it can be a lot.
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The best thing that I try to do for them as well is to continue to coach them, especially if they reach out to me. I’m such a fan of talking to younger talent and helping them understand what their next steps are — even if they aren’t directly a client of mine. That’s the only way to propel them forward and let them know that they’re not alone. It’s never really a ‘no,’ it’s just like, ‘I don’t think you’re ready for this yet. I think that you can use your money or the funds that you’ve acquired so far to reinvest in yourself and focus on these areas and get to that next step where you’ll be ready to start the process of PR.’
Backstage at Theophilio’s Spring 2023 show.
Photo: Imaxtree
Once you sign a client, what are the very first things you tackle?
The first thing is walk them through the whole, ‘This is what we do, and this is what we would need from you to make it happen.’ We really help them build up those initial things for brand development, like lookbook, flat lays and a brand bio.
I’m also big on strategy. That’s the key to our success as an agency: hammering down a strategy and figuring out overall what our plan is for this specific client — whoever it may be — based off of what they have lined up and execution. I look at it as a partnership because it truly is. I can only help you as much as you decide to help yourself, but in order for us to do our best jobs, this is what we need. I make sure to communicate that before we do anything else.
You’ve recently expanded into beauty. How have those clients been a different challenge for AGC?
I’ve always been interested in beauty, but I think I was waiting for the right moment and the right client. I’m very much one of those people that goes by that energy between myself and the brand. I really have to be passionate about it, because that’s really the best way that we’re going to be able to do our best work. I ask myself: How do we see our influence, our connections and our responsibilities being carried out to take this brand to the next level?
Being able to do that with Topicals has been such an incredible experience. [Founder] Olamide Olowe has been building her brand and telling her story. We’ve been able to take some of our playbook and a little bit of our rules from working with fashion clients and applying that to beauty, which has been a lot of fun. I recently found out — in an interview she was doing — that that was pretty much the reason why she hired me: to bring in other thinkers from other industries that still have innovative visions.
What have been some of the most rewarding moments for AGC?
Edvin Thompson and the Theophilio team winning the CFDA Award felt like the World Cup. It was just really beautiful to see the love pouring out across the industry and from peers that were so supportive of the win. It validated the work that they had done so far to get to that point. I want that level of recognition for all my clients equally as hard, and I feel like those opportunities for Black creatives are still so few and far in between. So when we do have a moment to really champion them and allow them to receive this type of recognition, I don’t ever think it’s anything to be taken lightly.
Also, I’ve done two Met Galas now, and I feel like that’s my reset: Actually doing something in that space with the talent and those designers is so special, because we’re here alongside all of these legacy brands, and we’re making a statement. I never take those moments for granted, and I always look forward to the next one because it’s something that I want continue to keep growing, bringing more designers into the fold, in any capacity.
Getting our clients included in season two of “Gossip Girl” was a big moment, and having that actually written into the script was major. Luna was spotted in Homage Year, Julien in Theophilio and Brandon Blackwood. The fact that everyone was so excited to see our brands — we’re all over the moon about it.
Spotted: Theophilio on “Gossip Girl”.
Photo: Barbara Nitke/HBO Max
What are some goals you have for AGC?
My goals for in 2023 are expansion across all different industries. We work closely in fashion and beauty, but the driving factor for our success is making sure that we’re fully immersed in the culture. I definitely want to do that in the art space and the hospitality space, working with hotels, venues, spirits and more lifestyle brands. You’ll be seeing a lot of that from us this year.
We’re also aiming to do more philanthropy. We have Black Fashion Fair, but I want to continue to figure out how we can not only amplify the work of creatives and designers, but how we can support them. I also really want to go overseas! I’m so ready for us to branch out and start touching clients over in Europe and in Japan.
What advice do you have for aspiring publicists?
The industry itself is a game, so knowing your ‘why’ and knowing who would be the types of clients and people you want to serve. I’ve literally spent more time with my industry than with my family. It becomes personal, and you have to love it. You really have to be ready give a lot and understand that sometimes PR is a thankless job — but as long as you know the work that you’re doing is changing the landscape and you know you’re making a difference, that’s okay.
I really make it a point to befriend other publicists and check in on them, whether they’re pursuing the entrepreneurial route, like myself, or an agency or in-house [path]. I’ve done it all, and it doesn’t take away from the job or the stress of the job. I feel like that has truly been the key to my success, cultivating really tight relationships.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Brandon Blackwood at the “Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure & Black Fashion Fair: Those Who Dress Better” exhibition.
Photo: AB+DM
A new exhibition is in town — and this time, it’s one you can wear.
Tied to the “King Pleasure” exhibit currently on display in New York City, Black Fashion Fair partnered with Jean-Michel Basquiat’s estate for a show-slash-collaboration that’s not only open for viewing, but also for shopping. In honor of the celebration of the late artist’s work, his sisters Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux commissioned nine Black-owned brands — Hanifa, Theophilio, Brandon Blackwood, Who Decides War, Johnny Nelson, Bed on Water, Homage Year, Head of State, and Advisry — to create pieces based on his body of work.
Spearheaded by Black Fashion Fair, the capsule of ready-to-wear apparel and accessories merges each brand’s signature style with Basquiat’s art. Sixteen of the pieces are available for purchase for a limited time: There are sweaters, painted handbags and crown-shaped jewelry, priced between $20 (for a pack of Theophilio buttons) to $480 (for Advisry’s throw blanket). The rest aren’t for sale, but are being displayed at King Pleasure, as part of a show-within-the-show titled “Those Who Dress Better”; there, you can see a knit dress by Washington, D.C.–based label Hanifa, painted leather boots by Brandon Blackwood and an embroidered sweater by Advisry designer Keith Herron.
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Open until Jan. 1, “King Pleasure” offers visitors an intimate look at Jean-Michel that can only be shown by the family, featuring over 200 rarely-seen paintings, drawings and artifacts, all from the Basquait estate. The shoppable “Those Who Dress Better” pieces will be sold exclusively at the “King Pleasure” Emporium in Chelsea (601 West 26th Street) and online at blackfashionfair.org until Dec. 31.
See the Black Fashion Fair and Jean-Michel Basquiat collaboration in the gallery below.
Hanifa for “Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure & Black Fashion Fair: Those Who Dress Better” exhibition. Photo: AB+DM/Courtesy of Black Fashion Fair
Advisory for “Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure & Black Fashion Fair: Those Who Dress” Better exhibition. Photo: AB+DM/Courtesy of Black Fashion Fair
Edvin Thompson of Theophilio for “Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure & Black Fashion Fair: Those Who Dress Better” exhibition. Photo: AB+DM/Courtesy of Black Fashion Fair
Taofeek Abijako of Head Of State for “Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure & Black Fashion Fair: Those Who Dress Better” exhibition. Photo: AB+DM/Courtesy of Black Fashion Fair
Photo: AB+DM
Brandon Blackwood for “Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure & Black Fashion Fair: Those Who Dress Better” exhibition. Photo: AB+DM/Courtesy of Black Fashion Fair
Johnny Nelson for “Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure & Black Fashion Fair: Those Who Dress Better” exhibition. Photo: AB+DM/Courtesy of Black Fashion Fair
Antoine Manning of Homage Year for “Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure & Black Fashion Fair: Those Who Dress Better” exhibition. Photo: AB+DM/Courtesy of Black Fashion Fair
Shanell Campbell of Bed on Water for “Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure & Black Fashion Fair: Those Who Dress Better” exhibition. Photo: AB+DM/Courtesy of Black Fashion Fair
