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Researchers have developed algorithms that accurately depict coily Black hair in computer graphics — a historic advancement for Black characters in media. According to The Guardian, AM Darke, an associate professor in the department of performance, play, and design at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Theodore Kim, a professor of computer science at the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, co-authored the study. Despite increased representation and numerous papers published on computer graphics algorithms over the past 50 years — particularly regarding hair — Kim noted that representations of Black hair have remained relatively unchanged. Due to a lack of appropriate formulas, animators have struggled to accurately depict textures like type 4C hair , characterized by tightly coiled curls. “There’s only one or two hairstyles that people gravitate towards because they find that it’s culturally approved,” Kim said. “The vast diversity of type four hair is then...
The fashion industry is a massive global market that relies on consumer demand to shape trends and production. Every purchase a consumer makes influences how fashion brands operate, from luxury houses like Dior to fast fashion retailers like SHEIN . Consumer responsibility plays a major role in the ethical, environmental and labor aspects of the fashion industry. Trends change quickly, and consumers are always looking for the next big style. Social media and celebrity culture drive these shifts, making people want to buy new clothes frequently. For fast fashion this means the priority is to create low-cost, trendy clothing at a rapid pace. Companies like Zara, H&M and Forever 21 design and produce new styles in just weeks, while SHEIN keeps a stable of designers on hand to release new looks daily. This ensures that customers always have something new to buy . However, this system comes with significant consequences. The Environmental Impact Of Fast Fashion (Fernand De...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. While President Donald Trump has delayed the tariffs on Canada and Mexico for another month, tariffs have already been imposed on China. Tariffs on China include a 10% tax, along with closing a loophole that helped boost China-owned brands like Temu and Shein. When a foreign shipment arrives, it goes through customs and gets inspected, and the importer has to pay an import tax depending on the size of the shipment. For almost a century, there’s been a loophole where small packages under a certain value would be exempt from that tax, called “de minimis.” Ten years ago, Congress expanded the exemption to include packages worth under $800. Stores like Temu, Shein, and Chinese drop shippers that sell on Amazon and the TikTok Shop have used the loophole to their advantage. The majority of retailers ship products in bulk to U.S. warehouses as they go through the traditional customs process. Shein and...
Travis Scott has launched a new program that will fuel the design and creativity of students. In 2020, the rapper and songwriter extended his impact in his hometown of Houston, TX, by launching the Cactus Jack Foundation in November 2020, providing the next generation with educational and creative resources, Variety notes. One year after its inception, the foundation launched the 60,000-square-foot Cact.us Design Center at TXRX Labs, serving at-risk middle and high school students. It offers training, mentorship, and exposure to career paths in graphic design, fashion, and music, according to information shared with AFROTECH™. The foundation also provides $10,000 scholarships to college students in partnership with the Fashion Scholarship Fund through the Design Ethos Program. It has awarded scholarships to two cohorts since 2024. Recipients include: Gerald Baano-Stewart II (Morehouse College, 2024) Amanda Kerr (Savannah College of Art and Design, 2024) Satchel Smith (Thomas...
BMW and Louis Vuitton’s 2014 collaboration is reportedly considered the most sought-after brand collaboration ever. Through its research, women’s online retailer Public Desire determined the top 10 collaborations by analyzing various factors, including original price, resale value , price growth, accessibility, and public interest. According to information provided to AFROTECH™, the company then calculated a composite score for each collaboration, which was ranked in descending order based on its performance across these criteria. With a composite score of 98.0, the BMX x Louis Vuitton collaboration, which produced highly exclusive luxury luggage, had the highest growth in resale value. When BMW announced the collaboration, Adrian van Hooydonk, senior vice president of BMW Group Design, highlighted the use of CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymer) in the company’s i8 sports car as an example of its “intelligent lightweight construction philosophy.” “BMW and Louis Vuitton share both...
Engineering was once foreign to Logan Hickox but is now integral to his daily work at Nike. During an interview with Fast Company, he shared that while sports had been a significant part of his upbringing, engineering was not. His interest in the field was sparked when he noticed flyers at his school promoting a meeting for students interested in robotics. “You have the notion that engineers might be of the nerdier type, or maybe they’re not athletic, or they’re not into theater, or whatever it might be,” he said to the outlet. “And especially as a Black man myself, not having seen that representation before, that was something that I was definitely apprehensive about at first. Being able to really push outside of my comfort zone and being able to see it’s not just one mold that people fit, that was something that was super eye-opening to me.” Hickox attended the University of Florida in 2016 and obtained a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering five years later, his LinkedIn...
As part of Miami Art Week, Art Basel Miami took place from Friday, Dec. 6, to Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, kicking off with a private dinner on Thursday, Dec. 5, at the Fazeel Khan Residence. Tres Generaciones Tequila, a premium tequila brand known for supporting creators and innovators, and CFDA two-time award-winning fashion designer Maxwell Osborne hosted the exclusive event in partnership with ARTNOIR to celebrate trailblazers marking new milestones at Art Basel, according to a press release. The dinner honored contemporary artist Andrea Chung, recognized for her original work inspired by island nations in the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which challenges traditional notions of “paradise” through the outsiders’ perspectives. Guests included Fabolous , Leon Thomas, Paul Anthony Smith, Kesha McLeod, Carmelo Anthony, and Rubi Rose, among others, who all arrived by luxury boat cruiser and were greeted with Jamaican patties, a tribute to Osborne’s Jamaican-American heritage. He is a...
Many who grew up in the 80s and 90s are quick to associate the nostalgia of heading back to school with the bright and cheery supplies designed by Lisa Frank. The notoriously private artist is best known for crafting lunchboxes, stickers, toys and trapper keepers covered in dolphins, unicorns, pandas and other adorable critters that decorated classrooms for decades. Before she rose to fame, Frank grew up in Michigan’s Bloomfield Hills (one of America’s wealthiest cities ), the daughter of a higher-up in the automotive industry who supported her creative pursuits. “ My dad was an art collector, my mom had a little kiln in our basement and we would make pottery. I think from about age five on, they sent me to art classes, and I was a huge colorer. HUGE. I think to keep me quiet, they would bring the coloring books and crayons, and I would fill up the books,” Frank told Urban Outfitters in a rare interview. She went on to attend Cranbrook Kingswood School with Mitt Romney, then headed...
Black culture has long been a driving force in shaping fashion, yet that influence is not fully represented in the industry’s creative leadership. According to data from Zippia.com , only 7.3% of American fashion designers are Black. McDonald’s Change of Fashion program is committed to addressing this disparity and helping to elevate Black talent within the fashion industry. By working with five rising fashion designers, matched with five Black industry experts, the Change of Fashion program includes a year-long mentorship filled with access to valuable resources, education, and national exposure to industry experts, including the launch of a capsule collection. As we gear up for the 2024 AFROTECH™ Conference, blending style with purpose is more relevant than ever. Whether you’re into innovative streetwear or eco-conscious resort attire, the McDonald’s Change of Fashion designers are revolutionizing the game and helping people stand out, speak up, and show up as their most authentic...
Steve Madden shoes have been confidently carrying women for decades, with an estimated 120 locations in America, plus 250 more across 65 other countries. The man behind the brand was born in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York in 1958. Interestingly, Madden’s interest in footwear began as a teenager when he started working at a local shoe store. After high school, the creative went off to the University of Miami, but wound but back in Long Island after his sophomore year. At the time, Madden felt called to spent more time selling footwear and learning about the female consumer’s preferences to perfect his own designs. People associate Steve Madden with the company itself more than the visionary behind the products, but the fashion icon actually has a very interesting story. Outside of starting a family with his former director of operations (and eventual wife from 2005 to 2015), Wendy Ballew, the East Coast native managed to secure a $700K salary during his 31 months in prison, even...
North West plans to start her own empire, following in the footsteps of her parents. Her Parents’ Empire Kim Kardashian: North was born into fame as the daughter of Kim Kardashian and Ye, formerly Kanye West, on June 15, 2013, in Los Angeles, CA, though the couple is now divorced. Kardashian shot to stardom following the success of the reality television show, “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” which aired in 2007 and ran for 20 seasons on E!. By 2016, Kardashian was the highest-paid reality television star, ringing in $51 million annually and boasting millions of followers across Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at the time, TIME reports. As the show was nearing its end, it was reported by Parade she was earning as much as $4.5 million per season. Kardashian was able to continue her success beyond her time on screen, expanding into business with ventures that included KKW Beauty, which she shut down in 2021 after selling 20% to Coty for $200 million the year prior, according to...
It’s official! Shaquille O’Neal is tied to a billion-dollar deal! As AFROTECH™ previously mentioned, O’Neal is the second-largest shareholder in Authentic Brands Group. This is the result of a 2015 deal that gave the company the rights to manage his name in merchandise and endorsements. O’Neal explained the significance of the deal during a previous AFROTECH™ interview stating, “My Authentic Brands deal, I was able to ensure that hopefully I can stay around after I’m no longer on this earth. And I was walking down the street one day and looking at these Elvis cups and Elvis key chains and Marilyn Monroe, and I said to myself, ‘How are these people still making money for their families?’ They’re not even around. So, I found out how that business works, and I contacted two or three of those agencies and asked them if they were interested in partnering with Authentic Brands, and we’ve been doing major things.” He added, “I’m now the second-largest shareholder in Authentic Brands Group,...
Mooski’s 2021 hit “Track Star” may be filled with double entendre and deeper meanings, but its opening line — “She’s a runner. She’s a track star”— takes on a literal meaning for Sha’Carri Richardson. Richardson is a Dallas, TX, native whose track career has experienced some hills and valleys but never infused extreme doubt for anyone who has followed the star’s journey. Her athletic prowess was confirmed even further when she qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Sha’Carri Richardson’s Journey Richardson’s 2024 qualification is a testament to her resilience following a challenging period in 2021. According to a Forbes profile, a failed drug test led to a one-month suspension, causing her to miss the Tokyo Olympics. Her candid discussion about using cannabis to cope with the stress of Olympic qualifying and the loss of her biological mother earned her widespread respect. Despite the emotional turmoil, Richardson returned triumphantly in 2023, securing gold in the 100 meters at the...
There is so much beauty in making your dreams come true, and this former Target employee’s transition from team member to collaborator for its recent Future Collective collection is proof! Before launching her fashion brand, Jeneé Naylor began her Target career in 2012, quickly rising to the role of store director at stores across the Washington, D.C. area after several years of hard work and commitment. Now, 11 years later, the company has unveiled its latest Future Collective collaboration with Naylor and her brand, which features 70 new pieces designed with individuality in mind, according to Target’s company blog. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Target (@target) “From sketching designs in high school to working in retail, fashion has always been a passion of mine,” Naylor said. “It wasn’t until I was working full-time that I started posting my outfits on social media and gaining traction. Because my Target work schedule was so busy, I would create and batch...
Mary J. Blige’s fans have been asking her for a boot collection for years. Now, the music legend has delivered on her promise. In May 2023, the “Good Morning Gorgeous” singer exclusively shared with AFROTECH™ that her signature boot line was on the way. “It’s in the works,” Blige told AFROTECH™ at the time . “For some reason, this is taking longer than everything else, but we’re gonna get there. Trust me. Everything else is here so that’s on its way.” The time has officially arrived as Blige teamed up with Giuseppe Zanotti in May 2024 for “The Mary Boot.” What’s more, she was a part of the design process. “Giuseppe Zanotti and Mary J. Blige have transformed their longtime friendship into an exclusive, limited-edition collaboration,” Giuseppe Zanotti shared on its Instagram page. “‘The Mary Boot,’ a stunning over-the-knee boot co-designed by the two talents.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Giuseppe Zanotti (@giuseppezanotti) During the 2024 Strength of a Woman Festival...