Shelby Ivey Christie on starting her own publishing company – Essence

Shelby Ivey Christie is a valued voice at Fashion X, formerly often known as Twitter. Her tone is commonly well-received – in 2018, she began sharing insights on the history of black fashion. Thanks to this, she has turn into a conscientious and well-studied documentarian, whom many individuals need to discuss our unsung heroes and facts which might be largely unknown. The Atlanta-based fashion and costume historian has experience that has allowed her to delve into the center of publishing and culture. Roles at Vogue, Amazon and L’Oréal are the hallmarks of a lady who has worked diligently from the within the corporation. The core of her work at these corporations included shaping marketing and brand strategies for multicultural consumers. Currently, it’s on the brink of a brand new era due to the recently launched project, a publishing house titled Haute Heritage Publishing House which, in her opinion, will shake up the posh fashion industry.

As this era is all about making a tangible impact for Christie, she can be releasing her first book under her imprint: . AND set of flashcards also launched with a book. The company has its rhyme and reason. Christie’s goal is to dispel preconceived notions about education in the worldwide apparel industry. The book features such icons as the long-lasting designer Dapper Dan and the legendary stylist and costume designer June Ambrose. But it also includes other names that some will not be conversant in, including designers Anne Lowe and Zelda Wynn Valdes.

Christie hopes that through her company she will encourage younger generations to achieve for his or her dreams after learning concerning the icons and others who paved the way in which for today’s fashion luminaries. In her own words: “The important message behind this endeavor is that I want to get more young, diverse minds interested in fashion so that we can encourage a more diverse range of talent to enter our industry.”

As a lady native to southern North Carolina, this brand will probably be a legacy builder for Christie that may impact beyond just her peers and the publications and types which have anointed her as a key voice price being attentive to. This will even create a chance for individuals who have a barrier to entry into the lauded industry to attach with the worldwide market. “It’s important to me because, you know, as a Southerner growing up in the South, far from the capital of fashion, New York,” Christie added.

Below, we caught up with Shelby Ivey Christie to debate her latest enterprise, an alphabet book bringing together black style legends and more.

ESSENCE.com: Can you walk me through the present era and what it has been like thus far?

Shelby Ivey Christie: For me, it is a tangible a part of my era of continued influence. I really imagine that my comments on social media and my archival work have actually had an impact on the style industry and beyond. I see the outcomes of this work. I understand that from 2018, after I began talking about Black stories in fashion, taking a look at fashion through the lens of race, class, and culture and being one in every of the few voices discussing and exposing this content, to now, when Black and POC stories are considered he said, talent is being hired inside and outdoors the industry. I feel like I even have a direct impact on this in our industry.

However, I believe I even have made it my goal to focus on more tangible technique of impact. My goal has at all times been to go offline, and this release and this primary set of products is my way of expanding my efforts to amplify Black history in fashion, to incorporate diverse talent in the style pipeline in real life, offline, something tangible and something that it opens up access to fashion content much more because that is something I’m keen about, making fashion and history content and Black history content more accessible.

Why did you select to begin a publishing company? I mean, it’s an area you realize in some ways.

My experience is expounded to publishing activities. My name was on the publisher’s masthead at . I reported it to the publisher. I used to be an intern at [and] On . When I used to be growing up, my dream was to turn into a fashion editor. [I would] browse pages, browse pages, [and] wanting to have a voice, own and direct this content. I believe once I got into fashion publishing, I gained a greater understanding of who controls content and the way that influences what stories get published and ultimately what the general public has access to.

This experience combined with my current passion for working to amplify Black and POC contributions to fashion made me think, “OK, you know what? If I’m tired of seeing the same stories amplified, or if I’m tired of people pointing out the loopholes in fashion storytelling, why don’t I just do it myself?” Black women’s motto, right? Instead of DIY, I believe for a very long time my platform was focused on stating content gaps and throwing flags at the sport where I felt there have been misses, which served its purpose, but I didn’t need to get stuck complaining and pointing fingers.

Even most people is now very informed and well-versed in cultural nuances, the problems we face around race, and who’s telling the stories in fashion. It’s an even bigger issue now and getting more attention, so I didn’t need to get stuck in the web noise and outrage and clickbait and complaining. I desired to get up and say, “OK, I have the experience, I have the knowledge, I have the network, and I can find the resources to do something about it.” This is my answer to this query and I would like to not only complain and point fingers, but do something to vary it, influence it and alter the conversation.

What is most vital to you about this latest enterprise?

For me, the purpose is that this latest enterprise goals to make fashion resources and books that tell diverse stories accessible to people of all ages. The first product is, in fact, a kid’s book. But relating to fashion, now we have specialty products. When something is polished, it could not appeal to us like designer Lego sets and the like, but we still take pleasure in it because we understand the cultural meaning behind it. These are products for fashion lovers [and] individuals who should not fashion lovers. They are intended for people of all ages. I believe the core of my work has at all times been about making fashion engaging and accessible, so now I try this in a broader and more tangible way.

I believe the subsequent big goal for me is that this [the] the book has 28 letters of the alphabet. Some of those individuals are still amongst us, and it was very vital to me that this book included people from the legends who’re still alive, because as a historian I often spend time in archives and extract information on this subject. icons which have gone further, constructing on work done a long time ago, sometimes 100 years ago. We are also unable to confer with creators in real time, learn from them, follow their journey, or see them in real time.

It’s also vital to me to not only give flowers to legends while they’re here to smell them, but in addition to introduce young people and folks of all ages to this talent while they’re here so that they can support them and watch them in real time while still working and moving through the industry, because you possibly can learn loads from watching someone proceed to do the job in real time.

Who are the people you would like people to learn more about on this book?

There are great authors on this book [and] I feel like people can recognize their work, not themselves. The letter W honors the person who designed costumes for Michael Jackson for a lot of, a few years and who created the prototype of the infamous white glove, this white glove encrusted with Swarovski, [the] costume designer, Bill Whitten. There can be Elizabeth Keckley, who designed fashion for First Lady Mary Lincoln and whose work is within the Smithsonian. So many characters have legacies and have left an enormous mark, and audiences simply do not know their names. This is the core of what drives me.

I adore it when people say, “Wow, I didn’t know that” after I’ve talked to them about something or introduced them to a brand new talent or a brand new concept in fashion, so I can just have fun a creative legacy like that too. These are individuals who have already got established jobs, they simply will not be household names, so having the ability to highlight them, have fun them and put them into the minds of young people in order that their legacy doesn’t end with ours once we’re already 30, 40 years old, is for me exciting.

What else are you able to share about yours first book which one are you able to buy today?

I can not help but mention that this book was written by the black fashion legend herself, June Ambrose. In his foreword, he expresses his excitement and encourages young minds to invigorate them and instill enthusiasm to enter this industry. I believe the foreword is a gorgeous call to motion and an inspiring message for readers to feel like they’ve something to supply to the style industry, the posh industry, and feel inspired by the characters on the pages.

I also desired to say that this book not only features Black fashion legends, nevertheless it was written by a Black fashion legend herself, and I felt it was really vital to have her co-writer and her signature and support of what we’re attempting to portray, which is bringing Black narratives in relation to fashion and, again, ensuring that the long run of fashion is more diverse. That’s why her post, support and call to motion for young minds on this book were amazing.