In this series, Man Repeller shines a light on standout independent, Black-owned fashion labels we think you should know about (and shop from!). And in turn, they’re passing the baton and spotlighting a handful of labels they know and love. Today we have Sade Mims, founder and designer of the accessory brand EDAS.
The brand:
EDAS, an accessories label (with a few clothing items mixed in!) that launched in 2015
The designer:
If we drew a 3-adjective Venn diagram, EDAS would sit in the center of:
Earthy, sculptural, restrained
Fantasy scenario:
Walking to meet your friends for dinner wearing one of EDAS’ sold-out Delentals (a kind of asymmetrical black leather apron) over an oversized white button-down, jeans, squiggly scene-stealing Prime earrings in your lobes, and the Yshaia bag in the crook of your elbow. Walking fast, listening to a podcast. You all meet outside the restaurant and decide to wait for a table outside. You debate whether there are really two kinds of people in this world: those who scope out the menu online ahead of time, and those who let it wash over them once they sit down to eat.
Black entrepreneurship in Sade’s words:
“I have a responsibility to use my platform to authentically tell the Black story and to hire and collaborate with Black creatives—it’s imperative. I knew that was my duty in 2015, and I most certainly know that it’s even more crucial now. What we’re seeing is a revolution, but this type of uprising has been the reality for Black people for quite a while, so I’m really excited to see this unification happening on a global level.”
Check out MR Market Strategist Elizabeth Tamkin’s database of more than 550 Black-owned brands, along with some of her personal shopping recommendations. If you have a suggestion that you think should be added, please share it in the comments.
