During a news conference held Tuesday afternoon at the Renaissance Restaurant (corner of West 132nd Street and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard), Harlem Fashion Week introduced the six daughters of the late Malcom X and Dr. Betty Shabazz, who announced the launch of their fashion collection, created by award-winning designer Yvonne Jewnell. The line will debut during New York Fashion Week, Feb. 4, 2018, at the Museum of the City of New York. The event will also introduce Malcolm X Legacy’s online store, which is still in the works.
According to the Shabazz sisters, Ambassador Attallah, Quibilah, Llayash, Gamilah, Malikah and Malaak Shabazz, “The Malcom X Legacy Collection will give the next generation of young people an opportunity to understand the principles our father believed essential to realizing one’s true potential.”
These women teamed up with tech company Hinge to create a clothing line that pays homage to their father’s legacy. The collection, called Malcom X Legacy, is inspired by the icon’s 12 principles that stressed the importance of human rights, education, economic independence, cultural pride and justice.
The designer Jewnell is a 25-year-old native New Yorker who was born and bred in Harlem. For her, designing the Malcom X Legacy collection is a dream come true. She felt honored and rewarded when she was approached for the job.
The name of this young designer’s private label is Yvonne Jewnell New York. Utilizing an urban fashion concept, Jewnell is known for her dashiki styles, denim pieces and Afro Bloom designs.
Jewnell received the Top Emerging Designer Award at the Caribbean Fashion Week in Kingston, Jamaica at age 19. Her brand includes a collaboration of ideas with urban concepts. Her designs were showcased on worldwide runways, including London, U.K., Washington, D.C., Atlantic City, N.J., and Kingston, Jamaica. Her credentials include various stints in fine arts, photography, cartooning, sculpturing, fabric painting, mannequin displays, garment construction and pattern-making. She has studied at the Bronx River Art center, Harlem School of the Arts, the High School of Fashion Industries and Parsons School of Design, where she received a BFA in fashion design, and where she has also served as the head stylist of the Stylist Club. Jewnell has also worked for top designers Alice and Olivia. As a creative director, her goal is to scout for new talent, showcase unique designers and inspire young entrepreneurship.
In the collection, Jewnell’s details included some military touches. She likes the urban concepts, but also wanted to pay attention to the lengths of her skirts and dresses.