As HARLEM WEEK kicked off, the celebration of Black culture, creativity, and community took center stage. With New York Fashion Week just weeks away in Midtown Manhattan, high fashion made its way uptown as Jackie Robinson Park transformed into an outdoor runway on Saturday.
POPSICLE, a community-driven outdoor fashion event, turned the Harlem park into a vibrant showcase of style, culture, and entertainment. Created to elevate Black entrepreneurs, designers, models, artists, and creators, the inaugural event aimed to address the lack of Black representation in mainstream fashion while offering free access to top-tier Black innovation, creativity, and style for residents spanning millennials to Gen Z.
For Darryl K. Roberts, founder of Bridging Structural Holes and one of POPSICLE’s organizers, the event was a long-overdue response to the fashion industry’s lack of Black representation. Describing himself as a “social engineer,” Roberts said the idea for POPSICLE emerged after witnessing Black designers and creatives consistently overlooked during major fashion weeks.
“When I saw the lack of representation at Fashion Week, L.A. Fashion Week, etc., I thought this would be a great opportunity for us to design a platform to combat the lack of Black representation,” Roberts said. “So here’s a free fashion event where we’re coming to their community.”
Nafissatou Yattassaye photos
By hosting a free fashion show in Harlem to coincide with the start of HARLEM WEEK and featuring HBCU models and designers, POPSICLE sought to eliminate many of the traditional barriers associated with fashion events, including cost, accessibility, and limited representation.
The runway’s energy was fueled by HBCU students, including Cydney Joy, a model, New York City resident, and student at Florida A&M University. Joy reflected on what it meant to model in her hometown.
“To finally be a part of something that’s going on on the streets of Harlem is really cool,” Joy said. “The community, it’s like a family feeling. It’s so nice, warm, and welcoming.”
Beyond the runway, Joy said the event’s welcoming atmosphere made the experience even more meaningful because her mother, brothers, and friends were able to watch her model.
In addition to the fashion show, POPSICLE showcased local vendors, artists, creators, and entrepreneurs.
From Peter Mulligan, founder of The Mulligan Method, whose portrait artwork is designed to inspire the next generation, to Allan Graham, a Harlem fashion veteran of more than 15 years and creator of McKenzie Fashion, who debuted his Japanese-inspired Re-Denim collection, the exhibitors shared a common goal: building a lasting legacy while bringing people together through their work.
Weena Jerome-Alexandre, founder of the Montreal-born natural hair care brand Renaissance Curls, also marked a milestone by offering her first on-site hair service booth after relocating to Harlem. Specializing exclusively in natural hair textures, Jerome-Alexandre encouraged attendees to embrace their authentic beauty.
“Start getting confident in wearing your natural hair,” she said. “It’s beautiful.”
Together, the vendors painted a vibrant picture of Harlem’s creative ecosystem, highlighting the neighborhood’s wealth of talent, entrepreneurship, and artistic expression.
As POPSICLE looks to the future, Roberts hopes to expand the event throughout New York City. But the inaugural showcase already delivered a powerful message: Black fashion, art, and entrepreneurship do not need corporate permission to thrive.
By centering community, amplifying local talent, and creating an inclusive platform, POPSICLE has established a new model for accessible fashion and street culture.
“We have something that emphasizes Black culture, excellence, and creativity happening all at the same time,” Roberts said. “And with HBCU models and designers, I get chills just talking about this.”
