Many thanks to Peter Jordens for sending all links related to Caribbean representation at Harlem Fashion Row’s 18th Annual Fashion Show, which took place earlier this month. “The platform showcased three Haitian designers—and the beauty of their heritage—just ahead of the official New York Fashion Week calendar,” India Espy-Jones writes for Essence.
This week, Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR) presented their 18th Annual Fashion Show and Style Awards on Wall Street. This year’s event, entitled This Is The Table, served over 40 dinner tables full of predominately Black editors, founders, and sponsors. They all gathered to celebrate honorees like esteemed Editor of the Year, Marie Claire’s Editor-in-Chief Nikki Ogunnaike and Usher, who accepted the Virgil Abloh Award.
But the beautiful moments went beyond these well-deserved awards and the powerful acceptance speeches that came with them. Following a performance by Alvin Ailey, and the awards segment itself, the evening transitioned into a series of three runway shows. All were coincidentally presented by Haitian designers—Waina Chancy, LaTouché, and Daveed Baptiste. Of course, each had a distinct take on Haitian beauty as well. “There’s three separate designers and there is a lot of different makeup looks,” lead makeup artist Keanda Vivar tells ESSENCE exclusively backstage.
The show started with Waina Chancy’s Atelier Ndigo which Vivar described, before breaking to tell her team to apply even more mascara, as “very natural with warm blush and lips.” Of course, this paired well with the groomed up brows. The eye-opening makeup also complemented low braided buns, which were dressed up with traditional headpieces fixated [sic] on the top of the models’s heads.
The second show, LaTouché, was inspired by Jacmel, Haiti. “It’s very tribal, avant garde makeup,” Vivar says of the red mask-like makeup that was painted on with LYS Beauty’s Foundation Sticks as the base. We saw the look on Haitian Love Island star, Chelley Bissainthe. She closed LaTouché in the vermillion tone with a brown lip from The Lip Bar and her hair braided into spirals. [. . .]
To close the evening, applause erupted for Daveed Baptiste, who channeled a Grenadian tradition called “Jab Jab” where the body is covered in a black tar-like oil as a symbol of defiance. Meanwhile, another model was painted blue. [. . .]
For full article, see https://www.essence.com/gallery/essence-beauty-diary-haitian-harlems-fashion-row-nyfw-ss26
Also read “Harlem’s Fashion Row celebrates Haitian creativity at its 2025 Style Awards and Runway Show,” by Janelle Sessoms, Fashionista.
For photos and video clips, see https://www.instagram.com/harlemsfashionrow, September 11, 2025.
Many thanks to Peter Jordens for sending all links related to Caribbean representation at Harlem Fashion Row’s 18th Annual Fashion Show, which took place earlier this month. “The platform showcased three Haitian designers—and the beauty of their heritage—just ahead of the official New York Fashion Week calendar,” India Espy-Jones writes for Essence. This week, Harlem’s Fashion