Not too long ago, some of the 90's top influential black designers & brands gathered in Las Vegas for a historic discussion panel and interview session. Held at the Assembly conference in Las Vegas, the event was organized by trade show creators Agenda and Liberty Fairs. The purpose of this gathering was to bring together fashion retailers & media in the denim and streetwear markets. Here, they can place orders or review the newest styles and latest collections from hundreds of brands.
It was the first and only time African American Fashion Designers and Urban Streetwear founders such as Karl Kani, Maurice Malone, and April Walker, alongside creative branding powerhouses Damon Dash, Andy Hilfiger, and Peter Paul Scott, were on stage together to discuss the fashion business and the struggles of being black-owned brands in the 90s.
With so many new and inspiring designers and brands in attendance, it was the perfect place for youth to gain insight and learn the history, directly from industry legends, of how they got to today's streetwear and denim markets. I covered this event in the previous article "Designers of the Hottest 90s Brands Assemble," however at that time there were no videos. The post includes the slightly edited, nearly 50-minute video of the panel discussion.