Luxurious and vibrant designs lit up the runway at the fifth annual Ebony Fashion Week with Estee Lauder at Washington Hall in Seattle.
The event brought together designers, hairstylists and fashion enthusiasts to celebrate black beauty and expression.
This year’s event also launched the Fostering Fashion campaign, which “provides foster/at risk youth access to mentorship and mainstream fashion opportunities. The campaign plans to feature one family per month, the first of which shared some of their stories at the November 12 event.
Recipients Josey and Felicia Dennis have been foster parents for over five years and live in Lakewood, Washington. They currently have five foster children in their care, ranging in age from 8 to 12.
In an interview with the Mirror, Felicia Dennis explained why fashion is such a uniquely powerful tool for foster children: “Our kids feel like there’s so much they don’t have control over … with the fashion part … they do have control.”
She added that foster children often receive clothing through community resources, but may have to take what they can get. With the opportunity to participate in programs like this, “they can show who they are and express who they are through fashion.”
This mission aligns with the life story of Ebony Fashion Week founder and host De’Vaughnn Williams.
Williams moved to Federal Way and reunited with her biological family when she was 11 years old after spending time in foster care. She and her family have lived here ever since.
“I owned my first and only home here, raised my son here,” Williams said of her deep ties to Federal Way. “It’s such an underrated city. It used to be just a little stop on I-5, but now it’s this mainstream movement, and it’s a pleasure to bring awareness to what we have to offer.”
Ebony Fashion Week was also a Federal Way family affair, with Williams’ brother, son and parents on hand to support the night’s festivities. Williams’ brother Darryl Williams has been a supervisor/bartender at Jimmy Mac’s Roadhouse in Federal Way for the past 10 years, and guests at the event got a taste of his bartending skills when they ordered a drink.
Reflecting on the event in an interview with The Mirror, Williams expressed her gratitude for the many people it took to make the night happen: “Overall, when the community cares about something, it always comes together in a way that benefits everyone.”
Williams has represented Federal Way on many other stages, including her current title as Ms. Washington Global Continental 2023-2024. She has also held the titles of Miss Black Washington USA in 2015 and 2016, and Miss Black America Washington for 2018.
The show featured designers Sierra Jackson of Real Deal Fashions, Donnika Jackson of ANIK Designs (She-Rose Collection), and CEO and founder De’Vaughnn Williams, who launched her new brand, Audacious By Vaughnnie.
Ebony Fashion Week’s mission is to normalize the celebration of Black culture, history, art and fashion in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. David Jackson of the Seattle Connected podcast was the black carpet correspondent, highlighting guests, models and designers.
Felicia Dennis said she was “blown away” by the entire event: “It’s moving fashion forward, giving opportunities to those who are just coming into the industry and saying here’s a way you can express this, you can share your design.”
The event was bittersweet for Tacoma model Jenei Mayberry. Her sister, Niesha Zimmerman, died of breast cancer four years ago, but not before they walked the Ebony Fashion Week runway together. Before the event, she posted, “This is for you” and “I love you and will continue to represent !!!!!.” Ebony Fashion Week was Zimmerman’s last modeling gig.
Guest Amanda Scott-Thomas said the event was a proud moment for her and the organization Community Aunties in Tacoma. She shared in a social media post that “two of our Miss Juneteenth participants applied and were selected by local Seattle designers to showcase their fashions and walk the runway!”
The Miss Juneteenth participants chosen were Imani Hunt and Chrystal Killebrew.
Williams is looking forward to her current project of launching her brand and expanding the Fostering Fashion campaign.
Dennis added, “I really appreciate the opportunity and I think what she’s doing is really beautiful and very unique because there’s not enough of us. There aren’t enough people who are providing opportunities for people to share their stories and experiences that are real with foster kids in the community.
