FASHION

Zerina Akers’ Black Owned Everything Instagram Is Now a Full Online Shop


Zerina Akers, the founder of the Black Owned Everything online marketplace posing in a garden

Sorry in advance to your bank accounts, tax returns, and stimmys, because Zerina Akers has just launched the Black Owned Everything online marketplace. The superstar stylist began a popular Instagram account of the same name to highlight Black-owned fashion, accessories, homeware, and beauty brands, and give followers an opportunity to support them with their dollars. Now, Akers’ site is a central retail hub, curated with her Beyoncé-level style instincts.

“I wanted to create a space to highlight and give visibility to Black-owned brands,” said Akers in a promo clip. She hopes customers can find designers “they can rely on, they can trust, they can find inspiration from,” and use the platform to exemplify “our narratives and our stories.”

Designers on the site are a Who’s Who of Black business creative talent. Sergio Hudson, who dressed Vice President Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama at the 2021 Inauguration, is offering pre-orders on a version of the belt that Obama wore with her maroon outfit. Solange-favored artist Cary Fagan of Timeless Goods offers jigsaw puzzle versions of his haunting photographs, while shoppers can also cop jewelry designer Johnny Nelson’s 4-finger Let Freedom Ring worn by Colin Kaepernick.

Mainly, Black Owned Everything exists “for when the trend is over.” In other words, her platform will outlast black squares on Instagram and lip service paid by industry gatekeepers. It’s a permanent home for the best in Black design.

Related: Stylist Zerina Akers on Working with Beyoncé and Founding @blackownedeverything