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https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/black-nba-wives-and-girlfriends/

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images By Victoria Uwumarogie ·

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https://www.essence.com/news/watch-in-my-feed-looking-back-at-30-photos-of-fine-black-men-at-essence-festival/

By Essence ·Updated June 5, 2024

You never know who you’ll see (and fall in love with) at the party with a purpose! See hunks who’ve taken to the stage and partied with us in New Orleans.

TOPICS:  Black Men essence fest essence festival essence festival of culture

The post WATCH: In My Feed – Looking Back At 30 Photos Of Fine Black Men At ESSENCE Festival appeared first on Essence.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/new-orleans-celebrate-juneteenth-food/

New Orleans is preparing to celebrate Juneteenth in the most New Orleans way: through culinary excellence. Seven chefs will participate on June 16 at Grow Dat Youth Farm during the Third Annual Afro Freedom Afro Feast Juneteenth Celebration. 

As Eater New Orleans reports, the event is intended to celebrate the community’s elders and the city’s culinary tradition. Some of the city’s best chefs will cook over an open flame, a tradition that dates back several centuries to the practices of enslaved Black Americans and Africans on the continent. 

Over on IG, I’m posting photos from the Juneteenth celebration hosted by Dakar Nola in Petal, MS. pic.twitter.com/EAt1bcBQHG

— clay williams (@ultraclay) July 9, 2022

Get a taste of Senegal at Dakar NOLA!

Find recipes inspired by Chef Serigne Mbaye's most cherished memories of his childhood in Senegal, locally sourced seafood & family-style options in homage to west African dining traditions.

Make your reservation: https://t.co/qPOkWzYTjS pic.twitter.com/TINXxdbTv9

— Magazine Street (@MagazineStreet) January 10, 2023

Seringe Mbaye, a managing chef at Dakar Nola, told the magazine that he is enjoying how the event has grown over the past few years. 

Fresh off a James Beard Award nom, Serigne Mbaye plans Dakar NOLA’s Juneteenth celebration https://t.co/Kr2z0ssw9H pic.twitter.com/5dbEQEEDNy

— Eater New Orleans (@EaterNOLA) April 7, 2023

“This event has become bigger than me, which has always been my intention,” Mbaye said. “Seeing it grow, seeing so many chefs doing a tremendous amount of work in the community, it’s just amazing. We are sharing our story and inspiring youth, not just for African American communities, but for our own community here in New Orleans.”

Charly Pierre, who works for the Haitian restaurant Fritai and has been involved from the start, told Eater that the change in venue has made the event more accessible to more people. 

“The first year we were on a farm in Mississippi, which was beautiful, but the centralized location at Grow Dat makes it more accessible to more people. I love where this is going. It’s a lot of work on the production side, but this group really puts their heart into it. We draw people, not just from New Orleans but from all over the country. “

Chef Martha Wiggins, who represents Café Reconcile at the celebration, told Eater that the bond she shares with Mbaye makes it one of the events she commits to each year. “Serigne is like a brother to me. I love the community that it encourages, the spirit behind the event. I trust those involved. The values and mission are a perfect fit.”

Wiggins continued, “It all comes together very organically for us. One of the things I really love to do is slow cook in big pots, which is why field peas and collards work so well for me. We all collaborate well and show up authentically. We have constant conversations about the history of race and civil rights in New Orleans. We talk about Juneteenth, but more importantly, the idea that every month is Black History Month.”

The Juneteenth Celebration began on Ben Burkett’s farm in Petal, Mississippi, in 2021 but moved to New Orleans City Park in 2023. In addition to Mbaye, Pierre, and Wiggins, Chefs Nina Compton, Prince Lobo, Kaitlyn Guerin, and Shonda Cross will also participate in the event. In a press release announcing the event, Mbaye called attention to the synergy between the location of the event, its mission, and the values of the New Orleans community. 

“We will converge at the Grow Dat Youth Farm to focus on sustainability, the land’s beauty, and its bountiful harvest while honoring our ancestors who cultivated this very soil,” Mbaye said. “We invite everyone to join us in commemorating history, celebrating culinary artistry, and inspiring our community while supporting the growth of our local youth.”

Julie Gable, the co-executive director of Grow Dat Youth Farm, and Lily Mejia, the development manager of the Farm, indicated their excitement for the event via a joint statement in the press release. “Grow Dat Youth Farm is pleased to be the host site of Afro Freedom Afro Feast in collaboration with Dakar NOLA,” the pair said. “As a youth-serving organization committed to solidarity and the love of land, we take pride in the land we steward being used as a space for folks across the African Diaspora to commune, to celebrate, and to honor our ancestors on Juneteenth – and that our young leaders can bear witness to and participate in this joy!”

RELATED CONTENT: Rhode Island To Celebrate Juneteenth As A State Holiday

https://www.essence.com/fashion/an-ode-to-mara-hoffman/

George Chinsee/Penske Media via Getty Images By Robyn Mowatt ·Updated June 3, 2024

I was in my early 20s when I first began paying attention to Mara Hoffman. Her designs to me felt moving and illusory. The combination of the punchy tones of red she used and how each piece she created left me awe-struck. The tones she utilized in addition to the pieces boldly designed dresses from her collections reminded me of the sheer joy that I felt with clothing as a child. In my eyes, there was no limit to the universe Hoffman had created decades ago upon graduating from Parsons in 1999. Her boundless imagination is perhaps what sticks out to me most amongst a sea of designers creating garments for the sake of monetizing them. Hoffman’s creations always felt much more expansive than this. 

Over the years, as I’ve grown from a fashion lover to a consumer, it’s become clear that this designer’s blueprint was different from many others. All of these notions came to a halt when Hoffman announced she’d be shuttering her business. But, it also offered a moment to reflect on her worthiness. 

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 06: A model poses at the Mara Hoffman Spring/Summer 2019 presentation during New York Fashion Week on September 6, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Kimberly Bryant, the Oakland-based founder of The Black Innovation Lab recalls the first time she wore a Mara Hoffman design. She shares it was during an interview feature for TheRealReal which highlighted her as a tech leader. “As a Black woman with a George Chinsee/Penske Media via Getty Images

Bryant also expressed that these notions were evident in Hoffman’s use of vibrant colors and textures which complimented brown skin tones. “Her holistic approach to inclusivity made me feel genuinely acknowledged and valued as a customer,” she added. 

Joneé Nunes, a recruiter based in Washington, D.C. also felt seen by the creations that stemmed from Mara Hoffman. “I felt drawn to the fresh designs, and so much joy [was evoked] seeing customers of all sizes feel beautiful,” Nunes said. She also expressed that the brand shuttering is an undeniable loss for the fashion industry. Her first recollection of it was through swimwear, the bold geometric patterns have created a long-lasting memory for her. 

“People are living in a time of economic strain, and fast fashion is often a solution for many,” Nunes shares. “Unfortunately, a devastating imbalance of waste is being created that has a global effect.” Nunes adds that brands like Mara Hoffman did what they could to combat this, but, sustainability is not a political priority–she mentions that Hoffman might have been ahead of her time in her eyes. 

When reflecting on the space Mara takes up in the global fashion industry, it’s important to reckon with what will be lost too. Her ethical and sustainable standards were pinpointed in 2014. Vogue reports that she restructured her supply chain that year to focus on due diligence, she moved away from focusing on polyester, and she invested in her workers. Ensuring her garments were earning Fair Trade certifications was also important to Hoffman. With her direct-to-consumer business issues ensued. 

“There are not many companies that have successfully done this for as long of a period as we have. And the reality is that the demands that are on a small company financially make it almost impossible to be privately held and run after a certain point,” Hoffman tells Vogue.

New York-based politics and culture writer Ashley Reese was initially drawn to Hoffman’s designs due to the colorful pieces and fun fabrics, sizing was secondary to her. “So many of my Black girlfriends and me were Mara stans,” she shares in an email. “I know she had the loyalty of the plus size fashion girlies, but she had my crew of Black women in a chokehold too.”

Courtesy of Ashley Reese

Reese received a one-on-one styling session with Mara in 2022, which is a fond memory of hers. She recalls trying on a bunch of pieces with Hoffman who was excited to see her in countless items. “I’m not some skinny mini–I’m tall and I’m not exactly slender. Mara saw me as a canvas ready to wear her garments, and I felt like she wanted me there. It was nice to be around a designer who seemed to embrace the versatility of the female form,” Reese adds. 

Ashley ended up purchasing a midi-length skirt in the now-beloved “popcorn”rel="tag">luxury designer

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