Giving heavy Huey P. Newton feels, designer Melody Ehsani collaborated with Reebok on a social justice-inspired collection, pulling major inspo from the Black Panther Party in creating the visuals for her lookbook. Photographed in Los Angeles, the pieces range from casual sportswear in dark hues, to military-inspired dresses and lightweight tees. We caught up with the designer to talk inspiration, her next project and why using one’s platform to cultivate awareness has never been more important.
THE COLLECTION NAME:
“The power of the people is greater than the people in power.”
THE MUSE:
“Women of color in social movements throughout history.”
‘At this time in history when injustice and inequality are rampant, we don’t want to sit on the fence when it comes to important human issues.’
THE VISION
“We wanted to create iconic imagery for this collection. Visually inspired by a ’70s basement, we wanted to create a Huey P. Newton vibe, but from the perspective of today’s youth. That’s why we chose young singer Diamond K. White to model the collection.”
THE CREW
Photographer: Shelby Duncan
Model: Diamond K. White
Hair & Makeup: Alana Dawn
Creative Director & Stylist: Melody Ehsani
THE MISSION
“Fashion is the vehicle, but the driving force behind our brand is service. At this time in history when injustice and inequality are rampant, we don’t want to sit on the fence when it comes to important human issues.”
THE DESIGNS
“We chose Nefertiti because she’s one of the very few women in history who hasn’t been erased from HIS-story. Even though there isn’t much information on her, we knew that she was a powerful, beautiful, mysterious woman of color who moved the needle in her day and age. She serves as an emblem of a woman that created her own path. Additionally, though the Reebok sneakers we designed appear in the pan African colors, they weren’t designed with that intention initially. We just wanted to create a classic pair of sneakers focusing on elevated materials and chose primary color hues for versatility. The symbolism that resulted in the final design was an added bonus.
Cop the pieces now at melodyehsani.com.
