Black Business Month: Shop These 5 Black-Owned, Pittsburgh-Based Apparel Brands
By Olivia Miller
One of my core beliefs about Pittsburgh is that the city has the potential to be as big as Paris or New York when it comes to creative fashion design and street style. Whether it is wearing a pair of bold pants on Penn Avenue or a sophisticated suit on Smithfield Street, it is clear Pittsburghers have a knack for style. In honor of Black Business Month, here are 5 Black-owned clothing brands that will keep you looking trendy and chic all year long:
Knotzland
With the fitting slogan of “proud purveyors of the most artful bow ties in the world,” Knotland has been creating artful, handmade bow ties since 2015. CEO Nisha Blackwell was inspired to establish her business by the millions of textile waste that end up in landfills. To help remedy this environmental problem, discarded textiles are reused in each of the company’s colorful, creative designs. Along with bow ties, Knotzland also offers a selection of lavaliers, candles, and pocket squares, which they have dubbed “re squares.”
Knotland has recently launched The Journey to Gold Collection, which includes a selection of four bow ties with a larger impact. Each purchase raises awareness for the Journey to Gold initiative, which provides resources to middle and high school students to set and achieve their goals.
If you’re looking to add a dapper accessory to your wardrobe, you can shop Knotzland’s offerings on their website or in person at their showroom in Wilkinsburg.
Kiya Tomlin Fashions
Kiya Tomlin was inspired by the long, busy days many women experience as they balance the responsibilities of being mothers and mothers all while building their careers to start her clothing brand. She emphasizes comfort above all and says that her clothes are meant to be worn on real women’s bodies, not on hangers in your closet. All of the pieces are made of light, comfortable materials with chic silhouettes that make you look like you just stepped off of the runway.
As famed Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s wife, she draws on her football family roots in many of her pieces. Her recent collaboration with the NFL offers women elevated sideline couture featuring the colors of 10 of the league’s most iconic teams. She also launched her Coach T Collection, which features some of Coach Tomlin’s classic lines on T-shirts.
To add a piece of sophisticated comfort to your wardrobe or find your outfit to wear to Acrisure Stadium this year, you can shop Kiya Tomlin Fashions on their website or at their store in Etna.
Kin of Duncan
Started by CEO Jazmiere Bates when she was just 13 years old, Kin of Duncan offers upscale, colorful apparel for your furry best friends. When she was young, Bates would dress her and her dog, Kindrick, in coordinating outfits on their daily walks. She soon began taking sewing classes, and the rest was history; she has been making clothes for Pittsburghers’ beloved “fur kids” ever since.
Along with printed dog bandanas, Kin of Duncan also sells plush dog coats for those chilly Pittsburgh winters and dog pajamas. Shop their Luxury Fur Kid Brand to dress your pup in boujee items inspired by Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Moschino.
To pamper your pooch, shop Kin of Duncan’s line on their website.
S. Moye
If you’re a firm believer in the phrase “keep calm and bling on”, shopping S.Moye’s mix of glittering pieces will keep you shining and sparkling. Founded in 2016 by Stephanie Moye, the brand has been helping fashion forward women “dare to be different” ever since.
The brand offers both colorful, elegant pieces as well as those that are comfortable yet trendy. S.Moye’s new Kimono Collection utilizes bright colors and flattering silhouettes in the kimonos, dresses, and jumpsuits that are a part of the collection. Their Blingwear T-shirt line features classic black t-shirts elevated to a new level with the addition of glittering rhinestones spelling out phrases like “Boss Women Pray” and “Love Your Roots.”
To take your style to a new level, shop S.Moye’s selection on their website.
Elated Culture
Elated Culture is creating a new culture of elevated streetwear in Pittsburgh and beyond. The shop offers everything to build a trendy outfit head to toe from vintage inspired graphic tees to colorfully printed jeans. They also draw one racing culture, one of the biggest trends in streetwear right now, in some of their pieces.
To shop Elated Culture, visit their website or their Ebay page.
