Polo Ralph Lauren isn’t the one style model that’s tying into the Oak Bluffs group on Martha’s Winery this summer time. Áwet New York, RAISEfashion, and the DJ Henry Dream Fund might be rolling out the second annual Black-Owned Manufacturers Summer time Bazaar on Sunday on the Dragonfly Home on the Massachusetts island.
Whereas Polo Ralph Lauren debuted an Oak Bluffs assortment with Morehouse and Spelman Faculties final month, the upcoming bazaar might be held in Oak Bluffs. For the primary time, the occasion is being co-presented with RAISEfashion, the New York-based nonprofit that champions fairness within the style business, and it’ll profit the DJ Henry Dream Fund, a company that gives monetary assist for underserved kids to take part in community-based packages in sports activities, the performing arts and summer time packages, in addition to scholarships.
The DJ Dream Fund was created in reminiscence of Danroy “DJ” Henry Jr. whose life was lower quick in New York simply shy of his twenty first birthday in 2010. His dad and mom, Angella and Danroy Henry, are members of Oak Bluffs’ seasonal group they usually personal the Dragonfly Home, which is of nice significance to members of the Black group on Martha’s Winery.
Inbuilt 1874, the waterfront property was as soon as owned by John Ritchie, an abolitionist and the diarist for the Massachusetts 54th Regiment within the Civil Battle. Situated on the nook of Canonicus and Seaview avenues in Oak Bluffs, the home later operated as Eastman’s by the Sea, and it was a protected haven for Black vacationers throughout segregation. It was listed within the historic Inexperienced E book, the information that was utilized by African American vacationers to search out pleasant resorts, eating places and repair stations in New England from the Thirties to the Sixties.
In 2025, the Dragonfly Home was formally acknowledged because the forty first website on the African American Heritage Path of Martha’s Winery. On Sunday, it will likely be a hub for Black-owned style manufacturers.
Final yr’s debut occasion was a grassroots celebration of tradition, commerce and group. Just like the Polo Ralph Lauren initiative, the Black-Owned Manufacturers Summer time Bazaar is a part of a rising contingency that’s enjoying up Black-owned luxurious manufacturers in areas which were historically related to exclusivity.
To strengthen its infrastructure and affect, Áwet New York and RAISEfashion have created a buying expertise that doubles as a platform for connection, mentorship and generational alternative. The purpose is to create “a thriving ecosystem for Black creators,” in keeping with Áwet New York’s founder Áwet Woldegebriel.
RAISEfashion’s founder Felita Harris stated, “Our partnership with Áwet New York displays RAISEfashion’s perception in investing in BIPOC founders, supporting each other’s causes, and creating significant methods for the group to provide again. This collaboration presents a strong alternative to uplift the work of unimaginable designers, whereas additionally driving commerce and supporting the long-term scalability of their companies. It’s about forging deeper connections with the individuals behind the manufacturers and constructing a future grounded in intention, entry, and shared progress.”
Buyers will discover designs from Aisling Camps, Áwet New York, DLSH Creations, Gwen Beloti, Harbison Studio, Home of Aama, Yeseaet and bySharisse with manufacturers having been chosen not only for their creations however their backstories and missions too.
