GHETTO UNTIL IT'S FASHION
An informative cultural commentary blog piece for Amarachi Zine that looks at why many hairstyles, accessories and fashion trends that originated in black culture have traditionally been seen as 'ghetto' until they're culturally appropriated and then deemed 'fashionable'.
Oh so your feed is getting less saturated with pro blackness? Well we ‘bout to do a full 360 on yo ass! Read on….
Amarachi is a black-owned business and was born in 2011. We’ve always celebrated black fashion and creative expression and not much has changed! We pride ourselves in showcasing multicultural models and bringing black culture and styles to the fore. We love and stand true to our roots, but we’ve been pigeonholed into a box of ‘brands only black girls can wear’ which has challenged and limited our growth.
We’ve received DM’s from young white girls expressing their love for the brand often followed by reasons they couldn’t purchase. When an image of a white influencer wearing our earrings (which have been called ghetto many a time - check our comment section!) went viral in 2019, our brand was opened up to a whole new audience of customers, followers, and fans – which we are eternally grateful for. It was only after this viral moment, that Amarachi was no longer seen as ‘ghetto’, but as a fashionable and trendy brand that EVERYONE could pull off.
We love that Amarachi is being discovered and worn by fashionistas of all colours, but why did it take us being co-signed by a white influencer to take us from ghetto to trendy? We’ve been pushing the boundaries and creating fresh accessories from the jump.
From our Custom Name Door Knockers to Jordan-inspired ‘Ballers Bling Earrings’, innovative self-expression is at the heart of Amarachi and imitation inevitably comes with success. But taking from black culture or negatively labelling it as ghetto without understanding its rich history is never acceptable. We love that so many of you love our styles and we’re here to help you express yourselves to the fullest. What we create is for everyone to enjoy! We just ask that you be mindful and challenge the very idea of what ‘ghetto’ is. It’s not ‘ghetto until it’s fashion’ – it’s always been fashion. In the words of Missy Elliot, our “style can't be duplicated or recycled.”
Read the full piece here:
https://amarachi.co.uk/blogs/amarachi-zine/ghetto-until-its-fashion