Clothing is made to attract and draw women in. Unfortunately, the consumers who seem to always be targeted are white women. Black women have curvier physiques, and clothing has never been made to suit our builds which are outside of the Western ideal of the female frame. Tops generally don’t have enough room for our busts, and too much room in the mid-section; while pants don’t make room for hips, (and when they do the waist is way too large). Black women, therefore, tend to wear more stretch fabrics to accommodate. Stretch fabrics are usually a cheaper grade because of the rubber it’s made with. It deteriorates much faster, and looks worn much sooner.

So what to do? Many times we think that if there were more black designers then we’d be catered to, but this also isn’t true. Most major companies like Dolce & Gabbana and Prada have senior designers that are black. But even the few black names in the fashion industry have lines that cater to white audiences and figures (even though black people spend the most discretionary income on clothing a year). Byron Lars, Gordon Henderson, Tracy Reese, Michael McCollum, and Kevin Smith are some major black designers who stage exciting runway shows and make millions with their art. Fashion is an increasingly popular occupation for blacks, and their presence on the scene is becoming historic. Despite these successes, we still only represent less than 2% of the designing population.

Black designers have been, for the most part, excluded from the mainstream fashion industry and too many of those who have found success have been snatched away prematurely by AIDS, including Willi Smith, Patrick Kelly and Isaia.

Professional obstacles, including a lack of visibility, job bias, fewer graduates entering design fields and limited career information, continue to hamper both aspiring female designers and seasoned professionals. While the greatest challenge facing all designers is visibility; this is especially a challenge for female designers. Black female designers have generally spent less time on promotional and marketing efforts, preferring to concentrate on the work itself. Meanwhile the publishing establishments, marketing reps and overall media have not come in search of our stories. Even with all of this within the last decade, black female designers have reached the top of their design fields and along the way have not only illuminated their own profiles but have shown the field of design to be a viable, profitable and engaging career choice. Though still rarely sought after for cover stories, a select group has ascended to the heights of ‘design stardom’. These women are often written about in magazines, primarily design or arts publications, and have graced the pages of the design books.

I have always seen a gap in the market, but in January I finally decided to do something about it. ArielSimone started with just specialty swimsuits, and from there has quickly expanded to include dresses, tops, skirts and pants. Named after the enchanting Ariel in my favorite movie, The Little Mermaid, I developed a line of custom made swimsuits for women. As a student at Howard University, one of the top fashion schools in the nation, I really got to know and experience what black women like. Designing comes naturally to me. The combination of that passion with the need that I saw for black women in the fashion industry has driven me. I understand that we are all different, that our bodies are as complex as our backgrounds, and cannot be expected to shrink and shift as a result of what’s available. Noticing this, it is essential that every Ariel suit is made to order.

The independent design scene in America is booming and enjoying a lot of fresh takes on what is fashionable. As more people have immigrated to America, the differences in styles and cultures have become more noticeable. You can see the effect of these changes when you watch what is available and popular in the fashion industry. Doors have been opened for new and different silhouettes. The size scales have begun to adjust. In some stores you can get custom clothing made by taking a quick body scan, which creates a digital scan of your entire body, and clothing is made based only on your own measurements. Of course this machine costs over $500,000, but I believe it will soon be a department store standard.