The case of Aurora James
New York City offers a great variety of independent stores, whether they’re emergent small businesses or established medium businesses. No matter how long they’ve been in the game, these shops are vital and inspiring realities that keep the creative community alive. How many times have you been inspired by someone’s story, someone’s company, or just by someone’s lifestyle?
As an immigrant and an international student, my time in the USA was made by many moments of apprenticeship and genuine admiration towards those professional creatives whose businesses have been taking off. As also a person in my early twenties, I do realize that it is part of the game to look up to people and try to take as many notes as possible in order to emulate their structure and discipline, in order to build the foundations of what your dream. Now that I’m approaching my 25th year I’m realizing to take this energy and dedication down a notch and start being much more grounded with the realities of the industry.
You can show appreciation and support to the brands and companies that you love, but that doesn’t mean that you must like every single move, product, collection, or decision they choose to take. Their direction isn’t necessarily a reflection of who you are, but they can teach you how to move in the industry or at least another facade of the movement they’re part of. This is the best way to learn in (and from) the industry of fashion, especially when the companies and their CEOs are minorities.
It looks easy to put all the values that minorities believe in. One would say that all African-descendent people (African American, Afro-Latinxs, Afro-Europeans, etc.) aren’t conservative. One would argue that all women-led businesses are intersectional feminists. That’s not always the case. Take Joy Villa, for example, who stands for conservative ideologies and practices. There’s a huge heterogeneity among BIPOC communities. When it comes to fashion, minorities can choose to take different routes in terms of speaking up for the values they believe in and their artistry. This is the case of Aurora James.
Since the MetGala and her controversial dress made for Congress Woman Alexandra-Ocasio Cortez, Aurora James (founder and CEO of Brother Veilles) has gone through a fragile moment, filled with accusations and harsh comments about her company. According to the New York Post, Aurora hasn’t paid the proper taxes for her business since 2015. She confessed that yes, she had made errors in the past and has been challenged by the industry, especially for being a Black woman and an immigrant (she is originally from Canada). Sometimes when you’re a business owner, no matter how praised or popular you get, you can still make huge mistakes that can cost your reputation.
No matter the nasty stories that might attack her and her brand, I consider Aurora’s career in fashion pretty inspiring. After a long trip in Africa (2011), she decided to highlight her Ghanian roots and Jamaican culture in creating fashion products with traditional African textiles, designs, and procedures. In 2013 she launched her company Brother Veilles, which now is also a delightful boutique in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund prize in 2015, the same year she launched her handbag collection. In 2020 she got featured in Vogue and the same year she started the non-profit project 15 Percent Pledge, which actively supports Black-owned businesses.
“Young women ask me all the time, 'How do you do it?' And I don't want to tell them that running a business and trying to make real change is easy. It's not easy. It's a marathon”, says Aurora James in the article by Faran Krentcil on InStyle. Back when I was in college when I was balancing out my fervent passion for both journalism and fashion, I used to view Aurora James as an excellent role model, who could never do mistakes, who was perfect, always on fleek. Amazing people around her like Elaine Welteroth, Solange Knowles wearing her stuff with her sister Beyoncè, and living in the magical (as I used to think… now my thoughts changed, for good) city of New York. Differently from Elaine or other people in fashion, I used to say that “if Aurora made it, I can do it”, because she is an immigrant and I couldn’t see that too many times in the industry from my campus. It’s been a whole year I graduated and I grew so much, mentally. I still have the genuine love and admiration and cheerleading spirit that is in my DNA, but my constructive criticism has peaked a lot. Reading and seeing what Aurora has been doing and building out of nowhere has been great, even though there have been some pivotal moments where I wouldn’t agree. Two activists like us can proceed and move in different ways, depending on where they are in their lives. I think that Aurora, now that she lives a comfortable life as a creative, will have access to different kinds of resources and ideas which not necessarily will speak to me. And that is ok.
One of the many things (and I still need to learn a lot more) I learned in the fashion industry is that what you see doesn’t always seem “impossible” to obtain. Sure, for a person like me it still feels impossible to become as successful and influential as Aurora. I just do hope that, if I will able to make it where I plan to be, I won’t forget where I come from and I will make sure to learn from the mistakes that the people I thought were “spotless” and “immaculate” have been doing, even secretly. Sometimes the right team, the right connections, and the right timing can make you move differently in the values you believe in.
Let’s go back to that Met Gala moment. Do I believe in taxing the rich? Yes. Do I believe that showcasing a simple white dress with basic red lettering will move mountains or make a remarkable statement? No.
Would I still purchase something from Aurora James? Yes. Does that make me a hypocrite? No, because in my sphere of knowledge I decided to support a business whose story and legacy align with my general beliefs.
I still do admire you Aurora. I just grew up and I don’t give all my love too easily anymore.
