We were  able to steal a few moments with her and find out how the graduate of both SpelmanCollege and Northwestern Law School ended up designing handbags that have attracted the attention of megastars like Halle Berry and Jessica Simpson. Here are a few highlights from the article:  

Dezigner’s Den: How did you come up with the name Sukari?
Alicia Ferriabough: I was looking for a name for the collection and a good friend of mine suggested I call the line Sucre (French pronunciation ‘sook’) because the handbags were decadent. I thought it was a good idea, but no one pronounced it correctly. So I began looking at other languages to see what words meant sweet or sugar and I came across the Swahili word “Sukari” and I thought it was perfect. It sounded luxious and unique…just like the handbags. I also thought it tied in nicely with what I wanted to convey about the bags and the journey that I took to complete the collection. So the tag line became: “Sukari…because life is sweet”.   

 

Dezigner’s Den: Describe the Sukari collection in 3 words?
Alicia Ferriabough: Beautiful, Sophisticated and Rich.

Dezigner’s Den: To what extents are your handbags and accessories a reflection of your own personal style?
Alicia Ferriabough: My personal style is a bit classic conservative and also a bit bohemian chic. One can see the classic elements in my bags, particularly with the structured styles of of say the Arusha, Buenos Ares and Milan bags. The bohemian chic can be seen in the  Oaxaca, Havana and Manhattan bags. Both elements are me.

Visit Clutch Magazine to  view the entire article or SHOP the collection now

In celebration of Black History Month, we’re taking a behind-the-scenes look at the history of black fashion: The designers. The photographers. The entrepreneurs. The stylists. The icons. And the pioneers...

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• In the early 1850s, Elizabeth Keckley was a talented seamstress and a slave. She earned money for her household as a dressmaker and bought her freedom with a $1200 loan from a loyal customer. While running a successful dressmaking shop in Washington, D.C., her skill so impressed First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, she became Mrs. Lincoln’s personal dressmaker.

• In 1952, Ann Cole Lowe designed Jacqueline Bouvier’s dress for her wedding to JFK. When her New York shop was seized by the IRS, the anonymous person who cleared Ann Cole’s tax debt is believed to be Jackie Kennedy. Five of her gowns are currently in the permanent collection of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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• In 1946, Ophelia Devore and four friends started The Grace Del Marco Agency. It was one of the first modeling agencies to focus on ethnic talent. The agency was a success, opening doors for names such as Diahann Carroll, Richard Roundtree, and Cicely Tyson.

  Ophelia Devore

• For Renaissance man, Gordon Parks, the title of “Fashion Photographer” does not even begin to develop the picture. In the 1940s, he was hired by Vogue Magazine and Life. Legendary photographer, artist, composer, writer, and filmmaker, he also published several books and directed the 1971 film, Shaft.

• Mrs. Eunice W. Johnson, producer and director of Ebony Fashion Fair had to purchase designer goods, as none of the major fashion houses would loan out their clothes to the largest traveling fashion show in the world. Ebony Fashion Fair was the first to showcase black models in the stylings of Europe’s top designers. To this day Mrs. Johnson is the only woman to travel over seas and purchase designs to be used during a traveling runway event

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• In 1976, Willi Smith created the popular Williwear, a colorful and youthful sportswear Line. His designs were featured in the Spike Lee Film, School Daze. Sadly, Willi Smith was lost to AIDS at age 39. He remains one of the most successful African-American fashion designers in history. Many of his outfits are current hot items in vintage clothing shops and on the net.

• Stephen Burrows was one of the first African-American designers to achieve international fame. Bursting on the fashion scene in the 1970s, he was known for vibrant colors and his signature lettuce hemline edges. An inspiration for current designers such as Marc Jacobs, Burrows has created garments for celebrities like Oprah, Cher, Diana Ross, and Naomi Watts. On June 7, 2006, he was awarded a Board of Director’s Special Tribute Award by the CFDA.

 
Stephen Burrows

• Somalian born Iman was the daughter of a diplomat who spoke multiple languages. Exotic and intelligent, she became one of the world’s top models in the 1980s.

• Entrepreneurial host of "America’s Top Model," Tyra Banks has graced the covers of the Victoria’s Secret Catalogue, Sports Illustrated, and GQ--three more firsts for African Americans.

Iman

Although we can’t begin to cover it all, we know one thing for sure: Whether sitting at a sewing machine or behind a camera, whether designing for the catwalk or strutting down it, African Americans have made incredible and undeniable contributions to the world of fashion.

As part of our commitment to change and diversity we decided to coincide our soft-launch with this historic occasion. We're unveiling our new multicultural style haven with an Inaugural Blow-Out Sale! Between now and Friday, you can save up to 70% on form-flattering cocktail dresses from Ghita and House of Dereon, statement shoes from Kathryn Amberleigh and Melody Ehsani and gemmed-out jewelry from Elizabeth Cole and Gerard Yosca.

SHOP OUR SALE !

Plus, if you join our email list before Wednesday, you’ll receive a promo code for an additional discount off your first DD purchase. Sign Up now.

We also want to send our congrats and well-wishes to the fab first family: President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and first daughters, Sasha and Malia.

YES WE CAN!