Brandon Blackwood on Activism, Accessories, and Building a Black-Owned Brand

When Brandon Blackwood launched the End Systemic Racism (ESR) mini tote last summer, Black Lives Matter had grown to be the largest movement in US history. Understandably, the simple canvas bag with silver lettering went viral. With its strong message, charitable component (Blackwood has donated a portion of the profits of each drop to non-profits like the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Black Girls Code), and versatile look, it became the bag of the moment.

Now, the Brooklyn-based Jamaican-Chinese designer is fresh off the final ESR drop—his biggest of any collection to date—which introduced 37 colors and finishes of the style. While the ESR totes had a habit of selling out, Blackwood wanted to make sure that anyone who wanted one would be able to get the bag this one last time, so he held a pre-sale from March 26 to March 29, surprising followers on Instagram where he had previously said that the bags would restock in April. 

The pre-order model has become a popular choice among independent brands. For Blackwood, and also Telfar—another Black-owned label with a loyal following for its bags—pre-sale drops have allowed the designers to scale their businesses to meet customers’ demands, rather than over or under-produce product. Both also have accessible price points, which drive the mega-success of these releases. By limiting the time the styles are available instead of the quantity, they are able to create a special brand experience without gatekeeping who is able to purchase.

Not taking the traditional route has been a theme in Blackwood’s career. He came from a “strict Jamaican family,” where as a first-generation child he was expected to become a doctor or lawyer. In fact, he enrolled at Bard College to study neuroscience. But on the side he did internships at Elle and Nylon, and ultimately changed his major, instead getting a degree in American Studies and writing a 141-page thesis on Diane Von Furstenberg’s wrap dress. His pursuit of fashion then landed him a buying job at Crossroads Trading, where he met editors and stylists through his work. They took notice of a backpack he had made himself and encouraged him to sell the design. Blackwood launched his namesake label in 2015, and that first bag, the Portmore Backpack, is now a part of his standard collection which also features often sold-out styles ranging from leather mini bags to a nifty key pouch.

While the designer has seen exponential growth within the past year, thanks in part to the ESR tote and the push to support Black creators, he’s eager to make a longstanding mark in fashion that transcends social or sartorial trends. For his next steps, he has a major bag drop coming  May 10 and also has plans to launch eyewear, outerwear, and candles later this year.

Here, Blackwood tells L’OFFICIEL about his decision to shelve the End Systemic Racism bag, navigating the industry as a  Black designer, and how he’s made a family from his label.

L'O: Why stop making the ESR tote if it's such a hit?

BB: The tote has done a lot for the brand's exposure, but it was becoming more so about the ESR totes than my regular line. It was great at first because I felt like anybody could recognize the brand. But I didn't want the brand to become a trend so I decided to, while the brand was at its peak, bow the bag out gracefully. It's sparked so many conversations and opened up the topic of racism that has touched so many people. It's like a silent protest where I feel like it's done its job. We will still have our efforts to help Black people and POC, whether through legal funds or our support of an LGBTQ homeless shelter or elsewhere. We’re always going to be for the people, but I don't think having one bag represent that will be helpful in the long run.

L'O: What do you think the fashion industry can learn by examining its own issues with systemic racism?

BB: When it comes to being a designer of color, you are automatically given a questioning eye. You have to be a little bit more talented, more business savvy than your white counterparts. When you do see a talented Black kid making their way through, even if they’re celebrated they’re still questioned. You're also working with institutions and magazines that are predominantly white, and the only people that look like you are the interns and the messengers, and it's sad to say it but it's true. Before COVID, when I would go to a magazine, I would talk to an editor that is almost always white, and then I looked around and all the interns are brown people. When I interned at different magazines, I experienced that, too. It comes to a point when you’ve been around that for years, you’re going to look subconsciously and see Black people and people of color and not expect them to be on the other side, in the position of power. I always have to keep that in mind.

L'O: Do you think consumers are more conscious about the brands they support?

BB: My customer base goes from 17-38, so we have Gen Z in there and the Millennials, and I think our way of shopping is completely different. Before, our parents got bombarded by billboards and signs to buy this and that, but now we as the next generation really care about where our products are coming from, who's selling them, and the message behind brands. So now that these smaller brands are launching on their own, like Glossier, you can know more of the story. We as consumers are a little bit smarter, and I've got such a welcoming customer base because they really do love what I'm doing, they love me, what I stand for—just this brand overall.

L'O: You're really open with your followers on social media, asking them for their feedback and what they'd like to see next. Why is it important to you to have them be a part of the design process?

BB: Personally, I get very bored looking at a brand's Instagram when it's just a styled out photoshoot, image shot, photoshoot, and all that all over again. It gets repetitive no matter how good the images are. I would rather ask, What color should we do this? What kind of hardware do you want? These are the people that are shopping and supporting us and making this brand what it is today, so it would be a huge disservice to not listen to them. It makes the job overall more fun being able to talk to and essentially hang out with your customer. You'll see in the comments—we always joke around and laugh and they are just the greatest. They always say that they feel as if they are growing with the brand. It's like a little IG family.