When Antoine Grégory was younger, he owned a red, white, and blue ombre FUBU tracksuit that he wore all the time. Back then he didn’t know that the brand’s name, which stands for “For Us, By Us,” would be a guiding mantra for him. When he launched Black Fashion Fair in 2020, he felt there wasn’t enough focus on Black designers and brands like FUBU. So he introduced a curated marketplace and a digital library that features Black brands.
He also didn’t know he would officially design for the brand, but that’s exactly what he’s doing with his FUBU ARCHIVE Curated by Black Fashion Fair capsule collection that will be available to shop today on BlackFashionFair.org.
“It feels like you innately have some attachment to it. It just feels like it’s yours,” says Grégory about FUBU. “And I think that’s what I’ve always appreciated about the brand is that it did feel like it was for us. But it’s so interesting because when we were on set, the model was like, ‘I had no idea FUBU stood for ‘For Us, By Us.’’ And this collaboration will help introduce the brand to a whole new generation in a whole new way.”
“The FUBU customer gets something new and a customer who is not a FUBU customer gets to experience this new version of FUBU,” says Grégory.
Over the last few years, FUBU has collaborated with retailers including Forever 21, Century 21, Urban Outfitters, and brands like Puma. But those capsules weren’t as elevated and considered as its project with Black Fashion Fair. The campaign, which was shot by Ahmad Barber and Donté Maurice, also known as AB+DM Studio, creates a completely new visual language for the brand and leans into fashion in a way that’s new for them.
“It’s obvious he’s done his homework,” says Perrin. “He’s a real enthusiast and it shows.”
Martin was also happy about the turnout at Black Fashion Fair’s Brooklyn Museum event in August, which was held alongside Virgil Abloh’s “Figures of Speech” exhibit where they sold FUBU T-shirts designed by Black Fashion Fair.
“I wasn’t able to stay long, but that event was really off the chain,” says Martin. “And then I saw the rest of it on social media and I was like, ‘Wow. This is what it turned out to be.’ But it’s all about paying it forward.”
“These Black brands influenced companies like Ralph Lauren to a massive degree,” says Grégory. “I think now it’s about how we modernize that influence.”
FUBU’s founders agree.
“I was on a call earlier today and I said, ‘We need to hire these guys,’” says Brown. “Because their interpretation of FUBU is truly the future of the brand. And that’s something we can’t ignore.”
“I am trying to build something that is bigger than myself,” says Grégory. “I want Black Fashion Fair to be an institution for Black fashion and Black designers. I want it to be our own institution of discovery and research.”
