BADA-Black Accessory Designers Alliance Presented Its Pop Up for New York Fashion Week on September 13, 2016

Black Accessory Designers Alliance, Inc. hosted its New York Fashion Week Pop Up on Tuesday, September 13 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Unarthodox in West Chelsea. BADA debuted its new website www.badaunite.org to coincide with the Pop Up and the organization’s pending non-profit 501 C3 status, so there was a mood of celebration in the air.
Joining this season’s fashion week celebration was an eclectic group of talented designers including interior design maven Ursallie Smith of Rococo Design, Inc. who unveiled a new line of her patented “Throw & Tuck” pillows, Diane Davis of D. Pearl Davis presented her funky fabulous crochet designs, Wilbur Pack, Jr. showed his most recent collection of bags for men and women from his SK WiLBUR line, and Velvet Lattimore, owner of Vedazzling Accessories Boutique, displayed pieces from independent accessory designers of color carried at her Brooklyn store. In keeping with the current trend of see now/buy now, everything was for immediate sale. Brooklyn based Bed-Vyne Wine returned this season for a wine tasting and I.M. Pastry Studio owner Tiffany Washington provided attendees with baked treats.
Ursallie Smith is an interior design phenom. Her conceptual designs have received rave reviews from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Living Spaces Magazine. For three consecutive years beginning in 2013, her company was voted “Best of Houzz” by Houzz, the leading online platform for interior design. Smith worked her design magic on the island paradise of Turks and Caicos where she created spaces for a range of clients including R-n-B musicians, NFL players, and several Caribbean resorts, lounges, and wine bars. Visit www.rococodesign.com to see samples of the designer’s work. The future has never looked so beautifully appointed.
Diane Davis, a self described gypsy, took up the art of crochet after graduating from Florida State University in the early 70s. Although she was a quick study, her career as a crochet artist would take a back seat to her life as a flight attendant for TWA. Twenty-five years after flying the friendly skies, she pursued acting and bookkeeping, and decided to finally nurture her passion for crochet when she relocated to New York from Los Angeles. Now you can find D Pearl Davis Crochet Designs at local pop ups and small boutiques.
Vedazzling Accessories Boutique at 145 Front Street in DUMBO is a shopping oasis dedicated to selling the creations of emerging designers of color. You can also shop online at www.vedazzlingaccessories.com. Lattimore’s outpost has been a mainstay atThe Shops on Front Street for nearly a decade.
Wilbur Pack, Jr. is the creative force behind the SK WiLBUR bag brand. Known for being bold and sexy, his handcrafted bags constructed in luxurious skins are both stylish and sturdy. Pack’s work is available for purchase on his company website www.skwilbur.com and through a handful of New York City boutiques.
BADA™ co-founders, Velvet Lattimore and Wilbur Pack, Jr., created the alliance to elevate the profiles of emerging accessory designers of color. “Although black and minority business owners typically face tougher obstacles when it comes to securing business financing and aligning with supportive networks, our mission is to shift the paradigm,” states Lattimore. “We think that by partnering with complementary organizations, we will successfully reach our goal and act as a conduit to opportunities for our member designers.” Unarthodox is located at 547 W 27th St #300, New York, NY 10001. For more information, please contact Wilbur Pack, Jr. at 917 520 4615 or Velvet Lattimore at 347 720 9228.