LOS ANGELES — Inside sleek spaces in Los Angeles’s Fashion District, the conversation turned from legacy to possibility. Recently, Dr. Teresa Hardee, Interim President of Bennett College, led a delegation of senior leaders to meet with members of the Black Design Collective—a vanguard organization redefining what inclusion and innovation look like in the global fashion industry.
Joining Dr. Hardee were Dr. Toneyce Randolph, Chief Academic Officer; Phanalphie Rhue, Chief Global Communications & Experience Officer; and Martina Gibbs-Dowdy, Director of Alumnae and Donor Engagement.
Their hosts were fashion industry elite: Kevan Hall, President of the Black Design Collective and the celebrated designer who served as Design and Creative Director for the legendary House of Halston before launching his own namesake couture label; and TJ Walker, the organization’s treasurer and co-founder of Cross Colours, the groundbreaking 1990s fashion brand that fused hip-hop, social activism, and streetwear into a global cultural movement. They were joined by Deborah Lee, Art Director at Kevan Hall Designs and an advisory board member for the Collective; Ta’Nisha Cameron, an affiliate member of the Collective and Vice President of Corporate Operations and Project Development at The Burke Management Firm; and Linda Jones of Mass Appeal PR.
Facilitated by Jones, the meeting centered on a bold new idea: the creation of a design studio and micro-manufacturing hub on Bennett’s campus. The collaboration would allow students and community members to receive specialized training and certifications, linking Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to one of the most dynamic creative economies in the world.
A Shared Vision for Innovation and Impact
As the Bennett College delegation toured the Collective’s headquarters, discussions expanded to include sustainability, technology, and cultural preservation. The synergy between both institutions was unmistakable: two legacies committed to innovation, empowerment, and equity.
Bennett College has long been a place where young women discover their capacity to lead, and its historic strength in home economics once equipped generations with practical skills grounded in creativity and craftsmanship. Today, that legacy is evolving as the College builds new spaces for students to design, build, and innovate in modern creative industries.
What began as a meeting may well become a movement—one that threads together history, creativity, and opportunity in ways that are uniquely, beautifully Bennett.
The Visionaries Behind the Black Design Collective
Founded by Oscar winner Ruth E. Carter, Angela Dean, Kevan Hall, and TJ Walker, the Black Design Collective (BDC) was established to celebrate and empower Black designers and creatives while promoting education, mentorship, and economic opportunity within the fashion industry.
Ruth E. Carter, Academy Award–winning costume designer for Black Panther, Malcolm X, and Amistad, has transformed how global audiences see Black identity on screen. With more than 40 films to her credit and three Oscar nominations—including her historic 2019 win as the first African American to earn the Academy Award for Best Costume Design—Carter’s artistry bridges history, heritage, and Afrofuturism.
Angela Dean, a celebrity designer whose clients include Oprah Winfrey, Halle Berry, Madonna, and Katy Perry, has spent decades redefining fashion for the world’s most powerful women. Her innovative approach to structure and fit reshaped red-carpet and performance fashion, and her Shaped by an Angel line introduced inclusivity to the shapewear market.
Kevan Hall, the Collective’s President, is a designer of modern elegance whose career spans from reviving the legendary House of Halston—where he served as Design and Creative Director—to launching his own couture label. His timeless gowns, worn by First Lady Michelle Obama, Vanessa Williams, and Diana Ross, combine precision tailoring with fluid grace.
TJ Walker, co-founder of Cross Colours, helped revolutionize 1990s fashion with a brand rooted in hip-hop culture and social activism. Founded in 1989 with Carl Jones, Cross Colours used bold design to deliver a simple yet radical message: Clothing Without Prejudice. At a time of social unrest, the label sought to unite communities through color, style, and shared purpose—its streetwear worn by artists from Tupac Shakur to Will Smith and later displayed in the Smithsonian.
Advisory Voices and Creative Partners
Deborah Lee, Art Director at Kevan Hall Designs, translates runway glamour into digital experience. She contributed to Hall’s first fashion film, Together Again, released in 2021 via the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s RUNWAY360 platform. As an advisory board member of the Black Design Collective, Lee helps connect the artistry of fashion to the evolving world of digital storytelling.
Ta’Nisha Cameron, an affiliate member of the Black Design Collective and Vice President of Corporate Operations and Project Development at The Burke Management Firm, has spent two decades carving an indelible niche in the male-dominated entertainment, music, and fashion industries. Her global production experience—from studio design to multimedia content creation—reflects the scale and sophistication that Bennett students could one day access through this partnership.
About the Black Design Collective
Founded in 2018, the Black Design Collective (BDC) is comprised of accomplished fashion industry professionals of color who seek to amplify the influence of and create opportunities for the community of Black apparel and accessory designers and costume designers within the U.S. and abroad. The BDC’s mission is rooted in the promotion of scholarship, mentorship, and entrepreneurship within emerging generations of Black fashion design talent. Through this work, the Collective aims to foster an independent and self-sustaining Black fashion community.
