As the Manager of Content and Creator Partnerships at Instagram, Besidone Amoruwa keeps her finger on the pulse of what’s trendy. She also, prioritizes the Black voice on the popular platform. Playing an integral role on the rising popularity of multiple beauty creators like Jackie Aina, Monica Style Muse and Kahh Spence, we think it goes without saying that if Amoruwa says it’s a trending conversation on Instagram, it is.
Eager to pick her brain, we chatted with the social media mastermind to get a breakdown of what fashion and beauty trends influencers are loving this Fall. In her prediction, prepare for the long-overdue celebration of Black designers!
“Expect to see way more Black-owned fashion brands,” Amoruwa shares with ESSENCE exclusively. “Especially brands owned by women. Women are tired of clothes that don’t fit their natural bodies. This is why we’re turning to other Black female designers like Latoia Fitzgerald with Lionne Clothing, Samantha Black, and Dime Jones with The Noir Collection to find fashion that fits our body, our style, and our aesthetic.”
As most of us move away from cookie-cutter fashion trends, the self-proclaimed “Talent Whisperer” suggests we dive into the timelines of Black influencers to pull inspiration and push forward the culture. “Women like Takunda and Kia Davidson have a style that’s so distinct and forward, while costume designer Shiona Turini is preserving the beauty and history of Black fashion in entertainment,” she informs us.
The advocate for Black creators also suggests taking a walk down memory lane with Shelby Christie, who uses her historical background to highlight how certain elements of Black fashion came to be. “It’s important to support this group of creative talent because it is not often that they are seen,” she adds. “Giving creators a stage is being able to archive them in history. Black talent needs to be given credit, this is my way.”
As for beauty and skincare, Amoruwa notes the growth in innovative products that enhance the natural beauty of melanin-rich skin. “More companies like Ami Colé and My Topicals are celebrating the natural beauty of melanin, which appeals to our desire to take care of our skin,” she explains, citing that WOC no longer feels it necessary to appeal to western beauty standards.
“[On Instagram] expect to see more beauty conversations centralize the theme that beauty is for all and you were born beautiful as is. We are enough,” she drives home.
*Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.