Black women’s influence on fashion, music and popular culture is the focus of a new East London research and cultural initiative examining their role as cultural producers, innovators and trendsetters.
The University of East London (UEL) has launched Fashioning Identity: Black Women in Hip Hop as Cultural Producers and Brand Architects, a project exploring how Black women have influenced cultural trends, creative industries and contemporary identities across generations.
The initiative launched with the Women in Hip Hop Poetry Slam at Stratford arts venue The Source, bringing together artists, students and community members for an evening of spoken word, music and storytelling celebrating Black women’s creativity and cultural influence.
Supported through UEL‘s Knowledge Exchange programme, the project combines academic research, community engagement and cultural programming to examine how Black women have shaped everything from fashion and beauty standards to entrepreneurship, music and creative expression.
Organisers say the project responds to a long-standing gap in mainstream cultural narratives, where Black women’s contributions have often been influential but insufficiently recognised.
The opening event featured performances from acclaimed artists Leslie Ebony, Poetess Jess and Niquelle LaTouche, alongside emerging talent from across London. Audiences heard poetry, spoken word and music exploring themes including identity, womanhood, cultural pride, resilience and self-expression.
Dr Sharon Hughes Okoh, senior lecturer, co-curator of Fashioning Identity and co-organiser of the event, said:
“Black women have long been cultural innovators, helping to shape trends, identities and creative industries. Yet their contributions are often overlooked or underrepresented in conversations about culture and influence.
“Fashioning Identity seeks to celebrate those contributions while creating space for new conversations about creativity, representation and cultural impact. We want to bring together research, lived experience and artistic practice to explore the ways Black women continue to shape contemporary culture.”
The project will culminate in a three-day exhibition and symposium, Fashioning Identity: Black Women in Hip Hop as Cultural Producers and Brand Architects, at The Source from 25 to 27 September, bringing together artists, academics, students and industry professionals to explore the lasting influence of Black women on music, fashion, beauty and popular culture.
Organisers hope the programme will not only celebrate cultural achievements but also encourage wider discussion about representation, identity and who gets recognised as a cultural producer in modern Britain.
For more details about the project, visit The Cultural Producer.
