Photo courtesy of Macy's
Macy’s recently partnered with New York-based clothing brand Kasper Group and launched a collection honoring Black sororities such as Alpha Kappa Alpha, Zeta Phi Beta, Delta Sigma Theta, and Sigma Gamma Rho. The new line would provide sorority members with dressier clothing that matches the colors of their respective organizations.
According to Bloomberg, the collection is expected to reach $10 million in sales this year, and Macy’s plans to pledge $1 million towards “the education and research foundations of the sororities.”
Cenetta Baker-Woods, a 32-year-old member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., recalled seeing the eye-catching clothing line in a Charlotte, North Carolina, store and instantly knew the $90 dresses were made for them.
“We know when we see our stuff,” said Baker-Woods, who at one point resorted to painting t-shirts in hard-to-find hues for sorority events. “I know now where to look.”
The collection is available online and in more than 200 out of roughly 500 store locations. Each sorority group will have at least five pieces per launch, and women’s suits will debut in June. The effort “comes as Macy’s aims to bolster its racial diversity within the organization’s highest ranks and carry more items from Black-owned brands.”
WyQuasia King-Thomas, a 32-year-old director and buyer of day dresses, thought of the idea for a clothing line after she struggled to find outfits with colors that closely matched Zeta Phi Beta’s colors.
“We come in a variety of shapes, sizes, curves, and I understand the challenges we face when shopping,” King-Thomas said during a video interview, while wearing a royal blue and white dress from the line. “I know the need and the importance of this dress collection.”
As the largest retail department store in the country, Macy’s has made several attempts to reach their Black shoppers after the Black Lives Matter movement highlighted social justice and racial diversity in 2020.
The retail chain also plans to donate $1 million to the education and research of the Black-owned sororities.