The fight for #BlackLivesMatter is far from over and Canadians are continuing to show their support. With names of black-owned businesses being shared across social media, Canadian designer George Sully is aiming to do the same for black designers. The shoe designer’s brand new platform called Black Designers of Canada (BDoC) is the first-ever interactive index of Canadian black designers, which will be launched this week.
While Canada is home to numerous individuals of black excellence, the limitations placed on black people is undeniable. Be it in the hospitality, fashion or any other industry, black designers tend to be left out when it comes to representation. Having experienced this himself, George is set to make a change.
Along with being the co-founder of Sully Wong and House of Hayla, he is the maker of the Starfleet Boot for CBS’s STAR TREK Discovery. George is also a mentor to the students of Central Toronto Academy and their ‘6ixess’ program, and has been inducted into the Bata Shoe Museum twice. Despite his many successes, he has experienced first-hand the systemic prejudices that exist in the fashion community due to his skin colour. Now with his new project, he aims to bring BDoC to the forefront of the Canadian fashion industry.
He has asked people on all his social platforms to submit their favourite black designers in all areas of the discipline. The goal of BDoC is to make it nearly impossible for the industry to make ignorant excuses that justify exclusion.
You can submit yourself or your favourite black designers at blackdesignersofcanada.com or through the official IG page @blackdesignersofcanada immediately.
