Kahlana Barfield Brown (InStyle’s Beauty Editor-at-Large) shapes global fashion discourse through an HBCU-informed lens. Her 15-year career demonstrates unique expertise in:
Focus on stories bridging:
"These aren’t just sneakers. They’re a love letter to every Black student who’s ever walked The Yard."
We've followed Kahlana Barfield Brown's ascent from Howard University graduate to one of fashion journalism's most influential voices. Her career began with a pivotal internship at InStyle, where she impressed editors through meticulous work ethic—arriving before dawn and perfecting every task. This led to six promotions over her tenure, culminating in her current role as Beauty Editor-at-Large.
"At Howard, showing up and showing out was the standard. The Yard was our runway, and we crossed it in stilettos like it was nothing."
This 1,200-word career retrospective reveals Barfield Brown’s blueprint for success in competitive media environments. Through candid anecdotes about working late nights and sending handwritten thank-you notes, she demonstrates the value of perseverance. The article’s viral success (shared 8K+ times) stems from its actionable advice for Black women navigating corporate America.
Barfield Brown’s 2024 sneaker design analysis blends personal history with cultural commentary. She details the shoe’s "Ice Cream" colorway inspired by campus fashion trends and gabion mesh representing institutional barriers. The piece drove 300% traffic spike to Essence’s fashion vertical during launch week.
As moderator of this industry summit, Barfield Brown facilitated discussions about representation in beauty boardrooms. Her reporting highlighted statistical gaps—only 4% of beauty execs were Black women in 2019—while profiling innovators like Uoma Beauty founder Sharon Chuter.
Barfield Brown consistently covers initiatives bridging fashion and HBCU legacies. Pitch collaborations like Hampton University’s new textile design program or Spelman’s vintage fashion archive digitization. Her Nike Yardrunners coverage shows particular interest in projects preserving Black sartorial history.
With Future Collective’s extended sizing as precedent, propose innovations like AI-powered fit calculators or adaptive clothing lines for disabled communities. Avoid "body positivity" angles lacking concrete retail solutions.
Her Target collection drew inspiration from grandmother’s HBCU road trips. Successful pitches might explore: Vintage pattern revitalization by Black designers or mother-daughter tailoring workshops at cultural institutions.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Fashion, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
