Aurora James is a designer, an entrepreneur, an activist, and a lover of the true power of fashion as an art form. The founder of the artisanal luxury brand, Brother Vellies, as well as the founder of the non-profit organization, Fifteen Percent Pledge, Aurora James has brought a more direct awareness on just how important Black designers and consumers are to the continuance of the fashion world.

Aurora James courtesy of Vogue/Aurora James’ website

Launched in 2013 with a mission to preserve traditional African design practices and foster artisanal employment, Brother Vellies has since become a global name in handmade fashion. Founder James, with a diverse background in fashion, journalism, art, photography, and horticulture, combines her deep-seated passion for artisanship and humanitarianism to craft unique, timeless pieces. Brother Vellies’ luxury accessories honor cultural heritage while embodying sustainable design principles. The name of the brand comes from the colloquial name for 'Veldskoen', a traditional African shoe that was adopted by farming communities.

Brother Vellies’ best sellers via brothervellies.com

She started the brand with only $3,500 in savings and a stall at a flea market. Her hard work and dedication awarded her in 2015 when she won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund prize and was inducted into the CFDA in 2016. Now her shoes can be seen on the likes of Beyoncé, Zendaya, and so many others.

Beyonce in Brother Vellies via Pinterest

15percentpledge.org

On May 29th, 2020, four days after the murder of George Floyd, James could not just sit there. She sat there… and posted. On Instagram. She tagged Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, Saks, Sephora, Net-A-Porter, Barnes and Noble, and Home Depot directly as she asked them to have 15% of their shelf space represented by Black owned businesses since 15% of the population is Black.

Courtesy of Aurora James’ Instagram

The Fifteen Percent Pledge has since grown and has brought billions of dollars to Black-owned businesses. The site offers aid in finding Black brands and an opportunity to sign the pledge, with 3 steps one can take as a consumer:

01 Take Inventory: “How many Black owned companies are currently represented in your monthly spending?”

02 Buy Black: “When committing to increasing representation and diversifying your own spending power, we believe that applying a measurable metric is critical to accountability. Make a commitment (and a plan!) to redirect at least 15% of your monthly budget across categories to Black-owned businesses.”

03 Donate if you can: “Not everyone will be able to donate but, if you can, your support will help power the work we do every single day to dramatically change the trajectories for Black businesses across the country and to funnel billions back into the Black community.”

Becoming conscious of where your money goes is a powerful step to take and a simple awareness is what Aurora James has brought to many companies who have had the privilege of ignorance when it comes to who is on their shelves and who is buying their products. Sephora was the first one to sign the pledge back in 2020 and many were to follow, including Vogue U.S. Of course, many denied any attempt of holding themselves accountable.

The organization has also held pop-ups, the most recent being this past February in L.A., offering a shopping experience curated and dedicated to Black businesses, from skincare, home décor, books, and clothing.

Other highlights to mention include her appearance on the cover of Vogue in 2020 which was shot on Aurora James’ rooftop in Brooklyn and painted by artist Jordan Casteel.

AOC and Aurora James via Pinterest

In 36 hours, Aurora James designed and dressed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the viral and controversial “Tax The Rich” Dress for the 2021 Met Gala.

She attended the 2024 Met Gala wearing Brother Vellies and Ana Khouri.

Courtesy of Getty Images

Published in May of 2023, her memoir Wildflower tells the incredible story of her life and of her work. It digs deep into what motivates her and goes into brutal detail of how she got to where she is today in both her personal and professional life. The paperback was released this year.

From her own line of artisanal shoes and accessories, to being the driving force of her own organization, Aurora James is pushing the movement for racial and economic equality further along as well as being an inspiring figure not only to women, but to all.

Article by Seana Watson, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets by Bradley Duley, Graphic Design Intern, PhotoBook Magazine

THE IMPACT OF AURORA JAMES