GRAY commits to continued and increased diversity in both coverage and content creation.
By Rachel Gallaher
Architect David Adjaye designed Ruby City, the San Antonio contemporary art center that was the brainchild of the late Linda Pace. Photo by Dror Baldinger, courtesy of Ruby City and Adjaye Associates.
Here at GRAY, we’ve always aimed to be inclusive.
From the coverage in the pages of our magazine to the content on our website and in our social media postings, we’ve spent the past nine years seeking out the best and brightest in the design industry while also paying mind to diversity and highlighting the use of design for social good. And while we are proud of the number of Black and POC (people of color) designers, businesses, and artists we’ve featured in the past, we know that we could (and should) do better. We recognize the privilege and power of our platform and pledge that as we move forward, especially now that GRAY has expanded to cover the international design world, we will use it to continue to elevate and amplify Black and POC voices, showcase their work, and celebrate the incredible depths of creativity happening in their communities.
We would like to encourage you to support Black designers and Black-owned businesses, and we would like to share a handful of them that we have covered and partnered with over the years at GRAY—in the magazine, on our website, at live events and panels, and through our various social media channels. And, while we are proud of this list, we once again acknowledge that there is always more work we can do (from seeking out, supporting, and featuring young emerging Black and POC designers before they become well known to enlisting more writers, editors, photographers, panelists, judges, and stylists of color), and we commit to that moving forward.
We support equality and justice and we believe that Black Lives Matter, so join us in celebrating these talented GRAY-featured individuals and Black-owned businesses. Learn their stories, visit their websites, and consider supporting them in any way you can.
Brandy Brown, Creative Director and Founder of Marabou Design, Seattle
Cauleen Smith, Artist and Filmmaker, Chicago
Christopher Bevans, Fashion Designer, Founder of DYNE, Portland
David Adjaye, Architect and Founder of David Adjaye Associates, London
Debora Cheyenne, Artist, Art Director at Buck Design, Lost Angeles
Derrick Adams, Artist, New York
Doug Streeter, Architect, Seattle
Erika Dalya Massaquoi, Founder and Designer at The Oula Company, Seattle
Francis Kéré, Architect and Founder of Kéré Architecture, Berlin, Germany
Hanna Yohannes, Stylist, Los Angeles
Kehinde Wiley, Artist, New York
Khadijah Fulton, Founder and Designer, White/Space, Los Angeles, California
Langano Apartments, Portland
LULAH, handbag company, New York
Maikoiyo Alley-Barnes, Artist, cofounder Tarboo, Seattle
Mariane Ibrahim, Art Dealer and Gallerist at Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, Chicago
Michael Ford, Architect, Madison, Wisconsin
Natsai Audrey Chieza, Founder of Faber Futures, London
Thing Gishuru, Selany Collection, Seattle
Tiffany Brown, Architectural Designer, Founder of 400 Forward, Detroit
Tolu Coker, Fashion Designer and Filmmaker, London
Willi Smith, Fashion Designer, New York
Detroit-based Architectural Designer Tiffany Brown founded 400 Forward with the aim of uplifting girls by giving them the tools they need to address social issues created by unjust built environments. Photo by Nate Watters.
New York-based artist Derrick Adams in his Crown Heights studio. Photo by Christopher Garcia Valle.
In her 2017 premier collection, "Replica," fashion designer Tolu Coker explored her African heritage and British upbringing. Photo by Liam Leslie.
A look from DYNE's Fall/Winter 2018 collection, designed by Christopher Bevans. Photo by Ryan Bevans.
Architect Francis Kéré designed Xylem, a gathering pavilion, for the Tippet Rise Art Center in south central Montana. Rendering courtesy of Kéré Architecture.
