Nordstrom partners with Zerina Aker's Black Owned Everything

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Oct 22, 2021

Nordstrom is teaming up with Black Owned Everything, a marketplace promoting the work of Black-owned businesses in fashion and beauty, and its founder and celebrity stylist, Zerina Akers.

As part of the partnership, Akers curated and styled a collection of four Black-owned brands in the Nordstrom x Nike space, alongside the season’s freshest Nike and Jordan drops. Akers described the curation as “a fun mix of fashion and lifestyle pieces for the people who are keen on street trends and enjoy functionality.” 

The Black Owned Everything merchandise drops will be available at Nordstrom x Nike shops at Nordstrom NYC Flagship in New York, Nordstrom Century City in Los Angeles, Nordstrom Michigan Avenue in Chicago, and Nordstrom Downtown Seattle in Seattle, as well as online at Nordstrom.ca. 

Customers will be able to explore and shop clothing, accessories, jewelry and handbags from the likes of William Okpo, created by Nigerian immigrants and inspired by blending immigrant’s style with American culture; Brandon Blackwood, who normalizes Black luxury with a focus on creating bags; Sammy B who creates limelight-worthy pieces; and L’Enchanteur, where twin sisters Dynasty and Soull redefine the meaning of an heirloom and timeless inspirations of spirituality. 

The curated pop-up shop experiences will also introduce events, collaborations, and new merchandise, which aims to showcase Nike through the lens of fashion by pairing fresh takes on iconic styles with emerging brands. 

“We are committed to improving the diversity of the brands we partner with across all areas of our business,” said Tacey Powers, Nordstrom executive vice president and general merchandise manager for shoes. “We’re excited to work with Zerina and Black Owned Everything to amplify the voices of these brands and create meaningful opportunities to better serve our customers.” 

“When we launched Black-Owned Everything back in February of this year, partnerships like Nordstrom x Nike were exactly the type of activations I had in mind to amplify the reach of the Black designers whom I work with and mentor. This intersection of well-established brands and emerging designers is where the progress of Black Owned Everything’s mission takes place. The inclusion of these selected designers is a big step for their individual career paths and an even bigger step in the right direction for the American marketplace and beyond,” added Akers. 

Most recently, Nordstrom committed to delivering $500 million in retail sales from brands owned by, operated by, or designed by Black and/or Latinx individuals and increasing representation of Black and Latinx populations in people manager roles by at least 50 percent by 2025.