Olori Swank is the 2023 Melanin Beauty Awards “Changemaker” award winner.
Cultivating change within an industry comprised of systemic barriers is an uphill battle that can discourage even the best of us- yet Olori Swank independently developed a successful career path in fashion in which newer stylists can walk with greater ease. Barriers be damned.
Like many other businesses in America, the fashion industry presents unique challenges for Black women. In fact, in 2020, Harpers Bazaar published a story detailing the myriad of ways the fashion industry is “failing Black people.” Black stylist recounted their experiences in the fashion world. Chief among their concerns is the industry’s illusion of inclusions. Or, as the feature noted, the Fashion industry’s ability “to capitalize off Black culture while not welcoming Black talent through its doors or providing those of us who manage our way in with opportunities to grow.”
2023 Melanin Beauty Awards – Winners
Swank is the rose that grew from concrete. The self-identified “serial entrepreneur” relied on her innate gifts and talents to advance within an industry that is reportedly anything but a nurturing space for Black women. Swank’s achievements include building a clientele of artists like Young Jeezy, Teyona Taylor, Keisha Cole, and more. A clientele of this magnitude is unsurprising for a woman with her tenacity. The blue-haired fashionista crafted a unique career trajectory that was sparked by her personal style.
Olori Swank told HelloBeautiful, “Fashion and style have been a fundamental part of my life since childhood, thanks to my parents. They had an impeccable sense of style and dressed my siblings and me with a keen eye for Fashion. So, for me, being stylish was as routine as brushing my teeth – a daily ritual. My unexpected entry into fashion styling happened quite serendipitously. After graduating from the University of Georgia, I was in a gap year before…
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