For The True Fashion Girlies, ESSENCE Luxe Was The Festival’s Best-Kept Secret

Between celebrity panels, beauty activations, and concerts, ESSENCE Festival debuted one of my favorite experiences of the entire weekend: ESSENCE Luxe.

ESSENCE Luxe brought luxury fashion to New Orleans in a way we don’t often get to experience outside of Fashion Week. Held inside the swanky Four Seasons Hotel just steps from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the invitation-only shopping experience transformed a covered courtyard into a luxury designer showroom.

White drapery framed the space. A DJ kept the energy going. Champagne flowed from the bar in the corner while guests browsed racks filled with clothing, handbags, jewelry, and accessories from some of Black fashion’s biggest names.

ESSENCE Brings A Little NYFW to New Orleans With Designers At ESSENCE Luxe

Brandon Blackwood. Christopher John Rogers. House of Aama. Tia Adeola. Nia Thomas. All featured during Day One of ESSENCE luxe.

As someone who spends plenty of time covering fashion, I loved the idea of taking a break from the crowds to see beautiful things. I was in fashion heaven.

I spent the afternoon talking with designers about meeting ESSENCE shoppers, building their brands, and the trends they’re loving this spring and summer.

Here’s what they had to say.