A member of the Black in Fashion council showroom in September 2020, House of Aama mounted a powerful presentation the Freehand New York for spring. Many fashion brands reference resort towns, but have you heard of Oak Bluff or Highland Beach? Both are Black resort towns with rich histories. It was these towns the creative duo of Akua Shabaka and her mother Rebecca Henry looked to for inspiration, creating a fantasy resort of their own with Camp Aama.
The look: A re-framed take on resortwear through a historical lens, using color, print and retro shapes, with illustrations seen on several garment created with fine artist Gianni Lee
Quote of note: “Black people’s relationship to water, and how we got here and anchored ourselves,” Henry said of their inspiration, adding, “We wanted to expand the definition of what we mean when we say ‘resort.'”
Key looks: Strapless floral dresses, sensual bikinis, logo sweatshirts with “Camp Aama,” crochet knit dresses; for the guys: brightly colored prints on camp shirts, red and white chalk strips on short-sleeve top with shorts, printed tunics.
The takeaway: There is a sense of history imbued in garments with a bit of a retro feeling in shape, modernized with prints and fabrics. The brand is growing quickly, with a robust men’s offering, more swim and its colorful take on occasion dressing for women.