Mariam Musa’s First Solo Collection With ISawItFirst Reveals The Importance Of Representation In Fashion

Image via @itsmariamusa (Instagram)

“If Mariam Can, So Can You”

Mariam Musa has become the first Black Female British Influencer, to launch a solo collection with leading fast-fashion brand ISAWITFIRST. Hearing ‘The first black…etc’ is always bittersweet as I believe Black people have been making waves since the beginning of time. Like, come on it’s 2020. However, that being said, it is important to always celebrate the milestones and appreciate how far we’ve come. This opportunity is truly phenomenal as little black girls and boys are able to look at these fashion brands and see themselves. 

Representation is key in this day and age. Growing up, the underrepresentation of black faces in fashion was very evident and as of most recent, articles have exposed how black influencers tend to be underpaid in comparison to their white counterparts. Mariam Musa’s new solo launch not only allows the limelight to be focused on her but restores confidence in Black Brits knowing that they too are able to achieve such great opportunities. 

Image via ISAWITFIRST

This launch represents hard work, determination, and beating the odds as Mariam’s first encounter with the brand began in 2018. Since then, she has collaborated with them on styling videos and has appeared on numerous campaigns that featured on TV and billboards across the country.

It is important to highlight that fashion is an extremely big industry, the influence of black women as trendsetters cannot be ignored. We have seen many fashion brands launch collections with numerous influencers in the UK for years, although none have been with a black woman. Fenty Beauty which first launched in 2017, is an example of how diversity can be attained, as we saw Black British model Leomie Anderson, as well as other women from different backgrounds, feature in the ad. Since that launch, many other makeup brands followed suit and insured their collections were all-inclusive. We’re hoping that this collaboration with ISAWITFIRST will be the first of many for black influencers and content creators. 

The support from this collaboration has been tremendous, as it has gained coverage from numerous publications such as Forbes nonetheless, her peers were also very vocal about her success showing that supporting one another truly goes a long way.

Let this be the first of many!