HBCU Vintage Clothing Brands: A Celebration of Legacy, History, and Pride

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have a rich legacy of academic excellence, cultural pride, and community building. This legacy extends to fashion, where students and alumni express their school spirit and individuality through unique styles and apparel. In recent years, several brands have emerged to cater to this demand, offering both vintage and contemporary HBCU-themed clothing. These brands not only provide fashionable options but also serve as a means of preserving and celebrating HBCU culture.

Expressing School Pride Through Apparel

For many alumni, dressing in their school's colors and branded clothing is a way to showcase their HBCU pride. This tradition has fueled the growth of several HBCU-focused apparel brands, each with its own unique approach to design and representation.

HBCU Leggings: Centering Alumnae

Amina Hammond, a Howard University alumna, founded HBCU Leggings during the coronavirus pandemic. The brand emerged after a successful T-shirt fundraiser for her alma mater. Witnessing the popularity of leggings during that time, Hammond decided to design leggings featuring the Howard insignia. The brand quickly gained traction, particularly among women.

HBCU Leggings intentionally focuses on female customers. The brand sells a variety of merchandise, including leggings, T-shirts, hoodies, and hooded blankets, for HBCUs such as Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard University, Jackson State University, North Carolina A&T University, Spelman College, Tuskegee University, and West Virginia State University. Hammond's dorm T-shirts are particularly popular.

HBCU Leggings operates primarily online and hosts pop-up shops for special occasions. Hammond emphasizes the importance of authenticity in her designs, ensuring that they resonate with alumni and students.

HBCU Culture Shop: Acknowledging Each School's Culture

Florida A&M alumna Dainelle Riley launched HBCU Culture Shop after noticing a lack of FAMU merchandise outside of Tallahassee, Florida. As a graphic design major, Riley initially designed custom apparel for campus groups. After receiving numerous orders for one of her T-shirts, she decided to explore licensing and manufacturing.

HBCU Culture Shop features apparel for HBCUs such as Alabama A&M University, Bethune-Cookman University, Clark Atlanta University, Florida A&M, Grambling State University, Morehouse College, Southern University, Spelman, and Tuskegee. Riley dedicates extensive time to researching each HBCU, consulting with alumni, and visiting campuses to create designs that reflect the school's unique culture.

HBCU Culture Shop is the first Black-owned HBCU clothing brand to collaborate with Target, making its products available nationwide. Riley and her team also set up pop-up shops at homecomings and travel to HBCU communities. These pop-up shops provide valuable feedback from customers, allowing the brand to identify unmet needs and improve its offerings.

Legacy History Pride: Elevating HBCU Fashion

Tahir Murray, the owner of Legacy History Pride, draws inspiration from his father and grandfather, who instilled in him the importance of community and fashion. His grandfather owned Von's Sneaker Store in New York, the first Black-owned store with a Nike account in the United States.

Legacy History Pride features apparel for more than 35 schools representing the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, SWAC, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The brand emphasizes heritage and incorporates the words "legacy history pride" into each garment.

Legacy History Pride has collaborated with Paramount to create apparel featuring Nickelodeon characters Susie Carmichael from Rugrats and Gerald Johanssen from Hey Arnold!. The brand has also partnered with Nike, the WNBA team Atlanta Dream, the Brooklyn Nets, and the 1619 Freedom School created by journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones.

Murray aims to elevate HBCUs and HBCU fashion to the same level as predominantly white institutions (PWIs) and mainstream fashion.

Desires by Saint Paris: Underserved No More

Morgan State alumnus Paris Smith founded Desires by Saint Paris in 2020. Initially, the brand focused solely on Morgan State apparel but has since expanded to include HBCUs such as Bowie State University, Hampton, Howard, and North Carolina A&T.

Smith's interest in HBCU-branded fashion stemmed from his observation that few alumni and students wore Morgan State apparel during homecoming. He wanted to create designs that resonated with the Black community and reflected their unique style.

For Smith, the design process for his annual homecoming collection takes nearly a year. He starts designing the next year's collection immediately after the current year's homecoming, drawing inspiration from what people are wearing and how they are styling their outfits.

Read also: Top HBCU Bands

Smith emphasizes that each school is unique, and his designs are tailored to each institution's specific culture and preferences.

Anthony Lawrence Collection: A Decade of Dedication

De'fron Fobb, a Southern alumnus, founded Anthony Lawrence Collection in honor of his late father. He began producing HBCU apparel with Southern in 2014 and Grambling State a year later.

With over a decade of experience in the apparel business, Fobb has learned the importance of finding a niche, persevering through challenges, and continuously innovating.

Anthony Lawrence Collection sells licensed merchandise for 15 HBCUs, including Alabama State University, Albany State University, Alcorn State University, Clark Atlanta, Florida A&M, Grambling State, Howard, Jackson State, Kentucky State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Morehouse, North Carolina A&T, Southern, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and Xavier University of Louisiana.

Fobb, the sole designer for Anthony Lawrence Collection, releases his homecoming collection two weeks into the football season. He avoids using the word "homecoming" or the current year on his merchandise to allow customers to wear the products year-round.

Fobb aims to provide customers with unique designs that evoke a sense of luxury and pride.

The Yard Apparel: Filling the Void

Demetrius Mickles, an Alabama State alumnus, and Percy Bryant III, a Prairie View A&M University alumnus, founded The Yard Apparel in 2021. The brand focuses on creating HBCU apparel for SWAC schools.

The Yard Apparel sells merchandise for eight schools: Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Alcorn State, Jackson State, Prairie View A&M, Southern, Texas Southern University, and Florida A&M.

Bryant visits campuses and bookstores to identify gaps in the market and create designs that authentically represent each university's brand. He notes that many bookstores are owned by white institutions and offer generic, cookie-cutter designs.

The Yard Apparel repurposed an old school bus into a mobile shop, allowing customers to pick up their pre-ordered gear in person.

Mickles and Bryant research HBCUs and incorporate historical facts and unique qualities into their designs.

Torch Sportswear: Preserving Vintage HBCU Memorabilia

Amechi Ugwu, an alumnus of Southern University and A&M College, founded Torch Sportswear to celebrate and preserve vintage HBCU memorabilia. The brand is the first online retail store to exclusively sell vintage HBCU apparel and accessories.

Torch Sportswear's product line includes colorful unisex sweatshirts, bomber jackets, baseball hats, and graphic tee shirts featuring the names and logos of various HBCUs. The brand also offers vintage items from Spelman College, Howard University, Shaw University, Grambling State College, and other schools.

Ugwu launched Torch Sportswear in 2012, inspired by the pride he felt as an HBCU student and the stylishness of his peers. He aims to preserve HBCU history through the lens of fashion.

Torch Sportswear carefully sources its items from vintage stores, private collectors, and individual donations. The brand's offerings evoke nostalgia for HBCU attendees and fans of '90s sitcoms that featured HBCU apparel.

The Enduring Significance of HBCU Fashion

HBCU fashion has deep roots in Black culture and serves as a powerful means of self-expression and community building. As Amechi Ugwu notes, "When you step on the yard, you step correct." This sentiment reflects the importance of style and presentation within HBCU culture.

HBCUs have also produced influential figures in the fashion industry, such as Vogue Magazine alumnus Andre Leon Talley and Black Panther costume designer Ruth E. Carter.

Despite facing financial challenges, HBCUs continue to play a vital role in providing educational opportunities and fostering a sense of belonging for Black students. Fashion is just one of the many ways in which HBCUs preserve their legacy and celebrate their unique culture.

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