Zerina Akers
Born (1986-04-12) April 12, 1986 (age 37)
Landover, Maryland, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Education
Occupations
Notable workBlack Is King
Websitehttps://www.zerinaakers.com/

Zerina Akers is an American fashion stylist and costume designer. She is best known for her positions as Beyoncé's personal stylist, costume designer for the Emmy-winning 2020 musical film Black Is King, and founder of the e-commerce site "Black Owned Everything".

Her work with Beyonce is what has earned her the most recognition and she has found herself being celebrated among the pages of magazines like Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. [1]

Early life

Akers was born in Landover, Maryland.[2] Akers first gained an interest in fashion when designing clothes for high school fashion shows.[3]

Career

Akers studied for two years at The Art Institute of Philadelphia,[4] and began her career in the fashion industry as an intern at W Magazine in 2006.[5] During her time as an intern, she worked amongst big names such as Alex White, Karl Temper and Shiona Turini.[6] She then moved to New York and completed her studies at LIM College. During her time at LIM College, Akers studied abroad at the University of Westminster, completed an internship with Stella McCartney, and freelanced at W Magazine and Women's Wear Daily.[4] She went on to assist stylists such as Lori Goldstein and Camilla Nickerson on television commercials and fashion editorials.[7] In 2011, she began work at Brooks Brothers, coordinating and styling catalog shoots.[4]

Akers noticed the possibility for a career in the entertainment world after assisting Bea Kerlund on a shoot with Beyoncé. She started styling Beyoncé's Instagram editorials in 2014. She styled Beyoncé's "Formation" music video in 2016, when she wore a wide-brimmed black hat. [8] Akers continued to collaborate with Beyoncé on projects in 2018, styling the "Apeshit" music video, the On The Run II Tour, and the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 concert. [8] Akers has styled director Ava DuVernay, actress Yara Shahidi, and R&B duet Chloe x Halle in addition to being Beyoncé's personal stylist and wardrobe curator.

In 2020, Akers received widespread critical acclaim for her work as costume designer on Black Is King, a musical film and visual album by Beyoncé.[8] The costumes in the film were intended to celebrate the culture, traditions and history of black people, both in Africa and the diaspora.[9][10][11] Akers styled Beyoncé in more than 75 costumes for the film,[12] working together with both global brands and young black designers.[13] For her work on the film, Akers won Best Styling in a Video at the 2020 UK Music Video Awards,[14] and Stylist of the Year at the 2020 Essence Best In Black Fashion Awards.[15] Akers was also included in The Hollywood Reporter's 2021 "Hollywood's Most Powerful Stylists" list,[16] and Insider's "Luminaries" list, celebrating "25 women pushing boundaries and accomplishing extraordinary feats".[12]

Following the George Floyd protests and the resurgence of Black Lives Matter in 2020, Akers launched the Instagram account "Black Owned Everything". The account was created to highlight emerging black-owned business in industries such as fashion, beauty, food, and home goods. Akers inspired many other black owned communities to start businesses. Akers is an inspiration and an achiever that is looked up upon. After the account grew in popularity, in February 2021, Akers turned it into an e-commerce site.[17] The "Black Owned Everything" marketplace features black-owned brands and designers, and its launch coincided with a three-month pop-up store in Los Angeles.[12] Additionally, Akers launched the Akers and Akers Foundation, a nonprofit organization that incubates emerging designers and implements financial literacy programs in the community.[18] Together with actor, writer and producer Lena Waithe, Akers took part in Adobe's "Create Change: Conversations with Creators" series, which focused on utilizing creativity to make impactful change, especially amid 2020's social and cultural climate.[19] In 2021, Akers styled Macy's Icons of Style campaign and Zales' Mother's Day campaign.[18]


Awards and nominations

Year Ceremony Award Result Ref
2021 73rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes for a Variety, Nonfiction, or Reality Programming (Black Is King) Won [20][21]

References

  1. ^ "Meet Zerina Akers; the stylist responsible for Beyonce's foray into African fashion". ONCHEK. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  2. ^ Pisano, Louis (2020-08-05). "Beyoncé's Stylist Breaks Down the Fashion in Black Is King". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  3. ^ Okwodu, Janelle (4 August 2020). "Meet the Stylist Behind Beyoncé's Epic Visual Album". Vogue. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  4. ^ a b c Adeigbo, Autumn. "Zerina Akers, Beyoncé's Personal Fashion Stylist, Turns Lemons Into Lemonade In The Fashion Industry". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  5. ^ "Celebrity Stylist Zerina Akers on How She Landed Her High-Profile Position with Beyoncé". HYPEBAE. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  6. ^ Diouf, Sarah (20 June 2017). "Fashion Insider - Zerina Akers". NOIR. Ifren Media Group. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  7. ^ Mau, Dhani (19 July 2017). "How Zerina Akers Went From Styling Her High School Fashion Show to Beyoncé's Pregnancy Shoots". Fashionista. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  8. ^ "Why You Should Embrace Color in Your Wardrobe, According to Beyoncé's Stylist". www.yahoo.com. 2 September 2020. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  9. ^ "Beyonce's stylist reveals it took more than 1,000 hours to create Valentino leopard catsuit for Black is King". The Independent. 2020-08-06. Archived from the original on 2022-05-07. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  10. ^ Tangcay, Jazz (2020-08-18). "'Black Is King' Stylist Breaks Down Beyonce's Key Costumes". Variety. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  11. ^ Nguyen, Andrew (2020-08-03). "Beyoncé Wore So Many Black Designers in Black Is King". The Cut. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  12. ^ a b c Ahlgrim, Callie (7 October 2020). "Zerina Akers is the woman behind Beyoncé's iconic wardrobe. Now, she's creating a space for Black creatives to thrive". Insider. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  13. ^ Newbold, Alice (4 August 2020). ""Beyoncé Is A Phenomenal Mentor:" Stylist Zerina Akers On The Visually Explosive 'Black Is King'". British Vogue. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  14. ^ "NEWS: 2020 UK MVA Awards Winners". VideoStatic. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  15. ^ "Zerina Akers, Billy Porter, Fe Noel, Pat Cleveland & More Win Big At ESSENCE Best In Black Fashion Awards". Essence. 6 December 2020. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  16. ^ Moody, Carol McColgin,Nekesa Mumbi; McColgin, Carol; Moody, Nekesa Mumbi (2021-05-05). "Hollywood's Most Powerful Stylists 2021". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-06-07.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ Penrose, Nerisha (2021-02-12). "Zerina Akers Turns Black Owned Everything Into an Online Shopping Destination". ELLE. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  18. ^ a b Penrose, Nerisha (2021-04-19). "Stylist Zerina Akers Had a Better Quarantine Than Most". ELLE. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  19. ^ "Zerina Akers Talks the Future of Black Owned Everything and Making the Fashion Industry More Inclusive". www.yahoo.com. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  20. ^ "Outstanding Costumes for a Variety Program or a Special Nominees / Winners 2021".
  21. ^ "Zerina Akers".
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