From classic to futuristic, Tampa’s newest fashion designers stake their claim
- Ashlyn Baker
- May 14
- 6 min read
Black designers have long shaped the language of fashion, from the way trends move through communities to the way culture shows up in texture, color, silhouette, and storytelling.
Still, their presence inside the broader fashion industry remains limited. Essence reported that only 7.3 percent of American fashion designers are Black, a number that points to the continued need for visibility, access, and recognition across the industry.
In the Tampa Bay Area, a growing group of Black designers and creative entrepreneurs are building brands rooted in heritage, sustainability, personal style, and cultural memory. From handcrafted and painted wearable art to Ghanaian imports, Zimbabwean design, and futuristic upcycled pieces, these are the names to know and keep on your radar.
Renae Kotarski
Founder and designer of Anástasi Fashion
Renae Kotarski, founder and designer behind Anástasi Fashion, a Tampa-based brand focused on ethical and sustainable clothing. The brand uses organic and eco-friendly fabrics, with designs that are modern, minimalist, and feminine.
The name Anástasi comes from a Greek word meaning resurrection. For Kotarski, that idea connects to building a wardrobe with pieces that can be worn, restyled, and brought into different parts of life. Her approach centers on clothing that feels clean, practical, and intentional without relying on excess.
Anástasi Fashion began to take shape in spring 2019, when Kotarski started designing linen dresses under her “Modern Queen” line. As the brand grew, she expanded into pants and other pieces while keeping the same focus on simple structure, strong design, and everyday wearability.
Matipa and Mercy
founders of EnnYe
Founded by sisters Matipa and Mercy, EnnYe is a Saint Petersburg brand centered on bold print and 100 percent cotton garments. The shop carries clothing, jewelry, Shona stone sculptures, and home accents, but its apparel stands at the front of the brand’s work.
Rooted in the founders’ Zimbabwean heritage and Shona background, EnnYe brings together print, color, and everyday wearability. The brand was created around the idea that style is not limited to one type of person or one way of dressing. Its garments are contemporary, easy to style, and made for people looking for pieces that feel distinct without losing function.
At EnnYe, clothing also works alongside the store’s larger connection to art and heritage. The Saint Petersburg shop includes a Shona Art gallery, which pays homage to the founders’ culture and adds another layer to the brand’s point of view. Still, the clothing remains the first introduction for many customers, offering bold, cotton pieces that connect personal style with cultural influence.
Jennifer Black
Akua Imports
Founded by Jennifer Black in 2021, Akua Imports grew out of her travels to Ghana and her connection to West African craftsmanship. The brand carries handmade goods made in Ghana and across the Sahara, with pieces that reflect the color, skill, and cultural traditions of the communities they come from.
Black has returned to Ghana several times to build relationships with artisans and source products directly from the people creating them. Akua Imports focuses on quality, trend-forward handicrafts while keeping community support at the center of the brand. Each purchase helps support children and families in villages in Ghana.
For Black, the work is about sharing Ghana’s culture through products people can wear, use, and keep. The brand brings that heritage into Tampa Bay through pieces that connect design, craftsmanship, and a larger mission of supporting artisans and preserving cultural traditions.
Sherida Jones
founder and designer of Sheri Amor Couture
Sherida Jones, the designer behind Sheri Amor Couture, brings together fashion, art, and the influence of classic R&B. Her interest in design started early. She began drawing fashion illustrations at age 4 and later created fashion lookbooks and comic strip stories that became popular among classmates.
Jones went on to graduate from the Art Institute of Tampa, moving from graphic design into teaching art. While teaching a lesson on Kandinsky, she saw a way to connect her art background with clothing. That moment led her to begin painting on garments and eventually build Sheri Amor Couture.
Today, Jones creates hand-painted wearable art, digital art, styling work, and retro-inspired pieces shaped by the look and sound of ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s R&B. As a self-taught designer who has been sewing for more than two years, her work leans into color, nostalgia, and regal silhouettes while giving each piece a clear artistic point of view.
Info: Instagram
Glenn Jones
Creative director and designer behind GALVO
Glenn Jones is the creative mind behind GALVO, a brand that brings together techwear, upcycling, and hands-on design. His pieces use metalwork, plastic elements, and angular shapes to create clothing with a rugged, futuristic look.
The brand pulls from geometric and origami-inspired design, giving each piece structure and visual detail. GALVO is made for people who want clothing that feels different, but still has function.
Upcycling is also part of the brand’s work. Glenn takes older garments and reworks them into new pieces, giving them a second life through stronger construction and a sharper point of view. The result is clothing that feels practical, experimental, and made to stand out.
Info: Instagram
Travis Ray
Founder and CEO of Dapper Bowtique
Travis Ray is the founder and designer behind Dapper Bowtique, an online accessory brand known for handcrafted bow ties and accessories. Ray makes each bow tie with the dapper and chic individual in mind, blending classic style with bold color, cultural prints, and unique design.
The brand was sparked by a vivid dream in which a kente cloth bow tie was placed in Ray’s hands. That moment pushed him to start the business the next day and later led him to research his ancestry, where he found West African roots tied to Cameroon, Gabon, Nigeria, and Benin.
Dapper Bowtique centers culture through pieces that feel polished, personal, and distinct. Handcrafted in the Sunshine State, Ray’s bow ties are designed as wearable art, giving customers a way to bring heritage, color, and individuality into a classic accessory.
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