Gabriella Karefa-Johnson is the Future of Fashion

If you think this is another article explaining the tantrum K*nye W*st threw on Instagram, you’re wrong. However, if you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know what I’m talking about, I’ll briefly explain. 

Vogue Fashion Editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson called out Kanye’s latest Yeezy fashion show for including a T-shirt that read “White Lives Matter.” He felt personally attacked by her criticism. He proceeded to cry on his Instagram page and bully her and her outfits. He said that Anna Wintour would hate her boots in a picture of one of her outfits posted on his Instagram. His criticism towards her brought people like supermodel Gigi Hadid to comment on the post, saying that “...she might be the only person that could save u.” Tremaine Emory, Supreme’s creative director, called him out on a now-deleted post, saying, “YOU ARE SO BROKEN. KEEP VIRGIL NAME OUT YOUR MOUTH…KEEP @gabriellak_j NAME OUT YOUR MOUTH…” and “You’re not a victim you're just an insecure narcissist that’s dying for validation from the fashion world…take care…at least we’ll always have UGANDA.”  Even though the situation is already surrounded by controversy, I’m sure Ye will do something to wreak more havoc by the time you’re done reading this article. Luckily, the focus of this article will not be on him but on the talented Gabriella.

She was born and raised in New York City and attended Columbia University and the Barnard School. Working under Vogue Fashion Director Tonne Goodman and the Conde Nast corporate umbrella is a big deal. Stylists don't usually get the credit they deserve. If you didn’t know, Gabriella Karerefa-Johnson is a New York-based stylist. Most notably, she is currently a fashion director for Garage Magazine (4 years) and a global Vogue contributing editor (4 years). She has also worked with collectives such as Moda Operandi, Wonderland Magazine, Elle Magazine, and Teen Vogue.

As the first Black woman to style a Vogue cover (embarrassing that it took this long), she’s worked on countless covers. That would be 13 international Vogue covers, to be exact. Her subjects include models such as Bella Hadid, Paloma Elsesser, and even tennis legend Serena Williams. However, covers aren’t her only specialty. She has worked on styling in advertisements for brands like Gigi Hadid’s Guest in Residence, Stuart Weitzman, Nike X Off-White, Miu Miu, and Victoria’s Secret. 

Her styling style is unique and anything but basic. She tends to choose an interesting color scheme every time. Not only that, but she is an expert at mixing textures within clothing. She knows how to accentuate a beautiful silhouette on her subject, making the clothes look like they were made just for them. Furthermore, she has a sharp eye for discovering up-and-coming designers and pushes for more representation within the fashion industry. Karefa-Johnson’s remarkable work has landed her a feature on the Business of Fashion 500 community. This means that she is one of “the definitive index of people shaping the global fashion industry.” 

You can find more of Gabriella’s amazing work here. 

Strike Out, 

Emily Fiorini-Casamayouret 

Boca Raton

Emily Fiorini-Casamayouret is a Content Writer for Strike Magazine Boca. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys listening to sad music, doing some retail therapy, and eating pasta. You can reach her at emily.fiorini710@gmail.com