November Noir: A Fashion Brand of Creatives and Collectives

Felicia Henderson, Founder @Fe.Noir (rocking the Nina) 

November Noir is a fashion brand of creative collectives that have come together to represent black culture.  This brand was created out of a need of wanting to see more of “us” on certain fashion platforms. The concept of November Noir was conceptualized by Felicia Henderson a Cleveland Native and Howard University grad who has always had a knack for fashion.  In November of 2013, Henderson lost her job shortly after moving to Los Angeles. She knew this was the perfect opportunity to buckle down and get serious about her business.

After bringing her vision to friend Christina Spence, she started to travel back and forth between Washington D.C. and Los Angeles to bring it to light. Henderson knew she wanted to keep the business concept of friends and family, so Spence made the perfect partner. She is also a fashion connoisseur and professional make-up artist, so her expertise about the fashion industry fit right in with the brand.

With Spence on the team, the duo created the concept of “Sip and Sees” in D.C. This event took place on Sundays and it was a place where women could bring their girlfriends to eat, drink, chat and learn more about November Noir’s fashion collection. This is where they tested out different pieces with their target audience. They showcased a combination of wholesale and vintage pieces.  From these “Sip and Sees” the team developed their staple piece, The Nina. By this time, Greg Gilmore had joined the team, a celebrity hair stylist and childhood friend of Henderson. Gilmore’s connections through his clientele helped expose the brand to its L.A. audience.

The Nina is a transitional jumpsuit that transcends all parts of the day. It is an affordable luxury item that can be worn to work, happy hour and night time events. After developing this piece, November Noir took The Nina on the road and started to showcase this look at fashion shows. One of their very first events was Howard Homecoming’s Annual Fashion Show. During the show, they created 12 looks from this one jumpsuit. Needless to say, The Nina was a hit and November Noir continued to showcase this piece at other fashion shows in places like Seattle, until they made it to the big stage, New York Fashion Week (NYFW) Fall 2016.

During NYFW they debuted 15 looks which featured The Nina, but they also showcased their new unisex line. The show followed the theme “Noir Nights” which was a retro 70s look meets Studio 54.

“Getting selected as a designer for NYFW gave us a lot of confidence, like wow we can show up and have a stage and a voice," said Henderson.

 So what’s new next for November Noir? This year the company will focus on launching its brand in retail stores and online. November Noir also wants to branch out to international markets and showcase its talents at fashion shows in Paris, Bermuda or Tokyo. The brand also includes a reality series coming soon!!

For more information on November Noir please visit www.novembernoir.com