Background
Shanel Campbell was born on October 14, 1991, in New York City, New York, the United States. She was raised in the Bronx.
Shanel Campbell
Shanel Campbell
Shanel Campbell
Shanel Campbell
Shanel Campbell
Shanel Campbell, childhood photo
Shanel Campbell
Shanel Campbell
Shanel Campbell
Shanel Campbell
Shanel Campbell
Shanel Campbell was born on October 14, 1991, in New York City, New York, the United States. She was raised in the Bronx.
Shanel Campbell received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Philadelphia University in Fashion and Apparel Design in 2013. In 2015, Campbell attended Parsons School of Design and graduated in 2017 with a Master of Fine Arts degree in fashion apparel and design. She interned for Thakoon, Kith and Louise Goldin along the way.
Campbell's graduate collection, which drew from her father working his way through law school on a construction site, caught the attention of Solange Knowles, who wore pieces from the collection when she was honored at the Parsons Benefit. That endorsement led to Campbell dressing Issa Rae for the CFDA Awards, and most recently a cosign from Ciara, who wore Campbell’s tool bag trousers in her new video Level Up.
During the Spring/Summer 2019 season of New York Fashion Week, Campbell debuted her first collection. For the presentation, 18 black women donned her meticulous pieces which were aesthetically unique and striking. Her designs have also been worn by Issa Rae and Tracee Ellis Ross.
Shanel is also an adjunct professor at Parsons School of Design. She teaches Thesis 1 and 2: Systems and Society with Brendan McCarthy. She mostly teaches sophomores how to sew. A lot of students become interns for her line.
Campbell unapologetically challenges the under-representation of black women in fashion. While it is becoming more diverse, progress is still slow. Her mission is to center black women. Shanel firmly believes that societal norms can be challenged through clothing, and she always designs with a strong, independent woman in mind.
For her first presentation in New York, she used Instagram to cast 18 models of color, featuring a mix of natural hair and bright neon braided styles. Her designs pair romantic details like princess sleeves, corsets, and ruffles, with industrial elements like bungee cords and sporty quilting.
Quotations: "My experiences as a Black woman growing up in New York City with Caribbean parents inform everything I create. I am also very motivated by the experience of being a Black woman within the fashion industry over the last six years and coming to terms with the fact that the industry is not as diverse as [some] would like to believe it is."
