A Mixer Celebrated Black History Month, Black Content Creators During NYFW

Founded in 2019 by Pamela Zapata, Society18 is an LA-based talent agency with a “specialized focus on multicultural and multiethnic content creators.” They also create elevated experiences for brands. The client roster includes Alyssa Marie, Charlize Glass, Crystal Obasanya, Bri Hall, and Iesha Gilchrist.

Guests at their Black History Month mixer, celebrating 100 years of what originated as “Negro History Week,” gathered around the space’s onyx lacquered fireplaces and oversized mirrored backsplashes after climbing the winding staircase into the space.

Every type of background and gender expression showed up in the room to raise a glass to Black excellence and creativity. Some sipped on Smirnoff and Tia Maria espresso martinis from coupes they grabbed from passed trays. Others clinked short tumblers of palomas and margaritas by Tres Generaciones. Oversized disco tiles sprinkled flickering lights around the room from the rotating ball on the ceiling.

The other rooms were aglow from elegant white candles in glass vases. Wherever you stood, it was a celebration.

The creator economy has presented a major opportunity for Black people, but that opportunity has brought complications with it. For a long time, there was a lack of representation in the industry. Now professionals are stepping into the gap to protect and empower the creators.

Black creators are systemically undervalued, according to research from MSL U.S. and The Influencer League. Vanity metrics, outdated standards, and vague criteria are used to justify that. Society18 differentiates itself by committing to “delivering results beyond analytics.”

They opened the event to the public, offering the opportunity to RSVP to the mixer to their Instagram followers, demonstrating the type of inclusion many are calling for in the industry. Oversized custom Jenga blocks encouraged guests to mingle with people they were unfamiliar with by joining in on active games.

The guest list also taught a masterclass in personal style by turning the venue into their personal runway, perfect for New York Fashion Week. They intentionally sent messages with their ensembles. Several wore Black-owned handbags, using their accessories to toss a nod to the night’s theme of Black excellence. Several Kendrick Trunk bags from Brandon Blackwood piled up on the bar at one point.

One guest sported a chic red hat that boldly declared, “We Need More Black Millionaires.”

The looks were on trend. Crystal-embellished stockings beneath short suits. Floor-length houndstooth dresses. Mustard suits, floral corsets and fur coats. Braided bangs, blonde brows, scarlet crotchet buns, glossy units and natural strands held it down on the beauty front.

Notable attendees at the event included jewelry designer and lifestyle creator Melanie White, Gen-Z TikTok sensation Cedoni Francis, beverage-centered creator Kerry Smalls, illustrator Thaddeus Coates, and ESSENCE fashion contributor Andrea Bossi as well as ESSENCE GU content editor Danielle Wright.

A buffet full of sliders, fries, olives, and other party classics kept everyone fueled, as people made their way around the Georgian column-filled room to hug their friends and introduce themselves to other creators they had been admiring through their screens.

People two-stepped to the sounds of DJ Mode, who was spinning hits from N.E.R.D. and Jay-Z throughout the evening. Gift bags were filled with goodies, including several items from cult-followed brands, including kits of the Palo Santo Collection from Pattern by Tracee Ellis Ross.

There was a jewelry-making station featuring charm bracelets from Electric Picks. Attendees explored the trinket options, including delicate crystal crosses, tiny airplanes, initials, and hearts.

Photo booths featuring oxblood and ruby drapery decorated the space. Pairs emerged clutching photo strips of their pictures with a new friend they made at the networking event.

Society18 social media reps handed out beautiful long-stemmed roses to guests, giving them their flowers on the spot. Another effort from the agency to elevate creators in a world that doesn’t always place the proper weight on what their talents bring to it.