Brandon Blackwood

Owners tend to describe Brandon Blackwood bags as genuinely premium for the price, praising soft, supple leather and a structured statement look. They're often called investment pieces rather than featherweight everyday carries, since the more substantial styles have real heft. For a striking bag from an independent designer with strong fashion credibility, most reviewers feel it earns its place.

It's the bag that made Brandon Blackwood internationally known. In 2020, in support of the Black Lives Matter protests, Blackwood created a mini-tote engraved with the words End Systemic Racism, donating a portion of proceeds to the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Only 509 bags were made initially, but thousands more have since sold, turning a creative response to the moment into a defining piece for the brand.

Brandon Blackwood is an American fashion designer and businessman, the founder and CEO of Brandon Blackwood New York, a fashion company specialising in handbags and accessories. Born in Brooklyn and raised between New York City and Tokyo, he is of Jamaican and Chinese descent and built the label from scratch into a recognised independent name.

It started small and self-funded. Blackwood made hand-sewn bags as gifts for friends in middle and high school, and after working at a second-hand clothing store he had his first bag manufactured in NYC, the Portmore backpack, on a payment plan because he couldn't afford it outright. With help from his mother and a friend he purchased his LLC in 2013 and launched his first line of handbags in 2015.

Not formally. He initially majored in neuroscience at Bard College before switching to American studies, graduating without his family knowing he'd changed his major. He did, however, intern at Elle and Nylon magazines during college, gaining a foothold in the fashion world before launching his own label.

Through a chance encounter while working at a second-hand store. He unknowingly sold used items to an editor for Essence magazine, mentioned he made bags, and showed her one; about two weeks later it was featured in Essence. His first 2015 handbag line went on to be featured in Essence, followed by Elle and Galore.

Yes. Brandon Blackwood is the founder and CEO of his namesake New York fashion company, and the brand is widely recognised as a Black-owned label. That identity is woven into its story, most visibly through the 2020 End Systemic Racism tote that brought it international attention.

Plenty, which has helped fuel the brand's rise. His bags have been seen on Lupita Nyong'o, Brie Larson, Amandla Stenberg, Cardi B, Zoë Kravitz, Solange Knowles, Keke Palmer, and Kim Kardashian. Rapper Saweetie also wore one of his totes in the music video for "Fast (Motion)."

The Portmore backpack, made in New York City. Because he was earning only about $10 an hour at the time, he had it manufactured under a payment plan since he couldn't cover the full cost upfront, an origin story that reflects how scrappily the brand began before its 2015 launch.

Since reviewers note the leather is soft and supple, treat it gently: wipe it with a soft dry cloth, keep it out of prolonged sun and moisture, and store it stuffed in its dust bag to hold the shape. Given the structured, statement nature of the styles, a little routine care keeps the silhouette crisp over time.