Let’s Celebrate Black History Month: Star Award Honoree, Autumn Adeigbo
Blog Post by Ava Kornblum
February 2023
To celebrate the start of Black History Month, we would like to highlight the amazing work and dedication of our Star Award Honorees, who are breaking barriers everyday. Designer and philanthropist Autumn Adeigbo established her brand, Autumn Adeigbo in 2016 while still working as a fashion assistant at W Magazine and working as a hostess at night. The brand has since amassed a celebrity cult following including Serena Williams, Zooey Deschanel, Tory Burch, Kerry Washington, and more. In fact, Cameron Diaz, Mila Kunis and Gabrielle Union recently invested in the company.*
Autumn was the first Black female fashion designer to raise more than 1 million in venture capital funding. And what is so inspiring about Autumn is that she is devoted to making a positive impact in the lives of women across cultures by utilizing female-owned production facilities in the U.S. and providing women global artisans with meaningful employment and fair wages. Her hard work and dedication to her craft have garnered notice from established publications like Essence, Marie Claire, Vogue, and Glamour. On top of all of that, Autumn has been supporting Project Glimmer from the beginning, donating a portion of proceeds to support our mission.
Project Glimmer Ambassador and current Good Morning America Associate Producer, Lataya Rothmiller interviewed Autumn about her journey and advice for future female leaders, let’s take a look!
Lataya:
Congratulations on your Project Glimmer Star Award. Little Autumn with her sketchbook, would she have imagined all of this for herself, Star Award Honoree, just you know, success really?
Autumn:
To be perfectly honest, yes. I always knew that I was here to do something special, and I just hope that I am given the opportunity to keep going. The Project Glimmer community, Sonja Perkins, and the Project Glimmer team have been so integral in helping me achieve my goals on this journey, as they are and will be for all the recipients of their generosity in the foster care system.
Lataya:
Was this always your calling?
Autumn:
Absolutely! I knew from the start that if I couldn’t invest in other people while being successful in business that this world wasn’t for me. I’m only doing this so that I can do my best to make the world a better place.
Lataya:
You are the first black female designer to raise a million dollars in venture capital. Tell me how you got there - how did you do it?
Autumn:
It was out of determination, patience- and hard work but most importantly belief in myself.
Lataya:
What advice do you have for those watching who may struggle with that?
Autumn:
If you keep working hard, you're humble, and you're kind, eventually you will meet your tribe of people who reflect back to you who you are as a person.
Lataya:
Absolutely. We appreciate you so much here at Project Glimmer and everything you do for us and the girls in the program. Thank you for everything that you do.
Autumn:
Thank you for having me, and thank you Project Glimmer.