Fashion and costume historian Shelby Ivey Christie has dedicated her career to amplifying Black voices, telling untold stories and fostering advocacy for social change, equity and inclusion. While holding roles with global brands like Vogue, Amazon and L’Oréal, she designed marketing and brand strategies to effectively reach and resonate with Black and multicultural audiences. Now, the Forbes 30 Under 30 and Vogue Business 100 Innovators honoree has launched Haute Heritage Publishing, a firm that celebrates diverse stories, highlights Black and POC fashion contributions and addresses industry barriers with books and resources.

Following its Oct. 15 debut, the publishing house has introduced Black Fashion Legends ABC Book and the accompanying flashcard set, two inaugural projects written by Christie honoring Black fashion icons like Dapper Dan, Naomi Campbell, Ruth E. Carter and Christopher John Rogers, with a forward from legendary stylist, costume designer, author, creative director, influencer and TV host June Ambrose.

We caught up with Christie to discuss the launch of Haute Heritage Publishing, the most impactful moments of her career and her words of wisdom for aspiring creatives.

What inspired you to begin a career as a fashion and costume historian, and how did you carve out your niche in the industry?

I always loved fashion. I was definitely that fashion kid as a child. I was always mimicking a trend I’d seen in a magazine. I grew up in a family of people who worked in finance, so I was the oddball out as a creative. I earned my B.A. in Race, Class and Culture from N.C. A&T State University, but I always worked in parallel to get experience in fashion while in college. I interned in New York at W Magazine and later at InStyle post-grad. So I always knew it was fashion for me, but it wasn’t until my time working at Vogue that I felt the pull to leverage my background in history and race, class and culture. I piloted a multicultural sales team at Vogue that was dedicated to Black and POC brands. Working in luxury, I’d observed that most of our storytelling and perspective in fashion was very Euro-centric. So, I took it upon myself to leverage my platform to speak about race and all these intersectionalities as they related to fashion, combining my love of fashion with my degree.

What has been one of the most meaningful moments in your career?

There’ve been so many moments I’m proud of, but I think this moment, launching Haute Heritage Publishing, is my most meaningful moment. It’s the culmination of all the things I am passionate about and solves a problem I’ve been working toward solving for years. I think being able to leverage my fashion and history knowledge, partner with a fashion legend like June Ambrose and create fashion-based resources that inspire and inform is a dream!

What motivated you to launch Haute Heritage Publishing, and how does it align with your work as a fashion and costume historian?

I’ve been vocal on my platform for years about the gaps in diverse storytelling, perspectives, stakeholders and content across the fashion and luxury landscapes. I believe I’ve done a great deal to fill those gaps by leveraging my platforms to amplify Black and POC fashion stories. However, Haute Heritage Publishing will not only enable me to do that on a broader scale but enlist other talent with impactful stories and content to share to do the same.

Given that Atlanta is a hub for Black entrepreneurship and creativity, how do you think your work at Haute Heritage Publishing can contribute to fostering that culture here?

I’m really excited to partner with local retailers on stocking this book. I would love to get my book into the school libraries and public libraries here in ATL. SCAD is such a huge pillar of the fashion community here, and I see that they do great work engaging the Atlanta community in fashion going-ons. I want to do similar work to engage minds of all ages in the city to engage with fashion content and be inspired by fashion stories, particularly like the ones from the Black legends highlighted in Black Fashion Legends ABCs.

What advice would you give young creatives who want to make their mark in the fashion industry?

1. DIY! If it’s something you want to exist or experience and it’s not there, it’s okay to gripe but figure out a way to do it yourself or partner with like-minds to do it.
2. There are only two answers: yes or no, so don’t be afraid to ask.
3. Network across. Networking up is always great, but network with your peers, pool resources and partner.

What can we expect from you next?

Retail. That’s my next goal—getting my products into retailers. We’ll also be vending at various events and posting details on our socials, so make sure you’re following us on IG and TikTok!

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