CLEVELAND — On International Women’s Day, we heard from two women who have dedicated their careers to creating a space in the fashion community for others in Cleveland and worldwide.
For Esther Ngemba, growing up in Congo, International Women’s Day was a huge celebration and inspirational women always surrounded her.
“From the women that I’ve seen in my community, their resilience, they empower you and encourage you,” said Esther.
When she came to the U.S. as a refugee, she wanted to uplift those in the Congolese community, especially those in fashion.
“Some of these women are amazing designers, but nobody's ever going to see their work or they don't have the funding for it,” said Esther.
In that journey, she met Aimon Ali, who was working on creating a similar space for communities worldwide.
“I was a vendor in her first runway show, and it was amazing to see another woman of color, especially in Cleveland, doing something, a beautiful runway and wanting to highlight people who look like me.
Aimon Ali started Fashion Talks four years ago and later the Fashion Talks Foundation. She came up with the idea after leaving Canada’s fashion scene for Cleveland, which she found relatively small and lacking diversity.
“So fashion talks originally started as a test of doing events in Cleveland and seeing if we could bring the creative fashion industry here and it has developed into an agency that helps other brands and businesses elevate their brand through diversity and inclusion,” said Aimon.
Over time, Aimon has put on multiple fashion shows and events with designers, models and artists from hundreds of countries worldwide.
“As people learn about different cultures, they also learn about the fashion that kind of expresses the different cultures,” said Aimon.
But, what she didn’t see coming was a feature in New York City. In Times Square, her photos are one of Bern's Communications Group’s 25 most inspirational women leaders.
“It was kind of surreal to see someone that looked like me on that billboard, first of all, like just represented, that was huge,” said Aimon.
Though it's a proud moment for Aimon, it reminds her why she does her work and that more international women deserve to be celebrated.
“It can get tiring to be the only one, but someone has to do it. So as long as you continue to do it and show up I think it makes a really big difference,” said Aimon.
Those women include Esther, who founded the Furahi: A Taste of Home, which focuses on Congolese food and culture, along with the Furahi foundation to empower those like her in Cleveland’s Congolese community.
“The foundation focuses on empowering women and young girls in Congo by helping them access education, but it also helps fashion designers by giving them a platform where they can showcase their work,” said Esther.
She tells News 5 it's just the beginning, but working with people like Aimon helped bring her visions to life.
“I think the bigger picture is that by helping me bring my vision to life, she's helping Congolese women have an international platform. By just helping one woman have a platform and showcasing their product. You're helping the woman feed her family,” said Esther.
Aimon and Esther are already planning other projects because they know when women come together, they’re unstoppable.
“The power sometimes of a woman is just showing up and being there and using your voice to encourage others, but also making room for other women,” said Esther.
Aimon's next "Fashion Talks" runway show is scheduled for this summer, and Esther is part of Aimon's runway show coming up.
For more information on Fashion Talks, CLICK HERE.
For more information on the Furahi Foundation, CLICK HERE.
