As of the time of my writing — Sunday, September 21 — I’ve gone on KBB for Target (which launched earlier today), and everything is fully in stock. And I must admit I’m a little disappointed.
Not disappointed in the collection itself, because, hello? Kahlana Barfield-Brown? Have you seen that woman’s style before? But disappointed, because if you remember her previous Future Collective for Target drops, they sold out almost immediately and it was like the hunger games trying to get your size.
Now it still may be too early to tell, but this time feels noticeably different. But it’s not too late to change it.
But let’s back up. If you don’t know about KBB, or the woman behind the latest fashion line, just know that Kahlana Barfield-Brown is brilliant. She’s not only a style architect and tastemaker who has been shaping culture for years, but she’s also proof of what it looks like when vision, discipline, and faith collide. I’ve watched her from afar for years, and even admired her as a sister in the media industry, and how she made a name for herself, and flipped that into building a brand of her own. She’s carved out space in an industry that hasn’t always carved space for us, and now she’s translating that into a mass-market partnership that feels luxe yet accessible. The clothes are fly y’all. But would you expect any less? And *cough cough* she’s also a fellow Bison and my soror of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
She’s been developing KBB by KAHLANA since early 2023, and the line launched under a two-year exclusive retail arrangement with Target. That means for now, you won’t find it anywhere else—not even on her own website—until the exclusivity window closes.
So do I have high hopes that our community will show up and show out for her (despite circumstances regarding the retailer she’s partnered with)? Well, yes. Because that’s how *we* as a community should be showing up for each other.
And yet, I can’t ignore the tension. The conversations happening online, in group chats, and on timelines are real. Some folks are questioning whether shopping this collection means turning a blind eye to larger issues with the retailer. Others feel conflicted, caught between wanting to stand on principle and wanting to support a Black woman who has worked tirelessly for her seat at the table.
So this begs the question — should one or a few be sacrificed for the greater good of all?
Or should we be uplifting our Black women no matter the circumstances? And when you say it (or read it), the obvious answer is the ladder.
Now, by no means do I want to breeze over the larger conversation at hand. There are real issues going on in corporate America that have been influenced by our current administration. And it’s putting a strain on many of us who are trying to justify how to spend whatever little coins we do have, and/or have saved. And for some, buying a new collection from a retailer they don’t mess with, even though they may love the creator, just goes against their moral values. And I get that, sis.
However, one of us winning has an immeasurable impact on our entire community at large. When one Black woman wins it opens up the door for more Black women to walk through it. And who knows, that Black woman could be walking through the door to create, and sit at the table of change.
But here’s the other side of it: when we strip away the societal politics and the corporate bureaucracy, what we’re left with is the undeniable truth that at the end of the day, visibility still matters. Representation on shelves matters. Seeing someone who looks like us, who comes from where we come from, land a deal of this magnitude is bigger than the tags on the clothes. And the ripple effect that occurs if that individual doesn’t succeed will have lasting effects far beyond this moment. Because remember that door that I mentioned she’s been able to walk through? Well, it just may close behind her for someone else. And I’m not even talking about this retailer, but others across the board.
Let us remember, Kahlana Barfield-Brown is our sister. Melissa Butler. Tabitha Brown is our sister. And when our sisters win, we all win. The least we can do is make sure the door stays open, for the ones after her, to walk through. Am I right?
Editor’s note: As of Monday, September 22, while not everything is completely sold out. The girls have showed up and showed out, with many of the styles unavailable.