Zerina Akers facts for kids

Zerina Akers is a talented American fashion stylist and costume designer. She is famous for working with superstar Beyoncé as her personal stylist. Zerina also designed the amazing costumes for the 2020 musical film Black Is King, which won an Emmy Award. She also started an online shopping website called "Black Owned Everything." Her work with Beyoncé has made her very well-known, and she has been featured in popular magazines like Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.

Early Life and Fashion Dreams

Zerina Akers was born in Landover, Maryland, in the United States. She first became interested in fashion when she started designing clothes for high school fashion shows. This was the beginning of her journey into the world of style.

Zerina's Career Journey

Starting in Fashion

Zerina studied for two years at The Art Institute of Philadelphia. She began her career in the fashion world as an intern at W Magazine in 2006. During her internship, she worked with famous stylists like Alex White and Shiona Turini.

After her internship, Zerina moved to New York City. She finished her studies at LIM College. While at LIM College, she also studied abroad at the University of Westminster. She completed another internship with the well-known designer Stella McCartney. Zerina also continued to freelance for W Magazine and Women's Wear Daily. Later, she helped other stylists like Lori Goldstein with TV commercials and fashion photoshohoots. In 2011, she started working at Brooks Brothers, where she helped style their catalog shoots.

Working with Beyoncé and Other Stars

Zerina saw a chance to work in the entertainment world after helping on a photoshoot with Beyoncé. She started styling Beyoncé's Instagram photos in 2014. In 2016, she styled Beyoncé's "Formation" music video, where Beyoncé wore a famous wide-brimmed black hat.

Zerina continued to work with Beyoncé on many projects in 2018. She styled the "Apeshit" music video, the On The Run II Tour, and the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 concert. Besides Beyoncé, Zerina has also styled other famous people. These include director Ava DuVernay, actress Yara Shahidi, and the music group Chloe x Halle.

Black Is King and Awards

In 2020, Zerina Akers received a lot of praise for her work as the costume designer for Black Is King. This was a musical film and visual album by Beyoncé. The costumes in the film were made to celebrate the culture, traditions, and history of Black people. This included people from Africa and those living in other parts of the world.

Zerina styled Beyoncé in more than 75 different costumes for the film. She worked with both big global brands and talented young Black designers. For her amazing work on Black Is King, Zerina won several awards. She won Best Styling in a Video at the 2020 UK Music Video Awards. She also won Stylist of the Year at the 2020 Essence Best In Black Fashion Awards. Zerina was also named one of "Hollywood's Most Powerful Stylists" by The Hollywood Reporter in 2021. She was also on Insider's "Luminaries" list, which celebrates women who are achieving extraordinary things.

Black Owned Everything

After the George Floyd protests in 2020, and the renewed focus on Black Lives Matter, Zerina Akers started something new. She launched an Instagram account called "Black Owned Everything." The goal of this account was to show off new businesses owned by Black people. These businesses were in areas like fashion, beauty, food, and home goods. Zerina's idea inspired many other Black-owned communities to start their own businesses. She is seen as an inspiration and someone who achieves great things.

Because the Instagram account became so popular, Zerina turned it into an e-commerce website in February 2021. The "Black Owned Everything" website features brands and designers who are Black-owned. The launch of the website also came with a three-month pop-up store in Los Angeles.

Other Projects

Zerina also started the Akers and Akers Foundation. This is a nonprofit organization that helps new designers get started. It also teaches people in the community about managing money. Zerina worked with actor and writer Lena Waithe on Adobe's "Create Change: Conversations with Creators" series. This series focused on using creativity to make a positive difference, especially during the social changes of 2020. In 2021, Zerina styled campaigns for Macy's and Zales.

Awards and Recognition

Zerina Akers has received several awards for her outstanding work in fashion and costume design.