Fashion Designer Aquila Benjamin Brings Inclusivity To Harlem Fashion Week

By Lauren Gould

When Aquila Benjamin dreamt up Roots of Fatima, she never thought her designs would one day be donned by Queen Latifah. Her mission was simple: create pieces that can be worn by everyone.

Fashion Week oftentimes lacks adequate body representation. According to Vogue Business, in 2023 plus sized models made up just .9% of those walking the runway across shows in New York, London, Milan, and Paris.

By day, Benjamin works as a social media marketing strategist and networking coach. However, she’s always been a creative spirit at heart. It wasn’t until her mental health took a turn for the worse that she decided to channel her love of creating into a career in the fashion space.

“I was depressed one night and felt very suicidal. This brand saved my life,” Benjamin stated.

As she was scrolling through social media, she came across someone wearing a fascinator and became intrigued by the designer’s creative process. From there, Benjamin began to create for the sole reason of calming her mind.

“I remember I was crying and my hands were shaking. Two hours later, I noticed that my hands weren’t shaking anymore. The next week I indulged myself in creating headpieces,” she said.

From there, she began to experiment with designing garments, such as her galaxy dress. “I
always push people to create. It literally will save your life,” Benjamin said.

When it comes to mental health, Benjamin doesn’t shy away from the tough questions. “I’ve
been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, anxiety, ADHD, so I always speak very vividly about
those things,” she said.

She’s also the creator of The Strong Friend Meetup. Its mission is to provide mental health
resources and event opportunities to minority communities.

For Benjamin, honoring Black culture and her roots is an important part of Roots of Fatima’s
mission, which is named after her mother. Benjamin grew up surrounded by strong women and credits their support for getting her to where she is today.

Benjamin knew that Roots of Fatima had skyrocketed to a new level of success when she
received an unexpected Instagram message. That message was from none other than a stylist who works closely with renowned musician and actress, Queen Latifah. While in Las Vegas celebrating her mother’s upcoming wedding, Benjamin received a phone call from the stylist, urgently requesting a Zulu hat for Latifah. This ultimately led to Roots of Fatima’s piece landing on the head of Latifah for Rock the Bells in 2023.

However, despite the brand’s increasing success, Benjamin still faced multiple challenges as a Black female designer trying to build a name in the often exclusive world of fashion. A lot of these struggles came internally.

Benjamin is just 3 years into building Roots of Fatima. While she’s enjoyed tremendous
achievements, doubt still creeps into her psyche. “I think a lot of people didn’t take me seriously because I wasn’t doing it for a long time,” she said.

This will be Benjamin’s second trip to Harlem Fashion Week, where she will showcase how her brand has evolved over the past year.

“I love Harlem Fashion Week. It showed me that everyone deserves a chance. I was afraid to
enter the first show because I wasn’t showing garments. I only had accessories,” Benjamin stated.

Benjamin was born in D.C. and is no stranger to the East Coast. However, she strives to design her pieces for creative, daring individuals. She loves New York because people here aren’t afraid to push the limits, and she cites New York City locals as the very embodiment of her target demographic.

Going forward, Benjamin hopes to continue to use her designs to inspire others. For Benjamin, having a certain body type or look shouldn’t dictate the type of clothing that you wear. “Fashion isn’t a gender. It’s a feeling and it’s a spirit. It’s something that’s in you.

Benjamin showcased her designs at Harlem Fashion Week on Sunday, September 8th, 2024.

Lauren Gould

Lauren Gould is a journalist studying at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. You can keep up with her on X at Laurenxgould.