Black Smoke is the legacy fashion house founded in honor of Bashar Jackson, known worldwide as Pop Smoke. The brand premiered its latest work during its New York Fashion Week presentation, Smoke the Runway. In 2019, Pop Smoke propelled the name Dior into global rotation with his triple platinum hit of the same name. Though his life was cut short soon after, the force of his charisma and unapologetic presence continues to resonate. His influence did not end with music. It expanded. In response, his mother Audrey Jackson established Black Smoke as both tribute and evolution. The brand is not a static memorial. It operates as a living platform. Through an annual designer selection process, Black Smoke invites new creative voices to interpret and extend his legacy, merging fashion with empowerment and forward movement.
Pop Smoke’s cultural impact remains undeniable, marked by two Grammy nominations, three American Music Award nominations, and five Billboard Music Awards. That impact now finds expression in fabric and form. Partnering with Ecuadorian designer Javier Valencia, whose experience in luxury construction sharpens the technical execution, Jackson helped shape a collection that reflects the sophisticated urban aesthetic Pop Smoke embodied. The result is a luxury streetwear language that balances confidence with polish.
Black Smoke’s impact extended beyond the garments into the precision of its talent and production team. Rah the Model, Liyah Milani, Jay Authentik, Sylvia the model, Val Monet, Tyniesa, Versai, and many more carried the collection with controlled presence, allowing the structured silhouettes and layered textures to speak without unnecessary theatrics. Behind the lens, photographers Erwin Kersellius, Pete Pandeli, and others captured the show with clarity, preserving proportion and detail in a way that ensures the collection lives beyond the runway. Production under @blacksmoketribute, with design direction from @javiervalencia36 alongside @abmilknhoney and @wwoww_emgrl, created cohesion between concept and execution. Hair by @thepeachwall and makeup by @thepinkglameraa complemented the garments with polish that balanced grit and refinement, while the White Space Chelsea venue provided a clean architectural backdrop that framed the moment without distraction. Together, media, talent, and creative direction operated as a unified structure, reinforcing that Black Smoke is not just presenting clothing but building legacy through collaboration.
Black Smoke honors the creative spirit of youth, the very disruptors who challenge tradition and redefine influence. For its debut showcase, the brand hosted its New York presentation alongside emerging labels Zipel NYC and Kool Kat, creating a collective moment that centered culture, ambition, and design within the city that understands both legacy and reinvention.
Kool Kat
Kool Kat, a local New York City brand founded in Pop Smoke’s Brooklyn neighborhood of Canarsie, brought a grounded yet culturally layered presence to the runway. The collection followed the season’s utility-driven direction but filtered it through urban sensibility with subtle nods to Jamaican heritage. Rather than leaning into abstraction, Kool Kat leaned into identity — street-rooted, community-aware, and visually confident.
The lineup played with proportion and contrast in a way that felt wearable yet intentional. Asymmetrical skirts paired with cropped color-block jackets created dynamic movement, while structured denim and relaxed utility trousers reinforced the current preference for fuller silhouettes. Hues of red punctuated neutral palettes, adding warmth and vibrancy that echoed both Caribbean tropics and city energy. Pattern embellishments added texture without overwhelming the garments, allowing each piece to feel expressive but controlled What stood out most was the practicality woven into the styling. Coordinated two-piece sets for both men and women transitioned easily from daytime errands to nighttime movement, balancing comfort with visual edge. The collection reads as modern street tailoring with cultural undertones — rooted in Brooklyn, influenced by the Caribbean, and aligned with the broader utility narrative shaping the season.
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Zipel
Zipel delivered what can only be described as refined dystopian streetwear that’s high-end, apocalyptic in mood, yet sharply constructed. The collection reflects the intensity of the current economic climate, where new markets are emerging as older traditions fade. There’s tension in the garments, a deliberate push and pull between vulnerability and resilience. Dark skull graphics, distressed finishes, and heavy textures evoke unrest, while structured tailoring grounds the pieces in control.
Patchwork denim stands out as both aesthetic and commentary. The visible piecing and reconstructed panels feel symbolic of necessary upcycling and reinvention in today’s financial landscape. It’s not destruction for shock value — it’s sophistication through rebuilding. One of the strongest statements was a fitted trench coat embellished with pearl detailing outlining the brand name across the back. The pearl work softened the severity of the silhouette, merging elegance with grit in a way that felt deliberate rather than decorative.
Throughout the collection, Zipel balanced grunge undertones with business-adjacent tailoring. The pieces transition seamlessly between street and structured settings, denim paired with tailored coats, distressed graphics styled with refined outerwear. Whether interpreted through an urban lens or a polished edge, each garment has the ability to elevate an entire look. This is not chaos; it’s controlled intensity… streetwear with commentary and construction to match.
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Black Smoke Collection
The Black Smoke collection delivered a sharp interpretation of this season’s utility aesthetic, balancing leather, denim, and subtle flare with precision. From structured trench coats to high fashion sweatsuits detailed with piped stitching and mid length skirts that played with proportion, the lineup moved confidently between function and statement. Each look felt intentional, grounded in street codes but elevated through thoughtful construction.
The collection centers on structured streetwear with a clear emphasis on outerwear, proportion, and material contrast. Cropped jackets, high shine puffers, tailored denim, and logo marked separates unfold with a controlled urban edge rather than excess. Outerwear anchors the narrative. Cropped leather finish overshirts, glossy black and olive puffers, and bold red and black color block jackets establish a strong upper silhouette. The cuts are boxy but refined, slightly shortened to emphasize layering and to balance the volume of wide leg denim and relaxed trousers beneath, reinforcing a modern and wearable approach to contemporary street tailoring.
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This year’s capsule, titled Shukrani, meaning gratitude in Swahili, marks a new chapter in that narrative. Under the direction of Creative Director Javier Valencia, whose background in luxury construction informs the execution, the collection captures the duality of Pop Smoke’s presence. There is bright ambition in the daytime silhouettes and fearless innovation in the evening pieces. Valencia’s experience in elevated tailoring brings structure and polish to the collection, ensuring that each garment holds its shape and intention while still honoring the larger than life, debonair urban confidence that defined Pop Smoke.
The result is a collection that balances tribute with forward movement. It carries memory, but it also carries momentum. With upcoming showcases in Italy and at Black Fashion Week in Martha’s Vineyard this August, Black Smoke continues to expand its reach, moving from Brooklyn rooted storytelling to an international stage while keeping its foundation in culture, gratitude, and bold self expression. For more Black Smoke shop the collection here.
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