Aurora James

As founder and creative director of luxury accessories brand Brother Vellies, Aurora James uplifts global cultural traditions, supporting artisan communities around the world. A vice chair of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, James is also the founder of the nonprofit advocacy organization Fifteen Percent Pledge, channeling the collective creativity of the design community to make the global economy a more equitable place for historically excluded groups. James founded Brother Vellies in 2013 with the mission of preserving traditional African design practices and techniques, emphasizing fair labor practices and job creation. She initiated the Fifteen Percent Pledge in June 2020 as a call to action, since generating more than $12 billion of revenue for Black-owned businesses. Author of the widely acclaimed memoir Wildflower, James was honored with the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2015. In 2021, she was named one of TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People, nominated for the CFDA American Accessories Designer of the Year, and recognized with the CFDA Founder’s Award for her work with the Fifteen Percent Pledge.