IN HONOR OF ESSENCE’S 55TH ANNIVERSARY, ETERNAL AURA BRINGS TOGETHER THE ARCHITECTS OF BLACK STYLE AND THE NEXT WAVE OF GLOBAL FASHION DURING SEPTEMBER 2025 NEW YORK FASHION WEEK.

(Black PR Wire) NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ESSENCE, the premier media, technology, and commerce company dedicated to Black women, introduces Eternal Aura. Not a runway. Not a panel. A private fashion house experience, in alignment with September 2025 New York Fashion Week and ESSENCE’s 55th anniversary – bringing together fashion insiders and cultural leaders to celebrate the legacy of Black style and its influence on global fashion.

For more than five decades, ESSENCE has documented the architects of Black Fashion: designers, stylists, models, and visionaries, who shifted the industry and defined eras. Eternal Aura extends this legacy by honoring those contributions, while signaling the direction of what’s next, guided by an inaugural host committee led by acclaimed creative director and fashion designer June Ambrose, alongside stylist and visual storyteller Mel Renee, editorial casting director Trevor Swain, and celebrated photographer Quil Lemons.

The event will also unveil images from ESSENCE Magazine’s upcoming feature When Memory Meets the Moment, a visual conversation on how memory and vision collide to build what fashion looks like today. Seen through the eyes of members from the host committee, the work captures what continues to be true: Black creatives set the standard in carrying forward stories that deserve to be seen and remembered at the center of Fashion Week, never at its edges.

With music curated by global DJ and producer DJ 9AM, the evening is designed as a space where dialogue and creative expression moves freely. Eternal Aura reflects ESSENCE’s continued commitment to placing Black women at the center of history and influence: as innovators, as curators of culture, and as the foundation of where industries continue to evolve alongside people who position this mission within their art, work, and personal lives.

“From its earliest days, ESSENCE has been a mirror and a muse for Black style,” said ESSENCE Chief Content Officer Michele Ghee. “Eternal Aura places this into motion during New York Fashion Week, uniting the original visionaries with the new voices shaping the future of fashion.”

In partnership with Diet Coke® and smartwater®, ESSENCE Fashion House™ brings the celebration to life at New York Fashion Week, complemented with signature cocktails crafted by D’USSE and champagne by Armand de Brignac ‘Ace of Spades’ Brut Gold – for guests 21+ to enjoy responsibly.

Stay up-to-date on ESSENCE Fashion House™ guest arrivals and top style moments online at ESSENCE.com and @ESSENCE on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

ABOUT SUNDIAL MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY GROUP

Sundial Media & Technology Group (SMTG) is a human connections company — the signal powered by culture, scaled by technology, and built for community. SMTG connects, elevates, and empowers the most influential consumer segment in the market: HER, the Chief Influence Officer. With over 100 years of community knowledge and insights, SMTG is redefining the media model into a next-generation platform. Powered by proprietary intelligence and AI technology, it activates an ecosystem that scales HER influence and economic power. Its portfolio includes some of the most iconic, purpose-driven brands and experiences shaping culture today—ESSENCE (Girls United, ESSENCE Studios, ESSENCE Festival of Culture™), Refinery29, AFROPUNK, Beautycon™ (including NaturallyCurly), the Global Black Economic Forum, the Academy for Advancing Excellence, and the New Voices Fund. Through storytelling, products, and platforms, SMTG delivers the tools and technology to shape the future of media, commerce, and community—on HER terms.

ABOUT ESSENCE COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA GROUP INC.

ESSENCE Communications is the number one—and only 100% Black-owned—media, technology and commerce company at scale dedicated to Black women and communities. With a community of more than 31 million Black women, ESSENCE inspires a global audience through diverse storytelling and immersive original content rooted in Culture, Equity and Celebration. The brand's multi-platform presence in/ publishing, experiential and online encompasses its namesake magazine; digital, video and social platforms; television specials; books; and signature live events, including Black Women in Music, Black Women in Hollywood, ESSENCE Black Women in Sports, Fashion House, Street Style and the ESSENCE Festival of Culture®.

Source: ESSENCE