Posted by Actively Black
on September 25, 2026
ESSENCE Girls United covered Actively Black, the Black-owned athleisure brand founded by Lanny Smith in 2020, in “Actively Black’s NYFW Show Was A Colorful Ode To Black History,” a September 2023 recap of our Runway 7 show at New York Fashion Week. Writer Shelby Smith spoke with Lanny about the idea behind the hour-long show, which he built like a mixtape of collections tracing Black history. From Africa to the Black Panther era to the rise of Black love online, the show asked the Tribe to see our story in what we wear.
Key takeaways
- Girls United reported that Actively Black presented an hour-long show at Runway 7 during New York Fashion Week in September 2023.
- Lanny Smith told Girls United the show was built like a mixtape, mixing different collections into one story.
- According to Girls United, the show opened with a tribute to Africa, with models performing traditional dances in pieces featuring patterns and symbols from Ghana and Nigeria.
- The show moved to Black pride and unity through partnerships referencing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the Black Panther Party, shown in hoodies and tracksuits.
- Girls United reported that Devale and Khadeen Ellis modeled loungewear sets, followed by multicolored swimwear on models of all shapes and sizes, before a closing live performance.
- Girls United reported that Lanny wants to show that Black people can be more than entertainers and athletes.
In Lanny’s words
“There’s a lack of black ownership in this space, first and foremost, we must take up this space.”
— Lanny Smith, to Girls United (September 2023)
“We are the culture.”
— Lanny Smith, to Girls United (September 2023)
“You can’t be what you can’t see.”
— Lanny Smith, to Girls United (September 2023)
Why it matters
Girls United captured why we treat a runway like a history lesson. Each segment of the show connected a piece of apparel to a chapter of our story, from the motherland to the movement to modern Black love and success. Lanny described wearing Actively Black as a uniform for the movement, and the show made that literal: the clothes carried the culture, and the culture carried the clothes.
It also spoke to ownership. Lanny told Girls United that Black ownership is missing in athletic apparel and that we must take up that space. Representation is how the next generation sees what is possible, and he told the outlet he hopes to inspire young athletes, influencers and culture shifters who are entering fashion to see themselves as founders and owners too.
Shop the story
Wear the pride from the runway in the Actively Black Wakanda Collection and the Huey P. Newton x Actively Black collection, and train in the All Performance line.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Actively Black?
Actively Black was founded in 2020 by Lanny Smith, a former professional basketball player who played at the University of Houston.
Is Actively Black Black-owned?
Yes. Actively Black is a Black-owned athleisure brand built to celebrate Black culture and reinvest in the Black community.
What did Girls United say about Actively Black’s NYFW show?
ESSENCE Girls United called the September 2023 Runway 7 show a colorful ode to Black history, describing an hour-long show that moved from Africa to Black pride and unity to modern Black love and success.
What was the mixtape concept behind Actively Black’s 2023 NYFW show?
Lanny Smith told Girls United that, like a mixtape mixing songs together, the show mixed the brand’s different collections into one journey through Black history.
Read the full feature: Actively Black’s NYFW Show Was A Colorful Ode To Black History, ESSENCE Girls United (September 2023)
