04/16/2021
This sweet memory from 2014 just popped up in my photos and pulled at my heartstrings.
In New York for , , , and the opening of ’s showroom, we spent a restorative afternoon luxuriating in Soho, compliments of . Moving between thermal baths and plunge pools, we got to know each other better in a decidedly exposed state — bathing suits. We were all so relaxed and at ease, everyone was game for a glow-down group photo afterward. Hair and makeup, be damned!
The U.S. contingent came from East to West and North to South. Our crew also brought creatives from Ontario, France, London, Denmark, and Amsterdam.
In this small gathering, two of these women received breast cancer diagnoses. One survived and is thriving, the other didn’t make it.
That day, I got to spend some time with Kimberly Ward, founder of and As designers, southern girls and mamas, we had a lot of things in common. We first met at a LA in 2012 and crossed paths many times over the years, but never had a chance to dig deeper until we were in the underground nirvana that is Aire.
I learned Kimberly was feisty and her drive to carve a place for other designers of color was relentless. She started working to steer attention toward talented black interior designers by launching a list of Top 20 BIDs in 2011. The list morphed into the powerhouse BID Network is today. Her determination to create change made me feel like a slacker. She was accomplishing so much while being a single mom. Kimberly passed away in 2017, leaving her young daughter behind.
It was both uplifting and dispiriting when members of the BIDN finally began to get the attention they deserve last year. Uplifting, because her dream came true and BIDN was really making waves; dispiriting, because it shouldn’t have taken so long to get to this place and she’s not here to see it.
Hop on over to BIDN’s IG page and take a look at the beautiful work in their feed and get good advice on how to foster inclusivity in design. Please remember it started with Kimberly Ward’s dream when you do!
