Many of the most iconic fashion trends, now and in history, have stemmed from African American culture. Statement items like jordans, chains, acrylic nails, and baggy clothing only became popularized after the Black community set such precedents through unique stylistic expressions.

An immeasurable amount of contributions made to the Fashion Industry come directly from the work of intellectual and poised Black women. Clothing types that compliment all shapes, sizes and skin tones are widely accessible, even trending, now thanks to the Black Women in Fashion who stuck their foot in the door.

Below is a Q&A with two young fashion designers and twin sisters, Jamika and Aneaka CM, who began their brand By ACM to combine the elegance of their Black culture with handmade works that accentuate the female figure. By ACM was featured in the previous article Black- and Brown-owned brands: loungewear for working from home, but now the spotlight is solely focussed on their story and perspective.

What’s your story?
“We, Jamika and Aneaka, are the cofounders of By ACM. We are twenty-six years old from Toronto, Canada. At a young age we were introduced to sewing by our grandmother. With the basic knowledge on sewing, we quickly found how to also use a sewing machine at a young age. So then, We started with basic everyday clothing like biker shorts, bodysuits, swimsuits and crop tops. It took us some time to rebrand everything to By ACM and come out with new and improved pieces that were more appealing to the eye”

How was By ACM born?
“The brand was originally started in 2018 and was first called Made By ACM.”

(Aneaka) “I had an internship for about two years making club uniforms and restaurant uniforms, and did alterations. After that, I started making custom outfits for myself and then for other people. I was so busy making customs to the point where I had quit my restaurant job to focus on customs and my internship, which at that point had turned into a job. Then my sister and I started ACM shortly after.”

How do you feel you compete in the fashion industry?
“The fashion industry is forever changing and it is hard to keep eyes on you. There are so many different brands, styles and new trends every other day, we try to stay relevant by coming out with different capsule collections when we can.”

What sets your brand apart?
“What sets us apart is the fact that currently, all of our pieces are handmade with hand-picked fabrics. Most companies go through a manufacturer in China and end up having the same styles. Whereas, because our pieces are handmade, they are each uniquely different.”

What’s both your favorite outfits/ pieces?

(Jamika) “would say, one of my favorite pieces would be our Cheetah Mesh dress. It is a sexy mesh one piece that shows all your curves but the cheetah print adds a pop of design.

(Aneaka)”My favorite piece would be our Mesh Tops. It’s a four way mesh that is so comfortable and stretchy. It comes in different colours so there’s many ways to style it with different pieces.

What do you want to say as women of color to younger girls who want to be in the fashion industry?
“Our advice to younger women who want to get into the fashion industry is to be prepared and never give up.”

(Jamika)“ I find a lot of people, who even though they have the money to start a business, have no idea what it takes to keep it running. You have to make sure everything about you and your brand is functioning well. It can be a lot of work but it is rewarding when you build clientele and people love your pieces. Sometimes it gets hard but never give up and keep pushing. You will watch your business grow into everything you’ve dreamed of.”

In your own words, why are black women in the fashion industry so crucial?
“We think black women in the fashion industry are crucial because we come from different backgrounds and different cultures that others are not familiar with and we try to apply it into the brand.”

How have personal struggles contributed to your art as designers?
“For us, finding a job that you love is hard when you work for other people. We do believe that a struggle is necessary in order to keep pushing. When times are hard, you can only dream of when times are better. That sort of drives us to keep going and come out with more designs. Aiming to reach our goals.”

What is something everyone should know about ACM?
“By ACM will be coming out with new designs and a new brand for 2021, things that we were not able to make by hand. So we will be reaching different demographics and we’re excited for it to come out.”