Cori! Burns: Get to Know the Eponymous Luxury Label Championing Inclusivity & Deconstructed Style

We are so enthused to introduce this inspired sustainable fashion brand Cori! Burns. Founded by Quieesha “Corii” Burns, the luxury label calls Paris, France home to its innovative and thoughtful designs. Highlighting the diversity of the Black diaspora’s approach to socioeconomic, inclusivity, and environmental challenges, Corii’s new Mental Health collection aims to translate shifting attitudes and struggles through materiality.

Check out this interview:

When and why did you start Cori! Burns?

I started my brand during Undergraduate. I started my brand because it was another form of art. While in high school/ middle school I would always make dresses out of clay, wire, glass, plaster etc., my major in high school was “Art Focus”. One day my high school art teacher suggested I try fabric…I didn't right away but when I got to college where my major was Business Management with a specialization in accounting and minor in Fashion Design I quickly fell in love with creating sculptural garments….creating moments and experiences for the people who wore them. Shortly after I switched my undergrad major to a dual major 1. Fashion Design 2. Business Management with a specialization in accounting.

In undergrad I enjoyed seeing women elevated in confidence, proud to wear what I had made with my hands, my art. Today I still enjoy these moments and they are accompanied by new ones…seeing the change in our community my messaging within each collection can create, seeing lives changed for the better also… stepping back and seeing my art used as a healing tool for our community has been one of my favorite moments in my career journey.

How do you define sustainability?

For me sustainability is an effort towards decreasing the harm we’ve already done or have yet to do on the environment. To me sustainable fashion incorporates sustainability in the entire process. Today most companies use the linear model ie. resources are stripped from the planet, transformed into products and then thrown away when no longer needed or required. I live on the opposite side of this story with my brand. The more sustainable approach I use is more circular- keeping resources once taken in circulation for as long as possible through products that are used and reused and can be easily recycled into raw materials for production without the need to extract new materials.

In what ways has being a Black woman in luxury fashion inspired your work?

Being a Black woman in luxury fashion and the high end creative field has not been easy but I've loved it or I wouldn't have stayed. I love breaking down doors and entering that room! It's so important, for the next. Glass ceilings are everywhere in the fashion industry for Black women especially…when you think about it, how many Black female fashion designers are the head of a Fashion House? How many Black female luxury Fashion Creative Directors are there?

Ultimately it pains my heart because we are more than qualified, many industry ideas and aesthetics are taken from or inspired by Black women/ Black creatives etc….yet how many are in positions of power? …Although this pains my heart it also motivates me to break those glass ceilings. It's inspired me to work on my brand with such a focused purpose and to value my work in a way that brings strength to my community.

What has been the biggest challenge with your brand/business thus far? Biggest reward?

The biggest challenge with my brand thus far has been finding the perfect partner for videography. My biggest reward so far with my business has been the lives I’ve touched or helped for the better.

How has your mission for inclusivity been reflected in your pieces?

In my recent MHi! collection my mission for inclusivity has been reflected through sizing. In this collection there are several garments that are adjustable to size.

Another collaborative collection I worked on while in Paris, France focused on people with a diversity of upper limbs. I made a beautiful mini jacket collection that was purely inclusive.

How do you envision the future of sustainable fashion?

I envision the future of sustainable fashion to be completely circular or better. I say better because I think we can always do better. I noticed the shift of the majority of companies in fashion or not saying that they are using sustainability in their business model. Even if these companies are not 100% there I am thrilled with the effort and I know we as a community can only get better once we start, this is a start. I'm excited for the future and what it holds.

Stay tuned for more by Cori! Burns with her handbag collection launching this holiday season!