It's Black History Month in the UK, and we wanted to do this properly.
This year's theme is Honouring Our Communities, a call to recognise the people whose work shapes everyday life, yet too often goes unseen. So for October, we're handing our Tit Talks blog over to Black women doing brilliant things: Black British founders, fashion designers, the women running charities that change lives, and more.
Four themes. Eleven women. Some you'll know. Some you really should. All of them deserve your attention, and your support.
In this post:
- Black women founders and entrepreneurs
- Black British fashion designers
- Black women charity founders
- Breast cancer stories for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Part 1: Black women founders and entrepreneurs
Three Black British entrepreneurs who looked at a market, saw what was missing, and built it themselves.
Sharmadean Reid MBE, founder of WAH Nails
If you've ever had nail art that felt like a statement, you have Sharmadean Reid to thank. The British-Jamaican entrepreneur is the founder of WAH Nails, Beautystack and The Stack World, and she builds brands and communities where culture, tech and commerce meet.
WAH started in 2005 as a small London fanzine about girls in hip-hop. It championed the women shaping the music and clothing scene, and made room for a new wave of street-smart feminism. That grew into the WAHappenings blog, events like the WAH Power Lunch, and an international community of girls who loved their Nike sneakers as much as their Prada wedges.
What we love most: her clear-eyed, practical approach to building women-first networks that change careers and companies. Not just talk. Outcomes. She's also an Honorary Fellow of University of the Arts London. Follow her latest work at sharmadeanreid.com.
Josephine Philips, founder of SOJO
Throwaway fashion has a new rival. Josephine launched SOJO in 2021, a "Deliveroo-style" platform for clothing repairs and alterations.
Today SOJO is the UK's leading clothing repair and alterations service, working with people and brands to make clothes last longer. Its mission is circular fashion made effortless, and one we can get fully behind: keep the pieces you love, for longer. Hear it from Josephine herself in her interview with ARKET.
Varaidzo Tendai Moyo, founder of Ruka Hair
Tendai Moyo founded Ruka Hair to do hair like it had never been done before. As she told Forbes, curly hair extensions used to be "lumped into categories which led to a lot of trial and error and wasted money".
So she fixed it. Ruka's mission is hair and beauty that works for Black people, full stop. You've probably seen it on TV and billboards. The story, the culture and the quality have made it stand out in one of the most competitive markets there is. Read more in her British Beauty Council interview and BeautyMatter's deep dive.
Part 2: Black British fashion designers
Three Black women in fashion proving that heritage, colour and craft never go out of style.
Mary-Ann Msengi, founder of Farai London
For lovers of bold, bright colour, Farai London is a treasure trove. Mary-Ann founded the brand to make clothes that are adventurous and stylish in equal measure. Read the brand's mission in its own words.
Every piece is designed in East London. The audience, though, is global, with fans including Kylie Jenner and Megan Thee Stallion. The industry has noticed too: Mary-Ann was named in the Drapers 30 Under 30 2025. Not bad for a brand that refuses to play it safe.
Yvonne Modupe Telford, founder of Kemi Telford
Nigerian-born and raised, Yvonne moved to England in 1996. She went on to build Kemi Telford, a womenswear brand inspired by her heritage and the clothes she watched Nigerian women wear growing up.
According to the brand's story, it started with £50 and a run of tote bags. Today it's known for small-run collections, quality fabrics and designs made for real bodies, with pockets. Joyful, confident dressing with a story stitched into every piece. Hear more in her interview with John Lewis.
Grace Wales Bonner MBE, founder of Wales Bonner
The big one. Grace Wales Bonner is the acclaimed British designer behind Wales Bonner, known for bringing rich Afro-Atlantic heritage and intellectual storytelling to luxury menswear and tailoring. Her decade so far reads like a highlight reel:
- 2015: Emerging Menswear Designer of the Year, British Fashion Awards
- 2016: LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, putting her on the international stage
- 2019: Collaborated with Dior and won the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund
- 2020: Began her collaboration with adidas, blending sportswear with African and Caribbean culture
- 2021: CFDA International Men's Designer of the Year
- 2022: Awarded an MBE for services to fashion, and named Independent British Brand of the Year
- 2023: Curated Artist's Choice: Grace Wales Bonner, Spirit Movers at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- 2024: British Menswear Designer of the Year
- 2025: Named Creative Director of Men's Ready-to-Wear at Hermès
Ten years. One very clear direction: up.
Part 3: Black women charity founders
Three women who saw a gap in support and built a lifeline to fill it. If this year's theme of honouring our communities has a face, it's these three.
Ngozi Fulani, founder of Sistah Space
Ngozi Fulani founded Sistah Space, a London-based charity giving specialist support to women and girls of African and Caribbean heritage affected by domestic abuse. Learn more about the charity's history, or listen to Ngozi's oral history interview with Hackney Museum.
Its power is in the word "specialist". Support that understands culture, community and lived experience gets women heard, believed and helped.
Nancy Mudenyo Hunt, founder of The Nasio Trust
Nancy founded The Nasio Trust, a registered UK charity and Kenyan NGO. Its work is simple to say and hard to do: break cycles of poverty.
It does that through healthcare, education and sustainable community projects. The aim is lasting change, built with communities rather than handed to them. Read her story on EnSpire Oxford, and why the University of Reading honoured her for helping people out of poverty.
Leanne Pero MBE, founder of Black Women Rising
After her own breast cancer diagnosis, Leanne Pero saw how rarely women of colour were represented or properly supported. So she created Black Women Rising.
It's now one of the UK's most prominent cancer support charities and awareness projects, offering culturally sensitive support and making sure women of colour are seen, heard and included in the conversation. Hear the stories first-hand on the Black Women Rising podcast, read Leanne's interview with Stylist, or explore her Churchill Fellowship research on how cancer affects Black women in Ghana.
Part 4: Breast Cancer Awareness Month, in their words
October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We make bras for a living, so this one matters to us. Following on from Leanne's work, we're closing with two women who've been through breast cancer, in their own words.
Both volunteer with Breast Cancer Now, the UK's leading breast cancer charity, which funds research and provides life-changing support. If you're worried about breast cancer or going through it, their free helpline is on 0808 800 6000. Not sure what to look for? Start with the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.
Abigail's story
Abigail was diagnosed with primary breast cancer at 39. What followed was six cycles of chemotherapy, which she calls "the hardest part", 21 sessions of radiotherapy, and 18 cycles of immunotherapy and hormonal therapy.
She rang the bell on 3 January 2025, and was told she was cancer-free a couple of weeks later. Then she went looking for her people, volunteering at a Breast Cancer Now cheer point at the Royal Parks Half Marathon.
"I needed that connection with others who understood resilience, strength, and hope."
"The feeling of giving back to the community and being connected to others on similar journeys meant so much to me."
Read Abigail's full story on Breast Cancer Now.
Sheila's story
Sheila is a retired teacher who volunteered after her own diagnosis, and now supports women through Breast Cancer Now's Moving Forward programme. Here's why.
"My first-hand experience meant I could empathise with how a lot of ladies were feeling: I could understand the fear of going through a diagnosis, the fear of recurrence. They could look at me, see how far I'd come and know that there's life after a diagnosis.
I decided to volunteer with Breast Cancer Care, as it was then. I felt as a retired teacher, I could give talks about my story and the charity. I found when I gave my talks that it helped me too. It still does.
I later decided I wanted to do more, so I volunteered for Moving Forward and I now give public health talks too.
I'm very passionate about volunteering. I enjoy meeting people and letting them see that although my diagnosis changed me and was difficult to come to terms with, I did it.
Volunteering helped me in that process. I love helping others get to where I am and giving groups of women vital information about life after treatment."
How to support Black women-owned businesses and charities
Reading about brilliant women is a good start. Backing them is better.
- Shop Black-owned brands: WAH Nails, SOJO, Ruka Hair, Farai London, Kemi Telford, Wales Bonner
- Support the charities: Sistah Space, The Nasio Trust, Black Women Rising, Breast Cancer Now
- Check your boobs: it takes minutes, and your bra comes off anyway. Follow Breast Cancer Now's Touch Look Check guide, know what's normal for you and see your GP if anything changes.
- Learn more: explore the stories and resources at Black History Month UK.
- Share this with someone who needs to know these names.
We believe in brands that give back, which is why we donated 100K pieces of underwear with Choose Love. Read a note from our founder, Lemon, or meet the Lemonade Dolls community.
Black history is made every day. This month, we're just making a bit more noise about it.
Black History Month FAQs
When is Black History Month in the UK? Black History Month runs every October in the UK. The 2026 theme is Honouring Our Communities.
How can I support Black-owned businesses during Black History Month? Shop from them, follow and share their work, leave reviews, and keep supporting them after October. Every brand in this post is a good place to start.
Which UK charities support Black women? Sistah Space supports African and Caribbean heritage women affected by domestic abuse. Black Women Rising supports women of colour affected by cancer.
Is October also Breast Cancer Awareness Month? Yes. It's a good time to learn how to check your breasts with Touch Look Check, and to support charities like Breast Cancer Now.
Keep reading on Tit Talks: Feel-Good Fits for Every Body: No Shame, Just Shape · What Your Favourite Bra Says About You
