BHM Spotlight: How Briana King Is Spreading Her Message Through Fashion Collaborations and TikTok
King talked to FN about her sneaker collaboration with Golden Goose, using TikTok to spread a message of inclusivity and more.
With DEI at a critical inflection point, cultivating diverse talent is more important than ever before. As part of our commitment to champion diversity across the industry, the 2024 FN Black History Month Spotlight will highlight the new wave of talent that has emerged in recent years, including brand builders, design innovators, content creators and more.
Versatile is a fitting adjective to describe Briana King.
The skateboarder, activist, model and actress has gained prominence over the years through her work in various fields. She is known for creating a safe space for women and LGBTQIA+ individuals in skateboarding, and since 2020, she has been using TikTok to spread a message of inclusivity.
On the platform, where she has more than 396,000 followers and 12 million-plus likes, King shares videos teaching people how to skateboard while also fighting to make the sport friendlier to all genders.
“I’ve been on that wave and my girls [that] I’ve been teaching and inspiring for years are killing it. Being an advocate is just my way of living. It isn’t something I think about, it just happens naturally. I’m surrounded by so many female skateboarders who changed my life and I’m like, OK, this is how we’re going to function around here, I just so happen to do it online,” King told FN.
King got into skating during her childhood in Los Angeles. “It was never a place of comfort to me and I was always bullied out of it,” she said. At 18, she moved to Australia, where she started her career as a model. Since then, King has been connecting the worlds of high fashion and skateboarding without letting it change her approach to life and work.
“Skaters are skaters and nothing else. You hire a skater, and you get a skater. No skateboarder is going to switch up because they’re wearing something high end,” said King, who has worked with Dior, Prada and Calvin Klein. “Being able to collaborate with people that make you excited to be alive is such a blessing and nothing should ever hold us back from expressing our creativity,” she added.
Due to her increasing popularity, King was invited to collaborate with Golden Goose. She co-designed the brand’s new Sky-Star Pro sneaker, which was released on Feb. 12. “The design is based around me being at my absolute peak when skating in my shoe,” she said.
King approaches her work in fashion as an extension of her mission to spread kindness. “Almost all of my collaborations have been with my friends working with these brands, or people I’ve been randomly talking to online. These people are in my life because they spark joy in me, and it’d make absolutely no sense to not create with my lovers. My personal brand is love so if I’m vibing, we [are] working. I’m just trying to feel my best at all times so I can perform my best,” she said.
For the next generation of female skateboarders, she wants them to learn the importance of “hyperfocus on what makes you feel good.”
“It’ll make life as a female skateboarder so much easier,” she explained. “There’s so much advice I could give, but one thing that has made skating more enjoyable is just being nice to everybody.”
About the Author:
Renan Botelho is the senior Digital Editor for Footwear News, reporting on the latest fashion trends and celebrity style. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the Methodist University of São Paulo. He can be reached at rbotelho@footwearnews.com.