Negris LeBrum SS27: Timeless Style Through the Eyes of a Stylist

5 hours ago

4 min read

New York Fashion Week | Spring/Summer 2027

There are some designers I look forward to seeing season after season because I already know the clothes are going to make me think beyond the runway.

Negris LeBrum is one of those designers for me.

I’ve had the opportunity to attend and cover Travis Hamilton’s Negris LeBrum collections for several seasons now, and there is a consistency to his work that I appreciate as a stylist. The clothes are refined. They are feminine. They are beautifully presented. And although there is often a touch of nostalgia, they still feel relevant to the woman getting dressed today.

There is something about his work that takes me back to the elegance of the 1950's and ’60's when women dressed with intention. But it doesn’t feel like costume.

It feels classic.

And there is a difference.

I Don't Just Watch the Runway—I Style It in My Head

When I attend a runway show, my mind automatically goes into stylist mode.

I’m asking myself:

Who would I put this on?

Where is she going?

What does she already own that I could pair with this?

And most importantly, will she still want to wear it after the trend has passed?

With Negris LeBrum, I can answer those questions.

I see the professional woman who wants to walk into a room polished and confident without looking predictable.

I see the woman headed to brunch, a luncheon, an art opening, a wedding, a cocktail reception, a business event or dinner.

I see women who have reached a point in their lives where they aren't interested in buying something simply because everyone else is wearing it. They want beautiful clothes. They want quality. And they want pieces that make sense in the wardrobe they have spent years building.

That is the Negris LeBrum woman I see.

These Are Clothes You Can Actually Style

One of the things I appreciate most about the collection is that I can mentally take the runway looks apart.

Give me the jacket.

Give me the blouse.

Give me the skirt.

Give me the trousers.

Now let me take those pieces back into a client's existing wardrobe and create something completely different.

That is where clothes begin to have real value.

A beautiful jacket doesn't have to stay married to the pieces it came down the runway with. Put it over a dress. Pair it with denim. Add a trouser already in your closet.

A feminine blouse can soften a suit.

A statement skirt can work with a simple top you have owned for years.

And the right dress can carry you through multiple occasions simply by changing the shoe, jewelry, handbag or jacket.

That's how I want women to shop.

Not constantly replacing their wardrobes, but intentionally adding pieces that expand what they can do with what they already own.

A Little Negris LeBrum History

There is also a much deeper story behind the clothes.

Designer and Creative Director Travis Hamilton built Negris LeBrum from humble beginnings, with the concept growing from an early collection of T-shirts into the fashion house we see today.

The brand's roots are deeply connected to Hamilton's Southern Creole heritage and a 1940's Louisiana love story involving a light-skinned Creole woman named Negris and the darker-skinned Black man she loved at a time when their relationship faced social opposition.

That story became part of the foundation of Negris LeBrum and its longtime message:

“Le Noir est Joli” — “Black is Beautiful.”

The brand reached the New York Fashion Week agenda for the first time during Fall/Winter 2012, beginning a runway history that now stretches more than a decade.

That longevity matters.

Fashion changes quickly. A designer can have one great season. Building a recognizable point of view year after year is something entirely different.

Why I Keep Coming Back

What I continue to appreciate about Negris LeBrum is that the clothes allow the woman to enter the room before the clothes do.

There is femininity.

There is structure.

There is elegance.

There is nostalgia.

But underneath all of it, there is wearability.

And in an industry constantly telling women what the next “must-have” item is, I appreciate seeing clothing that doesn't require a woman to abandon her personal style every season.

That's important to me as a stylist because I don't believe great style comes from chasing every trend.

I believe in building a wardrobe.

My Stylist Takeaway

If I were styling a woman who wanted to look sophisticated, feminine and intentional, Negris LeBrum is a designer I would absolutely consider pulling from.

Especially for the woman who understands that getting dressed isn't about trying to look younger or trying to look like everyone else.

It's about knowing who you are.

It's about understanding your body.

It's about knowing where you're going.

And then choosing clothes that communicate that before you ever say a word.

After several seasons of watching Travis Hamilton send his vision down the runway, that's ultimately why I continue to enjoy attending Negris LeBrum.

The colors may change.

The fabrics may change.

The silhouettes may evolve.

But that feeling of a beautifully dressed woman remains.

And as a stylist, that's the kind of fashion I can work with.

Because trends will always come and go.