Jacques Agbobly

“I’m so excited to be the recipient of the 2023 Anthony Quinn Foundation Fellowship! Being a recipient of the scholarship back in High School — a pivotal moment early in my artistic journey — really helped provide foundational structure to support me pursuing my dreams. To come back eight years later and be a part of the Fellowship program means the world. I am beyond grateful to have the opportunity to continue elevating my story through my art. Thank you to the AQF Family for the continuous support and for always believing in me and my work.”

I was born and raised in Togo, Africa and immigrated to the Westside of Chicago, Illinois with my family in 2007. Living in Togo, I spent most of my time at my grandmother’s who rented part of her home to tailors and seamstresses in order to afford rent. As a young queer child, I often felt isolated, and spent most of my time crawling under the cutting tables watching in awe as they turned brightly colored-printed African textiles into unique custom made pieces fit for each client.

After moving to Chicago I began receiving the “what do you want to be when you grow up?” question that plagued so many of our youths. The recollection of hiding under the work tables at my grandmother’s became a memory I always traveled back to. The clear-cut response was always “fashion designer.” Thankfully, the adults in my life listened and nurtured my aspirations which eventually led me to study at Parsons School of Design.

While in my undergraduate studies, I was awarded the CFDA Design Scholarship in 2019 during my senior year. In 2020 in my final year at Parsons I was awarded a sponsorship from Swarovski and UPW Yarn company to aid in the creation of my capstone collection titled Afropolitan. Black Boy Knits was born out of my thesis collection which was featured in CFDA’s Fashion Future Graduate Showcase. Following that summer, I was included in Beyonce’s “The Black Parade Route,” a directory for Black-Owned Businesses.

Most notably, in 2022 I was a recipient of the DHL Logistics Fashion Award and was CVFF finalist. Since gaining further opportunities that have allowed me to grow and establish my brand, BBK has received placements in Teen Vogue, NowThis, Vogue Business, Flanelle Mag, Hypebeast/Hypebae and The Zoe Report — in addition to landing a global commercial campaign with Microsoft.