Black women are including Diva Wreaths —-
And Diva Trees in their holiday decorations.
Both products are expressions of “Black Girl Magic.”
“Black Girl Magic” (#BlackGirlMagic) is a movement that was popularized by CaShawn Thompson in 2013. The concept was born as a way to “celebrate the beauty, power and resilience of Black women.”
Diva Wreaths and Diva Trees allow Black women to add their individual style and flair, which aren’t typically seen in mainstream holiday decorations. The popularity of these products has grown through word-of-mouth as they are not sold in traditional retail stores.
Diva Wreaths and Diva Trees are made by Black women for Black women. The products are sold on Etsy, Instagram or private websites owned by Black businesswomen.
Pinterest and Facebook groups like Black Girls Craft and Black Women who Love the Holidays and have provided the platforms for women to share their creations.
These holiday decor items provide economic benefits to the Black community by generating profits directly to a Black woman.
There are endless variations of Diva Wreaths whether people by a kit to DIY or buy one pre-made. This year there has been an increase in the number of pink and green Diva Wreaths appearing on social media. This is no doubt due to the sorority color ties of which Vice President Kamala Harris is a member — Alpha Kappa Alpha.
The concept of turning a dress form or mannequin into a Christmas Tree has been around for some time but they became popular among Black women as a result of two events.
The first event was when Forever First Lady Michele Obama –– the epitome of Black Girl Magic — had two of these Dress Form Christmas trees for holiday decoration in the White Hous in 2014.
The second catalyst came as a result of Mannequin Madness, a Black owned company that sells mannequins and dress forms. Their design team created digital tutorials to show people how to make their own Dress Form Christmas tree.
Previously only florists or retail visual merchandisers knew how to design them. Since both of those industries are primarily white, information on how to make them did not spread among the Black community until Mannequin Madness started selling the digital tutorials for $1.99.
Once Black women started putting their personal touch on Dress Form Christmas Trees, they began calling them Diva Trees. Some women decorated them in clothes and jewelry that belonged to a deceased family member as a way to pay tribute to them during the holidays. Like Claudette Black Deyamport, a member of AKA sorority did with this one as a tribute to her mother.
This year, Mannequin Madness started offering zoom classes to provide hands on instruction and interaction. They created a group on Facebook (Dress Form Holiday Trees) so for people to share what they made.
Without a doubt, the hip and festive creations of Diva Trees and Diva Wreaths will gain popularity in the years to come.
Black Girl Magic is about making everyday life and circumstances unique. It’s only a matter of time before everyone else will catch on.
