It makes sense that Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason first met as high school students on an HBCU tour: Ever since that fateful day, the couple has been building a life that revolves around the exploration of African Diaspora culture, from traveling in service of learning more about Black history to launching AphroChic, their media and design company that looks at lifestyle and home through a Black lens.
The brand, known for its magazine, podcast, and two beloved books, is also a reflection of the couple’s backgrounds in social justice and philosophy. Jeanine is a former policy attorney, while Bryan holds a masters degree in African Diaspora studies from UC Berkeley. Together they pour their knowledge into making AphroChic “the first global platform of its kind, creating space for exploration, edification, cultivation, and self-expression for Black communities worldwide.” And now the duo is stretching their reach even further with the debut of AphroChic Home, a collection of furniture, tabletop, decor, and more. “It’s a celebration of the legacy of Black design, from the enslaved ceramicists and metallurgists who created everyday decorative artworks like vases and flatware to the 20th-century architects who laid the foundation for much of the regency and midcentury style we see today,” says Bryan.
Jeanine and Bryan are also offering a design consultation service, a trade program, and a wedding gift registry. But when they’re not working on their many ventures, you can find them listening to music, reading classic Black literature, and looking for treasures to add to their Diaspora art collection. Today, the couple writes in from their Hudson Valley home, AphroFarmhouse, with the book they’d bring to a desert island, their go-to playlists for inspiration, and the film aesthetic that they both adore. Read on…
You’re invited to dinner. What’s your go-to gift?
Any piece from our Black Love Bone China collection, which is part of AphroChic Home. We really loved designing these pieces together. A set of dinner and dessert plates are the perfect host gift because they’re such meaningful pieces, celebrating aspects of Black love and important movements, from the fight for LGBTQ+ rights to BLM. — Jeanine
