A Seat at the Table—and Then Some: Black Women in Luxury Fashion with Martha Jones

For brown and black woman, presence in the luxury fashion space has never been passive—it has been earned, asserted, and often redefined.

A Seat at the Table—and Then Some explores what it means to move beyond access and into authority, visibility, and influence. In an intimate conversation with Martha Jones, we examine the realities of navigating luxury spaces and the quiet confidence it takes to not only sit at the table but reshape it.

As a fashion girl this is a must-ask question! How did you get started in fashion?

Martha: I’ve always loved fashion and I’ve always loved clothes, even as a little girl I would argue with my mother on what I would wear to school. She put me in private school, and I had a uniform which I hated. She allowed me to go back to public school and by 9th grade I was obsessed with clothes again to the point that I wrote everything I wore on the calendar because I refused to repeat the same outfit within that month! So, then my mother found out I received best dressed award at school and she was actually upset, stating she wasn’t going to buy me any more clothes..lol. My mother hated shopping so this was something I expected.

Growing up in Roanoke Virginia…. which was still somewhat segregated even in the 90s, with there being a black mall and a white mall it was tough finding good things. Especially because my fashion influences predominantly came from Hip Hop and BET (like that was just the thing we did, the leather jackets, Gucci wallets, they were have-to haves).

You currently work in retail operations—what led you there?

 Martha: So, operations just kind of just fell in my lap. Erica the owner of Showroom reached out to me and told me her business was growing and that she was opening a 2nd store in Texas and wanted my assistance! We met and had an amazing conversation and I joined! It took me a while to find my footing with it- but once I did, I fell in love. It’s great because I keep in touch with both of the stores, having constant fruitful conversations that drives business and honestly- it feels good to be needed and valued within this space.

How do you balance authenticity with professionalism in spaces that weren’t necessarily built with you in mind?

Martha: Well first it takes time. One of my first jobs in luxury fashion was when I worked at Neiman Marcus- I learned a lot really fast. At Neiman Marcus you are strictly commission, and I was freshly out of a divorce which I received nothing from so I told myself I need to sell this much in order for my check to be this way, so I can take care of my boys. I would do the math and be like “ok this is how much I need to sell this week” and I wouldn’t let anyone get in my way. With that, I NEVER did anyone wrong or cheated anyone, but I knew what I had to make, and I was focused on my numbers. Once I made the numbers, I needed to take care of my family I stepped away from the selling floor giving associates even more space and opportunity to do what they needed to do. Even when clients would come in looking for me “I wasn’t there” so it would give other people a chance to work with them and make money. Like I wasn’t selfish, but I was intentional.

How did you landscape your professional growth in the start of your career?

Martha: After the 3rd year I knew I didn’t want to stay at Neiman’s because there were a ton of red flags. I happened to be approached by a boutique and they were able to give me what I needed with a comfortable salary. It gave me the mental and financial safety I needed. At Neiman’s I was scared to take vacations, scared of getting sick, scared of not making money. I had a constant fear of “what if” because there was nothing covering me-if your gone for too long you’re walking into a whole because of returns and it's like you worked for nothing and you have to work twice as hard to make up for that loss. And as a million dollar seller….you get your fare share of returns.

So, this new job gave me the security I needed because I was salaried. I started off selling in the boutique and they truly only wanted me to sell. I had to speak up a lot just for them to hear me.

In a small professional setting like that, what did speaking up for yourself look like?

Martha: It wasn’t easy. It was a small boutique owned by men who struggled with taking advice from women. It was something you felt immediately once you started working there. I had valuable things to say, so I would set up meetings to connect and converse about what was selling and what was not and really pushing that there should be another female perspective involved with the buys. It was lot of being dismissed and not listened too/ taken seriously. Then I asked myself “are they not listening to me because I’m a woman” or “are they not listening to me because I’m black?”

My thought process was that if I’m a woman doing majority of the sales, why wouldn’t you want my advice on what does and doesn’t sell? Why do you think I can only sell but not use my brain to actually help the company grow analytically?

A lot of my brown and black counterparts within the luxury fashion industry are often labeled as “defensive” when we say anything in rebuttal. What would you say the formula is to keep a peaceful and respectful composure when having those conversations?

Martha: What I’ve learned when It comes to speaking to a man is you’ve got to make them believe that it was there idea.

When it comes to work relationships especially with women, it’s important to lead with a solution mindset, so if they start trying to throw the “defensive” word around, they end up sounding crazy because you were bringing a solution not an argument.

How do you balance authenticity with professionalism in spaces that aren’t diverse?

Martha: You see I’m wearing a silk scarf on my head, and I’ve been at work all day hahaha.

You introduce them to it- we don’t have to “conform”, we don’t have to “teach” either because that’s not our job and that can be very exhausting. They may not have seen it before but they’re going to see it today.  And that goes for anything, conversation, fashion, music, general topics.

What does true visibility look like for you—not just being seen, but being acknowledged?

Martha: More than anything I’m really a laid-back person. When it comes to sales it’s important to be palpable to everyone and making them feel seen and comfortable. Always ensure that your personality shines through and somehow someway the acknowledgment will follow. It won’t always be from the people you want but from the people you need.

Have you ever experienced microaggressions in retail settings? How did you respond — if at all?

Martha: A lot of times you have to say, “well what do you mean by that?” And that’s when they either put there guard up or they actually sit back and think about what actually came out of their mouth. Be clueless and see how they handle that.

We’ve all delt with those co-workers that try and get a little too close. How do you maneuver through that without coming off as anti-social?

Martha: The best way to handle coworkers who want to be too close- is to be intentionally kind  but unintentional with planning. Agree to going out with them from time to time and if something comes up, something comes up. If you get what I’m saying? But don’t be a jerk, bring them coffee or a nice pastry one day to keep the relationship in a good place. I mean who doesn’t appreciate nice gestures.

Given that Charlotte’s luxury fashion scene is relatively small and often less inclusive than in other places, do you see a future for a new luxury fashion setting?

Martha: At the end of the day charlotte is in North Carolina it’s the South and, it’s going to take a while for things to change. Things are so generational here, it’s all about the family you were born into, who your relatives are and who you know. It’s going to be hard for someone new to come in and put up anything that’s not already established. But I have hope that will change some day.

What do you hope changes for the next generation of Black women entering this space?

Martha: That they don’t have to work as hard. When it comes to any type of job, black women have to work twice as hard to get to the same space as others. I hope everyone is given the opportunity to enjoy what they do. Because often times you come into a job excited, and someone takes that excitement away from you. So, I want them to be able to dwell in constant happiness doing what they enjoy.

Editor’s note: Luxury fashion is shaped by presence—by who is seen, who is heard, and who ultimately leaves a mark. With clarity and intention, Martha Jones offers a quiet manifesto for what it means to succeed within it.