This party, or “fundraver,” is an effort to raise money for future, trans-focused activations, including the annual Celebration of Black Trans Women Cookout, which the Angelito Collective is co-hosting with their sister, Gia Love, in August. “The return of the Celebration of Black Trans Women Cookout couldn’t be more timely,” says Gia.

At the tail-end of New York Fashion Week, Angelito Collective was invited by the Museum of Modern Art to curate a special night celebrating their exhibition, Vital Signs: Artist and the Body. Pulled from MoMA’s own collection and beyond, much of the featured work was made by women or gender-expansive artists to explore “what it means to be an individual in a larger society.”

From tarot readings and group meditations to a free multi-course dinner, the Black Trans Dinner series is a feast for the soul.

"NC7DS is love letters to my mother and my Khmer lineage, the threads of silk taffeta embroidered by the women of my nation working through fabric textiles have become muscle memory.... My garments are a time capsule that hold conversation between reality as a Khmer American and the fantasy of living in a Khmer urban legend." — Sinn Apsara

Since 2021, the Angelito Collective has been hosting dinners that create spaces of belonging for their community. Conceived by their dear friend Indalesio, these events were envisioned as a sanctuary where Black Trans people gather to "empower one another, alchemize their pain, and affirm their community's resilience." Last month, co-founder Demíyah Perez invited me to attend their holiday iteration — the eighth dinner in what promises to be a long-standing tradition.

A “multidisciplinary artist initiative dedicated to radical trans visibility,” the Angelito Collective is a testament to New York City’s enduring legacy as a crucible for the formation of fresh perspectives and visions for the future.

The show also served as an homage to Serena Williams, with the first look designed with inspiration from the tennis legend’s own style, in collaboration with Nike. Additionally, the brand collaborated with the Angelito Collective, a group of artists committed to radical trans visibility, to capture behind-the-scenes footage of the show for a film you can see below, as well as with the Black trans-led nightlife collective For the Gworlz to help throw the show’s official after party.

Heels, Hair, High Fashion– ‘CIÓN, MAMI, is all that and more. The fashion film, produced by the Angelito Collective and written and rected by Miss Kam, depicts and celebrates trans networks.

For black and brown members of the queer community, embracing home often means rejecting confinements, and cultivating space within yourself and your chosen “home.”