577/9/2025
NEW ORLEANS — At the intersection of creativity, culture, and community, a groundbreaking partnership emerged during this year’s ESSENCE Festival of Culture® presented by Coca-Cola®—the nation’s largest celebration of global Black excellence. ESSENCE Girls United® (ESSENCE GU®) and Kensington Grey, the premier talent agency representing Black digital storytellers, joined forces to elevate the future of creator culture in a way that was bold, unapologetic, and revolutionary.
This year’s festival was more than a gathering—it was a cultural movement. From July 4–6, the ESSENCE GU® x Kensington Grey partnership brought forth a weekend-long series of immersive, content-forward experiences built by and for today’s most impactful Black creatives.
ESSENCE GU® and Kensington Grey partner to raise the bar for content creators On Saturday, July 5, the invite-only #KGxGUHouseMixer became the heartbeat of the collaboration. Set against the electric energy of New Orleans, this curated networking event united top-tier creators, influencers, and brand tastemakers with Kensington Grey’s elite talent roster. Visionaries like J.C. Carter, Scot Louie, and Justine’s Camera Roll anchored a space intentionally designed to ignite conversation, amplify Black voices, and foster meaningful connections.
“The ESSENCE Festival of Culture® is now a rite of passage for digital creators—on par with New York Fashion Week and Coachella,” said Shannae Ingleton, co-founder of Kensington Grey. “Partnering with ESSENCE GU® was a seamless fit. We share a mission to elevate creators as cultural architects, not just content producers.”
The #KGxGUHouseMixer wasn’t just an event—it was a strategic spark, affirming that when Black creatives are at the center of brand storytelling, innovation follows.
ESSENCE GU® Creator House & Kickback: A Weekend for the Culture
The partnership didn’t stop at the mixer. Throughout the festival weekend, ESSENCE GU® and Kensington Grey unveiled a multi-layered vision for the future of content creation.
🖤 The ESSENCE GU® Creator House functioned as a high-powered content hub where creators could shoot, edit, and collaborate in real time. Styled with immersive vignettes and ready-to-shoot sets, it was part studio, part cultural sanctuary—a space where creativity flourished without limitation.
🎶 The ESSENCE GU® Kickback, held Friday, July 4 at The Fillmore, captured the soul of the weekend. Hosted by Zoe Spencer, this genre-crossing live experience featured high-energy performances from KenTheMan, Moliy, T99zy, and Chxrry, proving that joy is just as powerful a tool as strategy when building cultural momentum.
“Black women are forever the blueprint,” said Rechelle Dennis, co-founder and brand lead at ESSENCE GU®. “We build for us, by us, because we love us. Partnering with Kensington Grey is about legacy—cultivating space where connection, creativity, and unapologetic storytelling can thrive.”
Powering the Next Generation of Storytellers
What made this partnership stand out was its commitment to reimagining creator culture—not as a trend, but as a transformational shift. ESSENCE GU® and Kensington Grey are leading the charge in empowering Black creators not only as talent but as industry visionaries. Together, they are building new lanes of opportunity where culture leads and the next generation of storytellers is empowered to rise boldly.
As Houston Style Magazine continues to spotlight movements that amplify the voices of Black creators, it’s clear that this partnership was more than a moment—it was a milestone. And as we look toward the future of digital storytelling, one truth stands strong: when Black creatives are supported, centered, and seen, the results are nothing short of extraordinary.
📸 For exclusive visuals from the #KGxGUHouseMixer and more ESSENCE Festival coverage, visit stylemagazine.com.