Black Fashion Designers You Need to Know

Legendary Harper’s Bazaar editor Diana Vreeland put it best: “Fashion is part of the everyday air, and it changes all the time, with what’s happening. You can even see a revolution coming in clothes. You can see and feel everything in clothes.”

The ten most iconic black fashion designers in history, listed below, would probably agree. These designers created clothes based on people, places, things, and events that meant something to them, infusing their clothes with social justice issues and reflections on black culture. Their designs could have modified based on what they were feeling and experiencing on the time, but their passion for the industry didn’t. In doing so, they built a brand of themselves as black American fashion icons.

Who was the primary famous black clothier?

Ann Lowe is taken into account one among America’s most vital designers and the primary well-known black designer. Despite designing dresses for a few of America’s most distinguished figures and having a formidable resume of accomplishments—two of which were being the primary black American woman to own a store on Madison Avenue and designing the dress Jacqueline Bouvier wore when she married John F. Kennedy in 1953—she rarely received credit for her designs. Lowe’s influence on the style industry was not well known until her death in 1981.

10 Black Fashion Designers Who Are Carrying the Torch for Modern Fashion

Take a better take a look at 10 of essentially the most famous black fashion designers, their work, and the way they made or are making black fashion history.

Virgil Abloh – the clothier behind Pyrex Vision

Virgil Abloh was greater than only a black clothier. He was a cross-disciplinary innovator, best known for his work in the style industry, although his work also spanned art, music, and furniture design. In addition to founding a luxury streetwear line called Pyrex Vision and a Milanese brand called Off-White, Abloh served as creative director of Kanye West’s creative agency, Donda, and was the primary black artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear line.

Elegant Dan

Born Daniel R. Day, Dapper Dan is a streetwear pioneer known for reinterpreting luxury brand logos and remodeling them into daring, offbeat designs. Dapper Dan is a black clothier who has gained recognition for bringing hip-hop culture to high fashion, boasting clients like LL Cool J, Jay-Z, and Salt-N-Pepa.

LaQuan Smith

Since launching his eponymous label in 2008 and debuting at New York Fashion Week in 2010, LaQuan Smith has amassed a formidable client list, including Khloé Kardashian, Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. His designs are daring and indulgent, with an emphasis on flattering the feminine body with tailored pieces. He’s recently entered the menswear game for the likes of Lenny Kravitz.

Telfar Clemens

Telfar Clemens is understood for its inclusiveness, as evidenced by its unisex clothing line Telfar, probably the most popular clothing brands owned by black people today. His slogan is: “Not for you — for everyone.” The Telfar tote bag, also generally known as the Bushwick Birkin, is his most famous creation and has been worn by everyone from Beyoncé to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The Liberian-American designer has also won several awards and accolades, including the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Accessories Designer of the Year Award in 2020.

Willi Smith – the black clothier who invented streetwear

When he died in 1987, Willi Smith was considered probably the most successful black fashion designers. Smith has been called the inventor of streetwear, and his primary goal was to use his WilliWear Limited brand to make fashion accessible to all. Smith had several notable collaborations, working with names like Spike Lee, Jeanne-Claude, and Christo.

Anifa Mvuemba

Self-taught clothier Anifa Mvuemba is best known for her Hanifa line, a womenswear brand worn by the likes of Zendaya and Tracee Ellis Ross. In May 2020, she made headlines when she used 3D models to showcase her latest collection through the pandemic, reaching a large audience and setting a brand new standard for virtual presentations in the style industry.

Stella Jean

Stella Novarino, higher generally known as Stella Jean, blends her Italian and Haitian heritage into her designs, leading to daring patterns and vibrant elements. Under the mentorship of Giorgio Armani, Novarino has gained international attention, expanding the reach of her pieces and her efforts in ethical fashion. She recently designed the uniforms for the Haitian Olympic team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Tracy Reese

Tracy Reese founded her Tracy Reese label in 1998. Her designs, known for his or her feminine silhouettes, vivid colours, and complex detailing, have attracted the eye of celebrities including former First Lady Michelle Obama. Reese also champions sustainable fashion initiatives, recently launching a brand new brand focused on ethical manufacturing practices called Hope for Flowers.

Romeo Hunt

According to Romeo Hunte’s website bio, the ladies who surrounded him as a toddler in Brooklyn—those that had a “creative approach to fashion”—inspired him from a young age. He was so inspired that he turned down two athletic scholarships to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology as a substitute. The decision paid off: Hunte launched his eponymous brand in 2014. His lifestyle brand has featured a slew of famous faces, including Dwyane Wade, Jennifer Hudson, Zendaya, Beyoncé, and Idris Elba.

Patrick Kelly

Although Patrick Kelly was born and raised in America, it was France that first embraced his designs. Kelly went from nightclub costume designer to respected designer, creating clothes inspired by his Southern Black roots, fashion and art history, and the club scenes of New York and Paris. His work often featured controversial imagery, drawing attention to problems with racial stereotypes. Kelly also holds membership within the Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter, the governing body of the French ready-to-wear industry, now called the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. He was the primary American to join the organization.

Follow the most recent trends amongst black designers in the style industry

Thanks to the talented designers on the market—those mentioned above and countless others who eat, sleep, and breathe fashion—there are a variety of interesting, modern things happening in the style industry. Don’t miss any of them. Instead, follow the most recent fashion news to discover what trends are in style all summer long (heavy metals and monochrome are in) and which dresses by black designers are flying off the shelves.