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Fashion designing- Author; Jakub T. Jankiewicz-
10 Best Black Fashion Designers
Over the years, there have been a lot of conversations revolving around the lack of inclusivity when it comes to black people, especially in the fashion scene. Black designers have equally had a hard time trying to get visibility but despite all the challenges, they are slowly changing the game. These brilliant creators are being recognized, and whether they’ve been in the game for long or not, there’s no arguing their great impact. Between them, they’ve dressed major celebs, made huge splashes during fashion week, and created real works of art, remaining true to their aesthetics and their visions. With that said, here is a list of some of the best black designers we have in the fashion industry.
1. Jason Rembert
Jason Remberts’s design on Lizzo at the 2019 American Music Awards- Author; Cosmopolitan UK-
His brand is known as Ali茅tte and with his thought-provoking looks, Rembert is a very popular sought-after Hollywood stylist. He has dressed the likes of Issa Rae, Lizzo and Marsai Martin. His luxury label is actually inspired by his mom and features many beautiful and creative creations, including the stunning dress Zendaya wore in her Netflix film Malcolm & Marie. Jason Rembert is responsible for some of the most memorable red carpet moments from Hollywood A-listers to music celebs and sports icons, including Issa Rae, Rita Ora, and Odell Beckham Jr. He rarely conducts interviews, thus creating an enigma and mystery to his brand. However, if ever there was a word that would best describe his work, that would be pure passion. In 2021, Rembert was named one of The Hollywood Reporter鈥檚 Top 25 Stylists in Hollywood and received the Stylist of the Year award from New York鈥檚 Harlem鈥檚 Fashion Row.
He even collaborated on 19 editorial covers to his credit, including The New York Times Magazine, Billboard, Variety, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN.He broke through barriers and managed to make it to the top of the industry despite all the odds that were up against him as a young black male. See, as a young Black male from a disenfranchised part of inner-city Queens, the path to the front row of top fashion shows and working with A-list celebrities is not a path well-travelled and indeed an easy one. With his expertise and modern approach to style, however, he has been able to defy them all and succeeded anyway. Way to go Rembert!
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2. Aurora James
African designs- Author; Noura Alswailem-
Brand: Brother Vellies
Aurora James is a Canadian creative director, activist, and fashion designer. In 2013, she founded the fashion label Brother Vellies, with the objective of promoting traditional African design practices and techniques. Thus in 2020, James founded the 15 Percent Pledge as a non-profit organization to support Black-owned businesses. Aurora was born to a Ghanaian father and a Canadian mother, although her childhood was split between Canada and Jamaica. Her African roots could explain her love for African designs and fashion. After travelling across Africa in 2011, James spent the next few years experimenting with design, testing designs at local markets in New York and working with various artisan groups.
She was able to launch Brother Vellies in January 2013, and started with $3,500 in savings, with the goal of promoting the work of African artisans. The first formal Brother Vellies collection was produced for the spring 2014 season and was created entirely with shoemakers in South Africa.She later expanded to working in other countries within Africa and beyond, including Mexico and Honduras, so as to continue producing desert boots, shoes, slippers, and sandals. As the brain behind Brother Vellies brand, Aurora has won the Vogue Fashion Fund prize, and CFDA award and her brand has been worn by activists, celebrities and big musicians in the industry like Beyonce, Solange Knowles, Nicki Minaj and Elaine Welteroth. She also designed the “tax the rich” dress that was won by Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez at the 2021 MET Gala event.
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3. Kerby- Jean Raymond
Evol Fashion Show- Author; DrChigbo-
Brand: Pyer Moss
Founded in 2013, this Haitian designer started off with menswear before later expanding into womenswear. Stars like Lil Nas X, Issa Rae, and Tracee Ellis Ross have worn his creations, and he was also named one of Time Magazine‘s 100 most influential people in 2019. This is pretty impressive because he took less than 10 years for that achievement. Kerby Jean-Raymond first came into the spotlight for his presentation of Pyer Moss’ Spring 2016 Menswear Collection during New York Fashion Week. The show was highlighting police brutality, referencing the Black Lives Matter movement through the use of video, street art, and fashion. Despite receiving backlash for his display, Jean-Raymond still鈯� uses his platform to promote positive social change. He has made public comments about his experience as a teenage victim of driving while black. Kerby Jean-Raymond collaborated with R&B singer and activist Erykah Badu who styled Jean-Raymond’s Pyer Moss AW16 line for the 2016 New York Fashion Week show. The featured collection was titled “Double Bind.”
His brand, Pyer Moss, won the FGI Rising Star Award in the menswear category in 2014. That same year, he was also a finalist in the DHL Exported Prize presented by IMG Worldwide. Further, Raymond was recognized by the Forbes “30 Under 30” list in 2015. In 2019, he was featured on Cultured Magazine‘s fashion issue cover. During Paris Fashion Week in February 2019, Odell Beckham Jr. wore a Pyer Moss Collection 2 hoodie. Others who have been seen in Pyer Moss include producer Swizz Beatz, Kiandra Layne, Gabrielle Union-Wade, Colin Kaepernick and First Lady Michelle Obama. In September 2020 again, he was named Global Creative Director of the sportswear brand Reebok. His label, Pyer Moss, was also awarded the top prize at the fifteenth CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund awards that same month.
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4.
One of Clemen’s designs on Issa Rae- Author; Bam0822-
Brand: Teflar
His very popular purse designs with their signature logo, have been dubbed the “Bushwick Birkin.” Telfar’s designs are unisex and he’s championed gender-neutral clothing. For a bit of background, and information, Telfar Clemens is a Liberian- American fashion designer and the founder of the Teflar fashion brand. His parents are Liberian. His family moved back to Liberia for a short period of time, however, they returned to Queens in 1990 to avoid the Second Liberian Civil War. He has won the 2017 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, the CFDA American Accessories 2019, and the CFDA American Accessories 2020.
While in high school at New York’s P.S. 206, Clemens’s teacher wrote monograms for all of their students. The monogram the teacher gave to Clemens would later become the brand’s signature logo. In 2005, as a student at Pace University, Clemens founded his eponymous, unisex fashion brand, Telfar. He graduated from Pace University in 2008. Clemens met Babak Radboy in 2004, who later joined Telfar as creative director and business partner in 2013.
In September 2016, Clemens and Radboy worked together on an installation at the Berlin Biennale, accompanied by a video rendered by artists Ryan Trecartin and Lizzie Fitch. In May 2017, Clemens collaborated with musician Solange Knowles in order to design the outfits for Knowles and her dancers for “An Ode To”, a no-phones-allowed interdisciplinary performance at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.
In September 2017, Clemens designed uniforms for 400 White Castle franchises. In October 2017, Clemens released a special capsule collection in collaboration with White Castle that year, with all proceeds from the partnership going to bail funds for teenagers imprisoned on Rikers Island. Clemens counts Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier and Yohji Yamamoto as influences, along with “life style” brands such as Calvin Klein, DKNY, and Polo Ralph Lauren.
His designs:
The Telfar Shopping Bag is made of vegan leather, branded with the signature “T” Telfar logo. It has actually been referred to as an “it-bag” and “the decade’s most important accessory” by major fashion publications. Originally modelled after shopping bags from Bloomingdale’s, the Telfar Shopping Bag is colloquially known as the “Bushwick Birkin” due to its combination of status and accessibility.
The bag has sold out within minutes of every restock, with demand crashing the shop site in July 2020. Telfar’s team was initially concerned that bots were buying the bags to resell them at a higher price, but concluded that the bot issue was overstated鈥攖he issue was real demand. In November 2020, Oprah Winfrey actually picked the Telfar Bag as one of her ‘Favorite Things.’ Something interesting about Telfar is that in 2021, he designed the official uniforms for the Liberian team for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Some of his awards include:
Clemens won the 2017 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund along with a $400,000 prize, much of which he invested in the production of the Telfar Shopping Bag. In June 2020, in honour of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ Pride parade, Queerty named Telfar among the fifty heroes 鈥渓eading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people鈥�. In September 2020, Clemens won at CFDA again, this time it was the 2020 鈥淎merican Accessories Designer of the Year鈥� award.
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5. Carly Cushnie
Carly Cushnie with Ochs- Author; Ctyoung21-
Brand: Cushnie
Designer Carly Cushnie鈥檚 sleek styles have been worn by very many major names, that include Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry, Selena Gomez, Ashley Graham, Lupita Nyong鈥檕, and Michelle Obama. Dubbed “one of the most prominent Black-owned brands in American fashion” by the New York Times, Cushnie paved the way for Black women in fashion. Her streamlined silhouettes and luxe fabrics were total masterpieces. The world was therefore taken aback when she was forced to close due to financial burdens spurred by the Covid- 19 pandemic.
Thankfully, however, the designer is still creating, but in a new way. Her most recent work includes designing a collab for the iconic American Girl dolls. It was perfectly timed, too, seeing how she’s been killin’ it taking care of her kids at home! In May 2020, Cushnie launched a highly successful collaboration line for Target. The collaboration quickly sold out and gave the line a broader brand awareness. The brand received additional support and awareness in 2020 as a black-designed and -owned fashion line. In In October 2020, founder Cushnie announced the closure of the 12-year-old company. Cushnie said that COVID-19 hurt her business and it couldn’t survive.
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6. Romeo Hunte
Zendaya in Hunte’s design- Author; Toglenn-
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7. LaQuan Smith
Laquan Smith at the 2017 GT Bank Fashion Weekend- Author; NdaniTV-
Brand: LaQuan Smith
Laquan is a favourite of many celebrities. Just look at Rihanna , Beyonce and many other icons who have worn his designs. If you need a glam and sexy outfit, this is the guy to go to. Smith was born on August 30, 1988, in Queens, New York and while growing up, he developed a passion for fashion and design. He further developed his passion at the age of 13 when his grandmother passed on her old Singer sewing machine for him to use. From there, he began regularly designing and creating garments. In 2007, he graduated from Glasgow High School in Delaware. Shortly after, he began his career in fashion.
In 2005, Smith applied to the Fashion Institute of Technology, as well as Parsons School of Design, but was not accepted. He then began interning at the New York magazine BlackBook in 2007, working for celebrity fashion stylist Elizabeth Sulcer. He would attend events by pretending to be a BlackBook editor. In 2008, he created his self-titled designer brand. In February 2010, he made his New York Fashion Week debut at the Society of Illustrators headquarters in Upper East Side. Smith’s collection for the 2011 New York Fashion Week was showcased in the Gramercy Ballroom at the Peninsula Hotel. The collection, titled ‘A Story Book Path’, was inspired by Marie Antoinette, Cruella De Vil, and Queen Elizabeth I.
Notable guests included Andre Leon Talley, Diane von Furstenberg, George Malkemus, Sandra Bernhard, Lorenzo Martone, Marcus Samuelsson, and L. Londell McMillan. Models that were walking in the show included Cassie Ventura, Deborah Cox, Jaslene Gonzalez, Serena Williams, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Nicki Minaj, and Christina Milian. For the February 2022 New York Fashion Week, Smith paid tribute to his mentor, Andre Leon Talley, by showcasing a glamour-styled event. The show featured Julia Fox and exhibited models wearing high heels, red sequined dresses, faux fur corsets, cut-out frocks, gold leggings, miniskirts, and Lurex.
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8. Christopher John Rogers
Ensemble by Christopher John Rogers from 2020-21 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art- Author; Rhododendrites-
Brand: Christopher John Rogers
Christopher’s runway shows are consistently the talk of New York Fashion Week due to their exuberance and amazing styling. At just 28 years old, the Louisiana designer has already dressed high-profile women like Michelle Obama and Cardi B. In 2021, he won the American Womenswear Designer of the Year at the CFDA Fashion Awards, and his recent work includes a playful Target collab featuring sunny yellow dresses, floral prints with puffed sleeves, and the coolest juxtaposition of gingham and plaid. Christopher John Rogers is one of fashion鈥檚 most exciting new names, and it鈥檚 clear enough why this is so. Since launching brand, the designer鈥檚 voluminous silhouettes, sharp tailoring and unabashed use of colour have already earned him a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award and a legion of fans, including Zendaya, Tracee Ellis Ross and Michelle Obama.
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9. Dapper Dan
Dapper Dan during an interview in December 2019- Author; Ashley Graham-
Design: Dapper Dan
This Harlem designer has his own niche where he creates his made-to-order designs, that are practically synonymous with the hip-hop stars of the ’80s and ’90s. He is best known for reworking designer logos into his clothes and has collaborated with big brands like Gucci. He even has a memoir where he talks about his experience as a Black designer and how he made his now-famous store on 125th Street. His influential store, Dapper Dan’s Boutique, operated from 1982 to 1992 and is most associated with introducing high fashion to the hip-hop world. His clientele is inclusive of very big names in the hip-hop industry like Eric B. & Rakim, Salt-N-Pepa, LL Cool J, and Jay-Z.
Dan is included in Time‘s 100 Most Influential People of 2020. Between September 2006 and February 2007, the Museum of the City of New York Fashion showcased Dapper Dan’s samples in an exhibition called Black Styles Now. Dan’s career has been revitalized in the 2010s, and he has found mainstream success since 2017. For instance, in mid-2017, while paying homage to Dapper, Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele designed a jacket based on a well-known Dapper Dan design for Diane Dixon in 1989.
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10. Anifa Mvuemba
Fashion shows- Author; Noura Alswailem-
Brand: Hanifa
Anifa Mvuemba鈥檚 very sophisticated and classy designs, sold mostly in sizes 0 to 20, are just but the beginning of her innovations. She recently debuted her newest collection in a completely digital, 3-D fashion show that will just blow your mind if you catch a glimpse of it. Mvuemba鈥檚 debut show was held at The National Portrait Gallery in D.C. and it was a chance for her to showcase Hanifa鈥檚 authenticity and commitment to honouring her community. In her own words, she described herself this way: 鈥淚鈥檓 intentional. I like doing things my way and I hate conforming, and being placed in a box. It honestly makes me uncomfortable. This show in D.C. was me staying true to myself and also challenging myself. The outcome was mind-blowing.鈥�
A slew of long-time Hanifa lovers attended in person and over 20,000 tuned in via YouTube. The show was truly a presentation of how much the brand has grown. Preparation for Mvuemba鈥檚 in-person show took a lot of effort. While planning the collection, her CFDA mentor Patrick Robinson once told her a piece of advice that she holds near to this day. Mvuemba鈥檚 week leading up to the debut was spent in Los Angeles accepting InStyle鈥檚 Future of Fashion Award. The 30-year-old has managed to create a successful lane all of her own, but she found herself in shock being honoured at this level and being surrounded by people she’d long been inspired by herself. 鈥淚t almost felt like 鈥榳ow I don鈥檛 deserve this, this is too much,鈥欌�� she says. But she did deserve it.
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