Historically, the fashion and design industries have been almost entirely white-male dominated, profiting off the backs of black creativity, like so many other industries. In recent years, black creators have been able to push through systematic barriers to deliver beautiful, creative and innovative ideas. In honor of Black History Month, it seems most fitting to tribute a few of the most influential black designers (in my opinion).
- Telfar Clemens: Queens-born founder of his luxury unisex brand Telfar, the brand took off in 2020 with the sensationalized Telfar “Shopping Bag.” The bag quickly replaced the iconic “Neverfull” bag by Louis Vuitton as the new staple luxury bag, and has continued its domination ever since. Clemens created the brand to be a symbol of democratized luxury due to its affordable price points for a luxury brand; but with few releases and limited stock of Telfar products, the bag became just as hard to get your hands on as a Birkin, and the “Shopping Bag” became a status symbol, something only the cool kids could get their hands on. The bag made a name for itself on the internet as the “Brushwick Birkin.”
- Olivier Rousteing: As a gay black man and the youngest-ever creative director in the fashion industry since Louis Vuitton, Olivier Rousteing became an idol for so many young people. Rousteing debuted his career as the women’s director for Italian designer Roberto Cavalli in 2003 before becoming the creative director for Balmain in 2011. He flourished, becoming widely known for pulling Balmain back into relevancy by its boot straps. Rousteing brought a refreshing breath of youth to Balmain, introducing Asian and finer French elements to the drowning brand.
- Grace Wales Bonner: As the English founder of “Wales Bonner,” Bonner’s genius takes form in all of her pieces. Bonner’s designs speak of heavy influence from her knowledge in music theory, history, visual art and literature, all of which are brought together in perfect unison to create elegant silhouettes, more palleted for the English style by being looser fitting. Bonner has dressed the royal family many times, with Meghan Markle being a self-proclaimed Wales Bonner stan, asking her to create her post-baby looks. After receiving a multitude of well-deserved awards for her designs, Bonner was invited to collaborate with Dior to redesign silhouettes for their resort 2020 collection.
- Christopher John Rogers: Christopher is the founder of his own brand, “Christopher John Rogers,” a women’s luxury line consisting mainly of gowns and pantsuits. A beacon of creativity seems to shine from Christopher John Rogers and from his designs: with his use of bright hues and his infatuation with the beyond glamorous, celebrities from Michelle Obama to Cardi B have flocked to him to create their red carpet looks. It seemed everyone wanted a piece of his collection, but designers like Christopher John Rogers come with a price that not everyone can pay. Christopher wanted to give everyone a chance to share the joy of his collection, so he did a collaboration with Target. The collection consisted of new designs that were very on brand with his previous collections, but at a much more affordable price point.
- Aurora James: Toronto-born Aurora James is founder and creative director of “Brother Vellies,” a luxury accessories brand. James’ designs have strong emphasis on African techniques and designs, while bringing in her knowledge of fashion, journalism, art, photography and horticulture. Because of her uniquely beautiful designs and humanitarian approach to fashion, she has amassed dedicated supporters like Beyoncé, Meghan Markle, Zendaya, Serena Williams and Lady Gaga. As to my attesting for her designs, a pair of cowgirl boots have never made me question if I need to save $1,200 to buy them, but the Eve Doodle boots by Brother Vellies have changed my mind (Kudos, Ms. James)
6. Zelda Wynn Valdes: It all started with her, really. Born in 1905, Valdes didn’t have the path paved for her way into the fashion world. She had always dreamed of a boutique filled with her own gowns, but realized she would have to start at the bottom, working as a seamstress in the back of a white-male-owned boutique. But Valdes had a plan: she would muster through working as a seamstress, work her way up to a couturier, then at some point open her own boutique. Her plan came to fruition seamlessly (no pun intended), and she opened “Chez Zelda”—the first black-owned business on Broadway. Valdes and Chez Zelda gained massive attention from celebrities and society women, designing gowns for women like Ella Fitzgerald and Joyce Bryant. And if you ever wondered who you can thank for the iconic playboy bunny costume, it’s Ms.Valdes.
- Virgil Abloh: This list is by no means in any sort of hierarchical order, because without a doubt Virgil Abloh will go down in history for his brilliance. Virgil Abloh’s success in the fashion world is a story of trial and error, and persistence. Abloh saw the future of fashion: street wear. Capitalizing on this new-found category of fashion, Virgil was testing all the ways he could bring streetwear into the luxury fashion scene. His first company, Pyrex, was the first success of his experiments. The word “PYREX,” accompanied by a solid white square, was printed on $10 Champion shirts or $40 Ralph Lauren flannels and sold for $400-$1000 dollars—and people bought them. With the help of celebrities (his friends) like A$AP Rocky, Kanye and Drake, he was able to create “hype” around the brand, making the pieces worth the absurd prices. Pyrex was sued for stealing the name of the container company, but in the midst of its failure, Virgil debuted his new brand “Off-White,” putting street wear on the luxury fashion map. Virgil had a name for himself in the industry at this point, and after an iconic collaboration with Nike and Off-White’s success, he was appointed to be the creative director of Louis Vuitton’s men’s wear line—and created show stopping runways season after season. Sadly, Virgil passed away on November 28, 2021, but his legacy will forever live on.
A final note: Praise and recognition for black creators cannot just exist because of Black History Month. Appreciation for black creators is necessary every other month of the year just as it is for white creators.