When I was a young girl, one of my favorite movies was Coco Before Chanel. I fell in love with the world of fashion, and I spent hours drawing my designs with dreams of glamour and grandeur. Years later, I still have a deep love of fashion; but now I see that fashion is a beautiful world of grandeur, glamour, and women of all backgrounds. In honor of our Empowering Women week, I have compiled a list of 4 beautiful WOC fashion icons.
Naza Yousefi
Naza Yousefi is a young handbag designer known for her imaginative, ready-to-wear handbags that have taken the internet by storm. Yousefi spent her childhood years in Iran and moved to London, where she founded her brand Yuzefi in 2015 that has developed a steady fanbase since. Known for her bold collection of ready-to-wear luxury handbags and accessories, Yuzefi has cemented herself as one of fashion’s youngest talents. Yuzefi is also a sustainable brand that uses low waste manufacturing processes!
Carly Cushnie
Carly Cushnie is a London-born Black designer specializing in luxury ready-to-wear womenswear and couture bridal. In 2008, Carly co-created Cushnie, a brand shaped by her love of creating structured fashion to perfectly fit every modern woman. Cushnie herself has styled the glamorous likes of Michelle Obama, Lupita Nyong’o, Padma Lakshmi, and Gal Gadot. The brand’s attention to detail, combined with the sleek, tailored-fit design, has created a brand renowned for its modernity and chic essence.
Carolina Herrera
Carolina Herrera is an incredibly established Venezuelan fashion icon. In 1981, Herrera became a trendsetter in the fashion world due to her extravagant debut collection that changed the couture fashion realm. She is undoubtedly also renowned for her immaculate styling, which led to her A-List clientele of First-Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis and Laura Bush, Renée Zellweger, and Nicole Kidman. Despite being in the industry for 40 years now, Herrera is continuing to have immense success with each collection and continues to style the stars.
Jennie Kim
Last but not least, Jennie Kim has been dubbed “Human Chanel” by fans of her and her 4-piece Korean girl group Blackpink and rightfully so! Though not a traditional designer, Kim has become the representative face for many high-fashion brands and is a trailblazer in the fashion world. Known for her chic and couture style, Kim was selected to design and curate a line of glasses for Korean fashion eyewear brand Gentle Monster. Jennie Kim’s future in fashion looks bright, and we can’t wait to see what’s to come from her!
The world of fashion is constantly growing and making space for WOC designers to cement their spots as beloved designers in the fashion industry’s heart. I hope this article was of help to you if you were searching for WOC fashion designers to support!