Throughout history, Black people have influenced and set standards within the world of fashion. However, Black creatives are still often left out of the conversation or unaccredited for their work and impact. To understand and appreciate the style we see today, here are five Black visionaries who forever changed fashion history.
André Leon talley
André Leon Talley dominated the fashion industry with his plethora of professional accomplishments, holding titles such as fashion journalist, creative director, editor-at-large, and more.
Born in Durham, NC, Talley was raised by his grandmother. After completing his degree at North Carolina Central University, he later received a scholarship to Brown University where he got his master’s in French Studies.
In the fashion industry, Talley began his career working for famous creatives such as Andy Warhol and Diana Vreeland. As a fashion journalist, he wrote for several publications such as Women’s Wear Daily and W Magazine. Still, he is widely known for his work at Vogue as the Fashion News Director and later as the magazine’s first African-American creative director.
During his lifetime, Talley continuously fought for diversity within the fashion community. He showed support and provided his guidance while promoting the work of black designers, models, and creatives both on the runway and in the pages of magazines.
In his 2020 memoir, The Chiffon Trenches, Talley wrote, “To my 12-year-old self, raised in the segregated South, the idea of a Black man playing any kind of role in this world seemed an impossibility. To think of where I’ve come from, where we’ve come from, in my lifetime, and where we are today, is amazing. And, yet, of course, we still have so far to go.”
Zelda wynn valdes
Zelda Wynn Valdes was a trailblazing Black fashion and costume designer. The eldest of seven children, Zelda grew up in Chambersburg, PA, where she learned the art of sewing from her grandmother.
Later, she moved to New York to work at her grandfather’s tailor shop before becoming the first Black sales clerk and tailor at a high-end boutique. Valdes then opened her own store, Chez Zelda, which was the first Black-owned store to hit Broadway in Manhattan.
Valdes was an icon and advocate for body positivity. Celebrities such as Ella Fitzgerald, Dorothy Dandridge, Josephine Baker, Eartha Kitt, and many more adored Zelda for her head-turning work that accentuated women’s natural curves. Famous for empowering women through fashion, Valdes was personally hired by Hugh Hefner in 1958 to design the iconic Playboy Bunny costume. She ended her career working for the Dance Theatre of Harlem where she designed ballet costumes for over 80 productions before her death in 2001.
The accomplishments listed above are only a fraction of the impact she left on the fashion industry. Zelda Wynn Valdes, a powerful and influential Black designer, curated her craft making extraordinary dresses with design elements that are still used today.
Dapper dan
Daniel Day, famously known as Dapper Dan, made a name for himself in the 80s when he opened the first 24 hour boutique in Harlem. A founder of luxury streetwear, Dapper Dan popularized what we know today as logomania, the phenomenon in which a brand’s name or logo covers the clothing instead of remaining hidden. Through screen printing the monogram logos of Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Fendi on wearable items, Dan worked to introduce high fashion into the world of hip hop. Dan grew in popularity with a clientele of famous athletes and rappers such as LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Mike Tyson, The Fat Boys, Salt-N-Peppa and more.
Not everyone sought after Dan’s unique and inspiring style. Many who worked in the world of couture disapproved of Dan’s designs and outcasted him from the realm of high fashion. After luxury brands took notice of Dan’s work, frequent counterfeit raids by the government forced Dan to close his boutique in 1992. Still, the couturier continued to work dressing private clients, and his profound influence set style standards still seen today.
Dan wasn’t welcomed by luxury brands until a controversy involving Gucci in 2017. Fans took to social media calling out Gucci for releasing a jacket with an undeniable resemblance to one Dan designed for Olympian Diane Dixon. Gucci then hired Dan to create a collaborative line that paid homage to his original work.
Today, Dapper Dan continues to make fashion history experimenting with design and dressing famous entertainers, along with being the first Black designer to receive the CFDA’s Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award.
Anne lowe
Coming from a long line of seamstresses, 16-year-old Anne Lowe took over her family’s dressmaking business after her mother’s sudden passing. After running the family business for three years, Lowe attended S.T. Taylor Design School where she worked to perfect her craft despite being segregated from the rest of her classmates.
After working as a live-in dressmaker for a socialite, Lowe’s list of wealthy clientele grew and her beautiful gowns became more sought after. Then, in 1950, Lowe opened “Anne Lowe’s Gowns” in New York City, where she dressed the social elite and later designed Jaqueline Kennedy’s famous wedding gown.
Still, recognition was stolen from Lowe, as many who wore her designs did not give her proper credit. She was hidden from the public eye while her work was flaunted to the world. Not only was there a lack of proper accreditation, but her client’s underpaid for her one of a kind gowns.
In 1962, four years after the death of her business partner, Lowe racked up a significant sum of debt and was forced to file for bankruptcy. Although an anonymous benefactor stepped in to pay off Lowe’s debt, she still lost her shop. Although she no longer operated out of her boutique, she continued designing dresses until her death in 1981. Today, her work is preserved in several museums such as the MET, the museum at FIT and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Virgil abloh
Virgil Abloh, a Ghanaian-American creative, contributed to the world of fashion and art in many realms. Before rising to fame within the fashion community, Abloh completed his undergraduate in civil engineering and then went on to get his Master’s in architecture. In 2009, Abloh landed an internship with Fendi where he worked closely with fellow intern Kanye West. After completing several projects with the now famous rapper, Abloh assumed the role of creative director for West’s agency, Donda.
In 2013, Abloh founded the brand Off-White and worked to combine street wear with premium fashion. Here he released a men’s and women’s collection at Paris Fashion Week while working on other projects and collaborations for the brand.
In 2018, Abloh made history by becoming the first Black artistic director of the Louis Vuitton Menswear Collection. His designs inspired and were adored by celebrities such as Rhianna, Kid Cudi, Naomi Campbell, and more. He even designed the look Serena Williams wore to the 2018 U.S. Open.
These are only a few of Abloh’s many accomplishments and creative endeavors. He set the standards high as an innovator and artistic pioneer. Unfortunately, Abloh died on November 28, 2021, at the age of 41 after a two-year fight with Cardiac Angiosarcoma.
Check out more influential Black designers and creatives: Stella Jean, Tracy Reese, Aurora James, Victor Glemaud and Elaine Welteroth.