Despite the significant role Black culture has played in shaping and transforming the fashion industry, it continues to lack the recognition it deserves for influencing many popular trends. In light of Black History Month, we’re honouring some of the contributions that Black culture has made in the world of fashion!
Streetwear
If you look at what people are wearing today, you won’t have any trouble spotting baggy pants, oversized jackets, graphic tees, and variations of sneakers. You may even spot a bucket hat or a gold chain necklace! These are the staple items of streetwear, a casual clothing style that can be described as both comfortable and fashionable.
With its origins tied to the underground hip-hop scene, streetwear emerged during the 1980s and gained mass popularity in the 1990s as hip-hop started to influence popular culture. Today, streetwear has one of the biggest markets in fashion and its elements can be seen almost everywhere across the world, yet most people fail to acknowledge the impact that Black people have made on the style’s popularity. 90s hip-hop celebrities certainly helped make streetwear mainstream, but a particular designer is thought to be responsible for pioneering and revolutionizing the style: Willi Smith.
Considered to be one of the most influential and successful Black fashion designers of the 1980s, Smith can be credited for making streetwear more accessible and affordable. He drew inspiration from many areas of art and culture, and effortlessly reshaped ideas of what streetwear could be. His label WilliWear was ahead of its time, offering a selection of elevated streetwear garments that were suitable for all body types and genders. Despite having a short career, Smith’s hard work and innovation paved the way for many of today’s streetwear brands, and his impact deserves to be honoured.
Y2K Aesthetic
Whether you love it or hate it, early 2000s fashion is back! Coined as “Y2K” style, our social media pages are flooded with baggy jeans, belly chains, and low-rise everything! But often overlooked are the contributions from Black women and culture to this ultra-trendy style. One major component of Y2K fashion is large gold hoops. These originated within Egypt as a sign of wealth and prestige. By the 60s and 70s, gold hoop earrings became a standout fashion statement for Black women like Nina Simone and Angela Davis. Another common Y2K fashion statement is the resurgence of the Juicy Couture velour tracksuits. While your mind may go to pop icons like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton sporting these looks, in fact, many Black artists wore tracksuits as a fashion statement, specifically from the company Baby Phat. You can still find their amazing velour tracksuits on their website here!
Details
Not only were some of our favourite fashion trends influenced by Black culture, but the details included in some of these trends should also be credited to Black designers. For instance, the ever-popular lettuce hem you may see all over your fave online fashion sites was created in the 70s by Stephen Burrows, who took a new spin on his beloved zig-zag stitch. Although he may not have come up with the ideas for these other garments himself, Burrows also designed midi skirts, leather pieces, and colourful knits to showcase on diverse models—which ultimately led him to become “an instrumental figure in establishing the ‘black is beauty’ philosophy of the 1970s.” Some other details we can attribute to Black culture are the monogram print—popularized by Dapper Dan, who would rework luxury brands’ items and screenprint their logos onto items for high-profile customers like Jay-Z and Floyd Mayweather; chain mail, which Maya G. Pete hilariously admits to not initially knowing the name for, referring to it as a “droopy, sparkling top” (honestly, we kind of like this name better 👀); and oversized clothes which, although not necessarily inspired or designed by one given individual, were inarguably popularized by Black culture.
Needless to say, Black designers and people deserve way more credit for their contributions to the fashion industry than they’ve gotten so far. Although we’ve outlined a few examples, this article barely scratches the surface of what incredible Black innovations are out there—both in the fashion industry and beyond. We encourage you to continue educating yourself on Black culture and to keep an eye out for our other Black History Month articles as well as our posts on Instagram and TikTok for more information!