Four Black Fashion Designers In History
The Garnette Report celebrates Black History Month! The Report pays tribute to Black fashion designers who have innovated the fashion industry and continue to build paths for future generations with their bold innovations.
Overview
From Elizabeth Keckley to Telfer Clemens, Black fashion designers have offered their knowledge and bold inventions to shape the global fashion world by incorporating their unique styles. Now, the Report recognizes four iconic Black designers in the industry for their contributions.
Ann Lowe
Ann Lowe was one of the most prominent African-American fashion designers of the 20th century. Born in Alabama in 1898, Lowe is known for her bridal gown design for Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. The off-shoulder gown features a lampshade-like bottom with a sweetheart neckline. The veil has a few floral accents crusading down the thin tulle. Also, the pleated bodice is complimented with the same design on the hem of the dress. In addition, Lowe did not receive publicized credit during this time. But her legacy still lives on with more of her designs, as shown below.
Stephen Burrows
Stephen Burrows is recognized as one of the first African-American designers to sell and market his work on mainstream, high-fashion, global markets during the 20th century. Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Burrows began his fashion journey in his home. Both of grandparents worked at a garment center. Firstly, in, 1966 he graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). In 1968, he opened his iconic “O” boutique and gained attraction for variation of Parisian and American culture designs. Then, his pieces are bold, vibrant colors with experimental horizontal and vertical symmetry. Furthermore, his use of layered geometric shapes to flatter the model’s figures helped pave the way for designers such as Andre Leon Talley.
“It was a very creative time, and it was a very inclusive time, different from what it has been before,” he said, according to W magazine. Check out more information about Stephen Burrows here.
Willi Smith
Streetwear on the catwalk is nothing without Willi Smith. Following this, born in Philadelphia in 1948, Smith is known to incorporate the fusion of corporate and daily clothing into a new genre of fashion: streetwear. Firstly, he used neutral tones such as brown and beige for his iconic 1980s blazers. However, he incorporated the same traditional fashion trends of the time with peacoats and shoulder pads.Then, his high-fashion designs were asymmetrical, with his use of mixing proportions but keeping the same utilitarian style of some of his silhouettes. Finally, he passed away at the age of 35 in 1987.
“I don’t design clothes for the Queen, but for the people who wave at her as she goes by,” he said in a quote.
Check out more of Smith’s designs here!
Lastly, Black history is a fundamental aspect of the fashion industry. In brief, without the four Black fashion designers mentioned here, the fashion industry wouldn’t be the way it is today. For more information about Black fashion and its history, check out this site here!
Featured Image by Prince Akachi via Unsplash