It is our sworn duty to keep our readers up to date on black excellence, past, present and future. Here’s a list of eight black designers who changed.

Elizabeth Keckley

A native of Virginia, Keckley was a slave by nature. She eventually found her job as a seamstress, traveling around the country making dresses and learning about her history as a designer of dresses and that of Abraham, her Lincoln wife, former First Lady of the United States. Mary her Todd was her Lincoln best friend.Keckley used the money she earned as a seamstress and donations from her supporters to buy her freedom, reports the White House History.In 1868, she published her memoirs. Did behind the scenes or 30 years of slavery, When 4 years in the White HouseHer reflections on her life and her success as a dressmaker made her one of the most influential women in Washington, D.C. and gave posterity insight into the lives of free and enslaved black women at the time. I was.

zelda win valdes

Born in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, in 1905, Zelda Wynn Valdez began her studies with her grandmother, who worked as a seamstress, and her uncle, who owned a tailor shop. She worked her way up as a warehouse worker in various boutiques and eventually opened her own shop in 1948 at the age of 47. “Chez Her Zelda” became the first black-owned boutique in Manhattan on Broadway. Valdez has worked as fashion and costume designer for many notable clients including Ella Fitzgerald, Maria Cole, wife of Nat King Cole, Josephine Baker, Ruby Dee, Eartha Kitt, and Marian Anderson. In 1949 Valdez was elected president of the New York chapter of the National Fashion and Accessories Society of She Designers. NAFAD is an association of black designers founded by educational activist Mary McLeod Bethune.

Ruby Bailey

Ruby Bailey was one of Valdez’s contemporaries and was an integral part of NAFAD’s growth. The Bermuda-born designer is a socialite in Harlem and is known for a variety of creative pursuits, from theater productions to visual arts, reports Harlem Her World. But it was her Bailey design aesthetic that set her apart, widely known for her bold prints and her bold designs. Bailey embellished prints like her ‘Bugs’ dress, her famous cocktail dress that she wore to her Savoy ballroom from 1953 to 1954, marked the avant-garde fashion trajectory of the year. changed over.

Ann Lowe

Ann Lowe’s mother was an embroiderer and her grandmother was a former slave seamstress. Both women taught Lowe to sew by the age of five, NMAAHC reports. She eventually traveled to New York to take classes before returning to Florida to open a store to meet the demand for formal attire such as ball gowns and cotillion wear. hired and trained 18 seamstresses and opened her own shop, the Annie Cone boutique. She became the first black woman to become a famous fashion designer and maintained her ties to high society. When Jacqueline Bouvier married John F. Kennedy in 1953, Lowe designed her bridal gown, but it didn’t receive press attention as a result of her lace. Lowe opened another store, Ann Lowe Originals. Today her work is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Jay Jackson

Born Eugene Jackson on August 30, 1941, Jay Jackson was the son of a Long Island Railroad worker and a housekeeper, reports The New York Times. Like many, he started by collecting his fabrics on Jamaica Avenue in New York and making clothes in his home. He graduated from his FIT in 1966 and sold his designs in stores such as Henri Bendel and He Bonwit Teller. Eventually he moved to Paris and became a pioneer of French haute couture. Jackson worked in his Parisian fashion house for the likes of Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior, creating both couture and ready-to-wear ensembles. In the mid-70s, he returned to New York and launched his own collection of luxury sportswear. He eventually moved to Los Angeles and made clothes for performers, including Annie Lennox’s 1984 Grammy Awards suit.

Patrick Kelly

Patrick Kelly was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and got his love for fashion from his mother and grandmother, reports FIT NYC. He studied art and African American history at Jackson State University for two years before moving to Atlanta in 1974. He volunteered to design his displays for the Laurent boutique window, eventually moving to New York and enrolling at the Parsons School of Design. Suffering from a lack of support at Parsons, Kelly moved to Paris in 1979. There he became known for his celebratory pop references to his culture and his ability to bring awareness of racist tropes and iconography during his shows. Kelly made history as the first American to be accepted into the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. It continues as a framework for using fashion.

Willie Smith

Born in Philadelphia in 1948, Willie Smith began his career as an intern for couturier Arnold Scaasi, reports The Guardian. Mr. Smith’s grandmother was the housekeeper for one of Mr. Sukaashi’s clients. He continued to go to Parsons, aiming to forge a design aesthetic that fused everyday clothing with high-end tailoring.A contemporary of Kelly and Jackson, Smith was famous in the ’70s and his ’80s. is one of the larger black designers who have Widely known as the inventor of streetwear, Smith is considered one of the most successful black designers of his time. He launched Williware His Limited in 1976 and by 1986 he had sales of $25 million. His style became popular in the 80s with the rise of hip hop his culture. In 1963, his autumn collection Street His Couture was one of his first collections to incorporate both music and dance performances. That same year, Smith became the youngest person ever to win the Fashion Critics Association of America’s Women’s Fashion Award. Smith’s ability to make clothing not only accessible, but affordable has helped drive more inclusivity.

Stephen Burroughs

Stephen Burrows is from Newark, New Jersey, and his grandparents both worked in the clothing district, FIT NYC reports. He graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 1966 and established his own unique aesthetic. Inspired by movement and disco, Burroughs used his expert sewing techniques to finish his hems with zigzag hems and employed lightweight jersey fabric. The result was the “lettuce effect” that has become Burroughs’ hallmark. Curled hems added even more flair, and Burrows’ unstructured, flowing pieces helped American fashion stand out from Parisian fashion. Only five American designers participated in the game-changing Battle of Versailles fashion show. Pat Cleveland, one of the first black supermodels to appear in shows for Burroughs, gained international notoriety for his skills. Burroughs became the first black designer to win a Coty Award. He also earned a star on his Walk of Fame in fashion and in 2014, André He won his Tully Leon His Tully Lifetime Achievement Award and Pratt his Institute Lifetime Achievement Award. Burroughs’ contribution to American fashion was the subject of a 2013 retrospective exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York. Stephen Burrows: When fashion dances.

This is just a snapshot of our design history, but there are many other black designers making history every day. There are absolutely no limits if you know what is possible. We can’t wait to support the next generation of fashion at its best!

The black designer who changed fashion history forever. Photo credit: Ebony/L’Officiel/ZUMA Press/Alamy/Museum of the City of New York/Estate of Ruby Bailey