African American Fashion Designers

We are fashion

1935

c. 1905

c. 1919

c. 1860

c. 1889

Zelda Wynn Valdes

Ann Lowe

Fannie Criss Payne White

Pauline Seba

Elizabeth Keckley

Pauline Seba - An American dressmaker and activist for Charleston’s black community. Seba was born in 1858 in Pennsylvania, and attended a New York millinery and dress making school .

Elizabeth Keckley- An American seamstress, artist, and writer who was born in Dinwiddie, VA. She worked as First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln’s dressmaker.

Anne Lowe - Born in 1898 in Clayton, AL, Lowe was the first African American to become a noted fashion designer . She was a one of a kind design that is a favorite among high society matron

Zelda Wynn Valdez - Valdez was born in Chambersburg, PA in 1905. She is the first notable fashion designer who made Playboy Bunny costumes.

Fannie Criss- Born 1866 in Cumberland County, Virgina to a formly enslved couple. Nicknamed the "Finest dressmaker in Richmond"

WE ARE FASHION

c. 1966

1949

1957

1946

1939

Arthur L McGee

Jay Jaxon

Ruby Bailey

Mildred Blount

Arthur George "Art" Smith

Ruby Bailey was an African-American immigrant from Bermuda. She was raised by her mother in Harlem, New York during the Harlem Renaissance.

Jay Jaxon was born in 1941 in Queens, New York. He grew to become a “fashion visionary” with ideas and concepts that were unique and original.

With an early interest in fashion designing due to his mother being a dressmaker in his youth, Arthur McGee knew early on that he had a passion for fashion.

Art Smith was an elite jewelry designer whose work has been featured in the Brooklyn Museum, Cooper Hewitt Museum, Museum of Art and Design and the Boston Museum of Fine arts.

Born in 1907, Mildred Blount was one of the most well known milliners(term used for a hat designer) from her time.

WE ARE FASHION

1968

1967

1976

1979

1969

Patrick Kelly

Ola Hudson

Stephen Burrows

Scott Barrie

Willi Smith

Scott Barrie was just one of the many young black designers who made their mark with the integration of black designers into Seventh Avenue.

Ola Hudson was an African American costume and fashion designer. In her younger years, Hudson studied as a dancer at the Horton School of Modern Dance, but ultimately she decided to change her career path to become a fashion designer.

Stephen Burrows was an African American fashion designer based in New York. His designs were known for their unique patterns and bright colors

Born in 1948, Willi Smith was named one of the most successful African American fashion designers of his time. He is most known for designing Mary Jane Watson wedding dress in the movie Spider-Man.

Patrick Kelly, born in 1954 in Mississippi began designing clothes at a young age. He was mostly self taught and when he moved to Paris, he started his own design company and was met with pleasant support.

WE ARE FASHION

1992

c. 1984

1997

1982

1981

PVAMU Designer- Jackie Willis Petterway

Tracy Reese

Daymond John

Dapper Dan

Pepper Labeija

Daniel “Dapper Dan” Day is an African American fashion designer. Born in 1944 in Harlem, New York.

Known in Texas as Jackie "O" of Houston

Daymond John: Entrpreneur, Arthur, and Consultant

Tracy Reese is an African American fashion designer. She was. born in Detroit, Michigan, on February 12, 1964.

Pepper LaBeija was a drag queen and fashion designer, know in the Drag World as the Queen of Drag Balls.

Elizabeth Keckley

Elizabeth Keckley

From born into slavery to dressmaker for First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln

Elizabeth Keckley was an American seamstress, artist, and writer who was born in Dinwiddie,VA. Elizabeth grew up with other enslaved children and assisted her mother in her work as an enslaved domestic servant. On Novemerber 13, 1855 Elizabeth was able to buy her freedom in which she paid $1,200. She then went to D.C. and secured a work permit, and it was during this time when she established herself as a prominent dressmaker. She was approached by Mary Todd Lincoln's friend (and patron of Keckley's) to design a dress for the inaugration of President Lincoln. Keckley also published a book titled Behind the Scenes or Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House, detailing her life experiences from slavery to her career as First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln’s dressmaker.

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Pauline Seba

Pauline Seba

An American dressmaker and activist for Charleston’s black community, seeking to improve the status of other African American women through education, suffrage, and etc. Seba was born in 1858 in Pennsylvania, and attended a New York millinery and dress making school. Unfortunately there are no available pictures of Pauline Seba.

Fannie Criss Payne White

Fannie Criss Payne White

Fannie Criss Payne White was born in 1866 in Cumberland County, Virgina to a formly enslved couple. She was the seventh child in the family, but the first to become free. Nicknamed the "Finest dressmaker in Richmond", Fannie custmors consisted of whelathy white women and Richmonds black elite.

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Ann Lowe

Ann Lowe

Born in 1898 in Clayton, AL, Lowe was the first African American to become a noted fashion designer. The beautiful wedding dress Jacqueline "Jackie" Kennedy wore was made by Ann Lowe, though she was not named during an interview. In the interview Jackie Kennedy stated the dress was made by "a colored woman dressmaker". Lowe was a drfessmaker for the sociallites in New York. She was a one of a kind design that is a favorite among high society matron.

zelda wynn valdes

Zelda Wynn Valdes

Zelda Wynn Valdes was born in Chambersburg, PA in 1905. As a little girl she grew up studying her grandmother's work as a seamstress and also worked in her uncle’s trailoring shop. She is the first notable fashion designer who created the first Playboy Bunny costume.

Valdes was a prominent costume designer, she also designed dresses for several Hollywood actresses.

Mildred Blount

Milliner to the Stars

Mildred Blount was the "Milliner to the Stars" and she owned a hat shop in Beverly Hills. While earning her high school diploma, it was during this time when she discovered her artistic ability and she became an milliner. She attended Cooper Union Art school where she learned how to refine her skills as a milliner.

Mildred Blount worked closely with many celebrities and members of high society. Her hats were also featured in movies like Gone With the Wind and Back Street, however, like many untold stories of Black people, she was not given the credit for her designs. Blount managed to become successful despite being orphaned before the age of two and facing the hardships of raising herself as an intelligent independent black woman in America during this time.

Arthur "Art Smith" George

Arthur George

"Art Smith"

Arthur “Art Smith” George was a 20th-century modernist jeweler. He was an Afro-Caribbean, born in Cuba in 1917. His family moved to Brooklyn in 1920 and this is when he met his mentor fellow jewelry maker Winifred Mason. Smith specialized in using materials like glass, brass, and copper. The technique he used allowed him to shape his pieces into abstract designs. Art Smith became an elite jewelry designer and his work has been featured in the Brooklyn Museum, Cooper Hewitt Museum, Museum of Art and Design and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

“A piece of jewellery is in a sense an object that is not complete in itself. Jewellery is “what is it?” until you relate it to the body. The body is a component in design just as air and space are. Like line, form, and colour, the body is a material to work with. It is one of the basic inspirations in creating form.” – Art Smith

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Ruby Bailey

Ruby Bailey

Ruby Bailey was an African-American immigrant from Bermuda. She was raised by her mother in Harlem, New York during the Harlem Renaissance era. Growing up during that time allowed her interest in artistry and fashion to bloom. She later became a widely recognized fashion designer and artist working closely with other popular designers from that time such as Ann Lowe. Often times, Bailey was the walking advertisement for her designs, and she also created mannequins from Barbie dolls dressed in her fashionable vision. These mannequins had afros, brown skin, and wore her beautifully beaded designs. Ruby Bailey is not a household name, but her contributions to the world of fashion are just as important.

Arthur L McGee

Arthur L McGee

Arthur McGee was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1933. He is known in the fashion world as “The Dean of African American Designers”. In his early years, his mother and grandmother taught him how to sow and this is when he knew he wanted a career in fashion. McGee’s talent was recognized by high-end retail stores like Bergdorf Goodman, Lord & Taylor, and Bloomingdale’s, just to name a few. He was able to break down racial barriers, which a lot of designers are thankful for today.

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Jay Jaxon

Jay Jaxon

French Designer

Jay Jaxon was born in 1941 in Queens, New York. He grew to become a “fashion visionary” with ideas and concepts that were unique and original. These ideas are what made him a successful designer and earned him the position to design for Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent and Dior.

Willi Smith

Willi Smith

Born in 1948, Willi Smith was named one of the most successful African American fashion designers of his time. He attended the Parsons School of Design in New York and there he began to make a name for himself. He then created his own line called WilliWear and from there it was history. He is most known for designing Mary Jane Watson wedding dress in the movie Spider-Man.

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Stephen Burrows

Stephen Burrows

Stephen Burrows was an African American fashion designer based in New York. His designs were known for their unique patterns and bright colors. He was the first African American to be internationally recognized for his work outside of the united states. He was also the first African American to receive the Coty Award.

Scott Barrie

Scott Barrie

Scott Barrie was just one of the many young black designers who made their mark with the integration of black designers into Seventh Avenue. He started his career making clothes in his one bedroom apartment in New York City and ended his career as an established designer who represented a fresh new era of fashion.

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Ola Hudson

Ola Hudson

Ola Hudson was an African American costume and fashion designer. In her younger years, Hudson studied as a dancer at The Horton School of Modern Dance, there she was met with a multitude of opportunities. Ultimately she decided to change her career path to become a fashion designer and became an incredible designer working with many celebrities such as Diana Ross, Janet Jackson, and David Bowie .

Patrick Kelly

Patrick Kelly

Patrick Kelly was born in 1954 in Mississippi. He began designing clothes at a young age, where he was motivated by the lack of black people featured in the fashion magazines that his mother brought home. Kelly was mostly self taught and when he moved to Paris he started his own fashion line and was met with pleasant support.

Pepper Labeija

Pepper LaBeija

Queen of Harlem Drag Balls

Pepper LaBeija was a drag queen and fashion designer born on November 5, 1948 in Bronx, New York. Back in 1982, when the founding Mother of House of LeBeija Crystal LaBeija died, they handed it over to Pepper LaBeija to take the lead. Pepper LaBeija was her stage name, and when she dressed like a man she went by William Jackson. She was a very big advocate for Black trans and the queer community. She provided a sanctuary where the LGBTQ could live comfortably and be themselves without homophobia and racism. In 2003, Pepper LeBeija died of a heart attack at the age of 54. She left an amazing legacy where New York Times printed a tribute in May of 2003. Although we could not find her fashion line, it was important to include her because of the impact she made on the world of drag queens and fashion.

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Dapper Dan

Dapper Dan

Daniel “Dapper Dan” Day is an African American fashion designer. Born in 1944 in Harlem, New York, he fell on hard times from living in poverty to being arrested, he knew he needed to do something different. He was given the opportunity to live in Africa, and this is when he found his niche with in fashion. He went on to open the first couture atelier in Harlem and has been a force in the fashion industry.

Jackie Willis Petterway

Jackie Willis Petterway

Jackie "O" of Houston

Jackie Willis Petterway graduated from Prairie View A&M University in 1984 and she was featured in the Fifteenth Annual Miss Prairie View A&M Pageant on April 14, 1984. She is also the owner of Jackie’s Fashion Salon & Couture Corp. Although we are sure that Mrs. Petterway made contributions to the fashion industry, and not without effort, we were unable to find any additional information about and her clothing line.

Daymond John

Daymond John

Daymond John owns the brand FUBU which stands for For Us By Us. He has been expanding his business for over 20 years. He turned this $40 budget company into a multi-million fashion company. Now you can find Daymond John on the hit TV show Shark Tank, where he is now able to help entrepreneurs with their dreams.

F.U.B.U (For Us, By Us)

Daymond John started his clothing line FUBU in 1993. He was an employee at Red Lobster at the time, and while working there he realized there was no market for hip-hop streetwear. His mother helped him with the capital to start his business, and she also taught him how to sow. The business initially started with hats and then it expanded to clothes. John was eventually able to get stars like LL Cool J to be the spokesperson for the brand and the hip-hop community quickly gravitated to the brand.

Tracy Reese

Tracy Reese

In 1998, Tracy Reese launched her ready-to-wear label, Tracy Reese. The label is praised for its notes on feminity and retro-inspired wear. Plenty and Flock are two of the designer's collections that are known for their affordable prices and bright colors. Her brand is known for making women look effortlessly put together.

References

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