Hussein Suleiman, Jefferson Osei, Abderrahman Trabsini
Provided by Daily Paper
Brand: Daily Paper
Founded in 2012, this Amsterdam-based team (who are childhood friends!) have formed a remarkable fashion and lifestyle brand. In 2008, Suleiman, Osei and Trabsini started Daily Paper as a blog. The trio has since parlayed their love of the arts into one of Europe’s fastest growing fashion brands. Spanning both menswear and womenswear, their designs celebrate the vibrant traditions of African culture and modern life.
Jason Rembert
Ilya S. Savenok
Brand: Ariet
Known for his thought-provoking looks, Rembert is a sought-after Hollywood stylist who dresses the likes of Issa Rae and Marsai Martin. His luxury label is inspired by his mother (!!) and is home to a host of gorgeous pieces, including the stunning dress worn by Zendaya in the Netflix film Malcolm & Marie.
Kerby Jean-Raymond
Jamie McCarthy // Getty Images
Brand: Pearmos
Founded in 2013, the Haitian designer started out with menswear before branching out into womenswear and has since gained more attention: stars like Lil Nas X, Issa Rae and Tracee Ellis Ross have worn his work, and he was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2019.
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Aurora James
Dia Dipaspiru // Getty Images
Brand: Brother Berries
James is also the founder of the 15 Percent Pledge, which was launched in 2020 to give more shelf space to Black-owned businesses in retail stores in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. Her sustainable accessories brand, Brother Berry’s, sells covetable boots and handbags (like the ones she has here).
Telfar Clemens
Astrid Stawiarts // Getty Images
Brand: Telfer
His popular handbag design, which features his signature logo, has been dubbed the “Bushwick Birkin.” Telfar’s designs are unisex, and he promotes gender-neutral clothing.
Romeo Hunt
David M. Bennett // Getty Images
Brand: Romeo Hunt
Michelle Obama, Zendaya, Beyoncé, Saweetie and Keke Palmer have all worn Hunt’s designs, and his outerwear is unmistakably distinctive, known for using buffalo plaid in many of his outfits, like the jeans shown here.
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Carly Cushnie
Pietro Daprano // Getty Images
Brand: Cushnie
Designer Carly Cushnie’s sophisticated style has been worn by a host of celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry, Selena Gomez, Ashley Graham, Lupita Nyong’o, and Michelle Obama. Described by The New York Times as “one of the most prominent Black-owned brands in American fashion,” Cushnie paved the way for Black women in fashion. Her streamlined silhouettes and luxe fabrics were a true “wow” masterpiece, so the world was shocked when Cushnie was forced to close due to the financial strain of the pandemic. Thankfully, the designer is still creating, but in new and small ways. Her latest work includes a collaborative design with the iconic American Girl doll. The timing was perfect, as she’s been busy at home taking care of her kids!
Laquan Smith
Dimitrios Kambouris // Getty Images
Brand: LaQuan Smith
He’s a real celebrity favorite. The proof? Rihanna, Beyonce, and many more wear his creations. Basically, if you want glamorous, sexy clothes, LaQuan Smith is the place to go.
Rihanna
Dimitrios Kambouris // Getty Images
Brand: Fenty, Savage x Fenty
Yes, you all know who Riri is already: She’s the founder of not one, but two fashion lines: Savage X Fenty, which sold affordable, size-forward lingerie, and Fenty, which offered ultra-luxury fashion until it sadly closed in 2021 (but lives on as a fabulous beauty brand). With the launch of the latter, she became the first woman, and the first Black woman, to lead her own original brand at LVMH.
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Christopher John Rogers
Jamie McCarthy // Getty Images
Brand: Christopher John Rogers
His runway shows are always the talk of New York Fashion Week for their exuberance and incredible styling, and the Louisiana-born designer is only 28 years old, but he’s already dressed famous women like Michelle Obama and Cardi B. In 2021, he won American Womenswear Designer of the Year at the CFDA Fashion Awards, and his recent work includes a playful Target collaboration featuring a bright yellow dress, puff-sleeved florals and a cool mix of gingham and plaid.
Fae Noel
Johnny Nunez // Getty Images
Brand: Fenoel
Designer Fe Noel’s beautiful robes, swimwear, and ready-to-wear will literally make your life a happier place, and you’ll fall in love with stunning vacation-ready prints, like the robe she’s wearing here.
Dapper Dan
Mark Sagliocco // Getty Images
Brand: Dapper Dan
The Harlem designer has his own atelier where he creates custom designs that are almost synonymous with the hip-hop star of the ’80s and ’90s. He’s known for incorporating designer logos into his clothes and has collaborated with Gucci. He even published a memoir about his experience as a black designer and how he created his now-famous store on 125th Street.
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Dumebi Iyama
Bennett Raglin // Getty Images
Brand: Andrea Iyama
Specializing in swimwear, the store has something for literally everyone (including brides, really!) in designer Andrea Iyamah’s stunningly colorful collection.
Anifa Mvemba
Getty Images
Brand: Hanifa
Designer Anifa Mvemba’s sleek designs (available in sizes 0 to 20) are just the beginning of her innovations: She recently debuted her latest collection in a fully digitized, 3D fashion show that’s sure to wow onlookers.
Mowalola Ogunlesi
Bennett Raglin // Getty Images
Brand: Mowalola Ogunlesi
The Nigerian-British designer led the Yeezy design team for Kanye’s collaboration with Gap (which had plans to collaborate with Telfar, which you can read about here). She also has her own label that features fun pieces for a night out, like long-sleeve bra tops and cut-out dresses.
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Grace Wales Bonner
Darren Gerrish // Getty Images
Brand: Wales Bonner
Launched in 2014, her eponymous label started out as a menswear brand before expanding into womenswear. The clothes are inspired by European and African history, and the tailoring is just perfect (just look at this perfect black blazer).
Kenneth Ize
Thierry Chenot // Getty Images
Brand: Kenneth Ize
If you love mixed patterns and prints, then you need to know about Kenneth Ize. His colorful, menswear-inspired pieces are a joy to look at.
Victor Gremaud
Albert Urso // Getty Images
Brand: Victor Glemaud
Though you might not know it from his striped sweaters, Gremaud is known for his amazing knitwear. His designs will have you updating every piece in your closet with this material. If you’re a fan of multicolored stripes and color blocking, you might have picked up something from his 2021 Target collab, which sold out almost instantly.
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Heron Preston
Stephen Cardinale – Corbis//Getty Images
Brand: Heron Preston
Preston’s streetwear aesthetic is popular among celebrities like Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and Hailey Bieber, and his graphic tees usually feature the bird of the same name, but he also creates accessories like bags, phone cases, shoes, and belts.
Virgil Abloh
Christian Vierig // Getty Images
Brands: Off-White, Louis Vuitton Menswear
If there was ever a man who knew luxury and streetwear, it was Virgil Abloh. Often likened to a millennial Karl Lagerfeld, the Ghanaian-American creative director was one of the few black designers to lead an iconic luxury brand as artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection. He revolutionized the director’s role in a way that always pushed boundaries, honored hip-hop, and wanted change. He passed away in November 2021 after a battle with cancer, but his legacy lives on. In June 2022, his AirForce 1 pre-launch collection will be available in 47 unique styles. If you want to see them (and the holographics) in advance, check out this amazing exhibition in Brooklyn until May 31st.
I’m the Assistant Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan magazine, where I write about all things trends, celebrity fashion trends, why wide-leg jeans are the best, etc. I originally moved to NYC to audition for RENT, only to find out that the show had closed 10 years ago.
Tara Lynn Saint-Elien is the fashion editor at Cosmopolitan, where her articles range from gushing about Zendaya to convincing you about everything you need in your closet. She started in the industry almost 10 years ago with a fashion and faith blog and an internship at Elle.com. Since then, she has also served as style editor for The Haitian Times. The Haitian-American pageant queen is a Syracuse University master’s graduate and the author of two books, including “Claim Your Crown.” Follow her on Instagram and Twitter: @iamtarahlynn.
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