Daniel Day, 78, better known as the legendary Dapper Dan, began his career as “the king of knockoffs” according to Trill Magazine, and is now known as one of the most influential figures in menswear and streetwear.
Diane Dixon wearing custom Louis Vuitton by Dapper Dan Atelier. Photo: @dapperdanharlem/Instagram
According to The Guardian, Day began his career making clothes for gangsters in Harlem, New York, and Scialfe said his clothing atelier, Dapper Dan’s Boutique, was known for transforming the logos of luxury fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci into his own creations.
His talent was eventually recognised by the industry, and he went from being a luxury fashion outcast to launching his own line in collaboration with Gucci in 2018.
2. Carly Cushnie
Carly Cushnie is one of the most influential designers working today, posing at the David H. Koch Theatre in New York in October 2022. Photo: @carlycushnie/Instagram
According to Fashion Elite, Cushnie launched her own label, Cushnie et Ochs, with her friend Michelle Ochs, shortly after graduating from Parsons School of Design in New York City. She has since gone out on her own to run one of “the most prominent Black-owned brands in American fashion,” according to The New York Times, paving the way for more women of color to succeed in the industry.
According to Elle magazine, her fashion label was irreparably damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic and was forced to close, but her sleek, lavish silhouettes made her a celebrity favorite, and she has dressed A-listers like Lupita Nyong’o, Priyanka Chopra, and Halle Berry.3. Tracy Reese
Tracy Reese at the Studio Museum Gala in October 2022. Photo: @tracy_reese/Instagram
Rees, 59, launched her eponymous fashion label in 1998 and has since launched several sub-brands including Plenty, Flock! and Black Label.
A model shows off pieces from Tracy Reese’s fall 2010 collection during New York Fashion Week in February 2010. Photo: Reuters Known for her retro-inspired, feminine designs and signature bright colors and bold patterns, Reese’s clothes have been worn by the likes of Beyoncé, Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey and Sarah Jessica Parker. First Lady Michelle Obama waves to delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, in September 2012, wearing a pink Tracy Reese silk jacquard dress. Photo: AP
In 2019, Reiss launched Hope for Flowers, a slow fashion line that prioritizes responsible and sustainable production methods.
4. Virgil Abloh
Virgil Abloh poses on the red carpet at the 2021 Met Gala, the annual event hosted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, in New York, US, in September 2021. Photo: EPA-EF Abloh, who tragically died aged 41, was considered one of the pioneers of luxury streetwear. Not only was he the first African-American to head Louis Vuitton’s menswear department, but he was also a strong advocate of diversity in the industry. A model wears pieces from Louis Vuitton’s Autumn/Winter 2022-23 Men’s Collection in Paris, January 2022. Photo: AP
Abloh founded his own fashion house, Off-White, in 2012 and brought streetwear to the forefront of luxury fashion. His death in 2021 after a battle with aggressive cancer was a huge loss for the entire fashion industry.
5. Christopher John Rogers
Christopher John Rogers is known for his expressive, colorful designs. Photo: @christopherjohnrogers/Instagram
According to Elle, Rogers sewed her first collection at her dining room table in 2017. The nearly 30-year-old’s designs are known for their drama and “utilitarian appeal,” telling Vogue that they are “expressive and fun and make you want to occupy a space.”
A dress from Christopher John Rogers’ fall collection. Photo: Handout
A-list celebrities such as Cardi B, Rihanna, and Lizzo have been spotted wearing his designs.
6. Heron Preston
American fashion designer Heron Preston greets the audience at the end of his Men’s Autumn/Winter 2019-2020 fashion show in Paris in January 2019. Photo: AFP
Known for his logo-heavy streetwear aesthetic, the 39-year-old fashion designer previously worked at Nike and has collaborated with some of the biggest names in fashion, including Kanye “Ye” West and the aforementioned Abloh.
A model shows off Heron Preston creations during the Men’s Autumn/Winter 2019-2020 fashion show in Paris in January 2019. Photo: AFP
Preston launched her eponymous label during Paris Fashion Week in 2017, but just made its debut at New York Fashion Week this year, according to WWD.
7. Rihanna
Rihanna attended the Golden Globe Awards on January 10. Photo: Fenty Beauty/FacebookRihanna’s Fenty has expanded into skincare and lingerie, but the frenzy didn’t last long when it was announced in 2019 that she would collaborate with LVMH to create the luxury house of Fenty. According to Forbes, the clothing line will end in 2021, with the focus returning to the cosmetics and lingerie lines. Models present singer and designer Rihanna’s Fenty for Puma Spring/Summer 2018 collection during New York Fashion Week in Manhattan, New York City, USA, September 2017. Photo: Reuters
Despite the closure of her label, Rihanna is not only the first woman to head a luxury fashion house owned by LVMH, but also the first woman of color to do so, according to the 34-year-old Barbadian singer herself.
8. LaQuan Smith
Laquan Smith attended the Lunar New Year event hosted by Tina Cheng Craig and Laura Kim on February 1. Photo: @laquan_smith/Instagram
Not all successful fashion designers have a traditional education in their field. Some are driven more by passion than by a degree. That includes 34-year-old Laquan Smith.
Despite never having studied fashion, Smith created his own designs and clothes in his childhood bedroom and made his New York Fashion Week debut at just 21 years old, according to Fashionista.
Khloe Kardashian wore a Laquan Smith dress at the CFDA Awards in November 2022. Photo: @laquan_smith/Instagram
He launched his eponymous label in 2013 and, according to The Hollywood Reporter, is popular among stars like Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and the Kardashians.
9. Tia Adeola
Tia Adeola is a designer to watch in the industry. Photo: @tiaadeola/Instagram
Though not an industry veteran like some of the others on this list (yet!), Adeola’s brand is growing quickly.
According to the Evening Standard, she launched her eponymous brand in 2016 at the age of 18. Now in her mid-20s, she has dressed the likes of Cara Delevingne, Gigi Hadid, and SZA.
The young designer is always pushing for diversity in the industry, and that’s especially evident in her fashion shows: this year’s NYFW, her cast was made up primarily of black models, as reported by Hypebae.
The year before, she also showed her clothes at Lagos Fashion Week in her native Nigeria. “This is about breaking the mold for my generation and the generation that will come after me,” she told InStyle in an interview.
