The intricacies of Black culture are deeply woven into the fabric of the fashion industry in everything from language and hairstyles to aesthetics and trends. Yet fashion’s greatest inspirations are constantly erased from history. Bantu knots have become space buns, durags are now cutting edge high fashion, and bamboo earrings have become runway-worthy jewelry, all in the name of cultural appropriation. Black culture has served as the muse behind some of fashion’s biggest movements and designer collections, yet has rarely received any credit or acknowledgment.
The unsung heroes and hidden forces of Black designers, stylists, and creatives have given far more to the fashion industry than they have received, and Black fashion historians are now documenting the history of Black fashion and making it visible, accessible, and shareable through social media, literature, galleries, and more.
Below, we speak to three Black fashion historians about the complexities of Black culture’s influence on the fashion industry and the undeniable impact that Black women, men, and members of the LGBTQ+ community have had not only on fashion but also on pop culture.
Dr. Eric Darnell Pritchard
The Fayetteville, Arkansas-based scholar and teacher is an endowed professor of English Literacy at the University of Arkansas and is known for her book Fashioning Lives: Black Queers and The Politics of Literacy. “I’m fighting to preserve Black fashion history by bringing attention to hidden figures in fashion history, Black history, and queer history,” Pritchard says. “What does using this history of Black fashion designers as a way to really address issues of anti-Blackness and economic inequality mean for us in terms of opportunities for Black fashion designers, models, hairstylists, makeup artists, and those currently working in the industry?”
On the impact of the LGBTQ+ community in the fashion industry:
“There’s a certain violence in erasing history, and it’s really impossible to tell the history of fashion without LGBTQ+ voices. The impact of trans and non-binary models is something that people tend to overlook. Tracy ‘Africa’ Norman was the first Black trans model to really be visible in the fashion industry. She was a trailblazer. She appeared in every major magazine and brands like Avon featured her in their campaigns. Another Black queer person who contributed to fashion was James Harris. He did hair for everyone from Diana Ross and Tyra Banks to luxury brands like Gucci. He was one of the first hairdressers in the United States to work with major corporations and advocate for the importance of making products that reflected the diversity of hair.”
On the influence of house, ball and drag culture on fashion:
“Queer culture, drag culture, and performers of color have influenced the fashion industry in everything from language to certain decorative practices. The notion of someone doing something amazing and getting punched in the face is a queer contribution. In terms of the actual aesthetic, camp is what you see in the exaggeration and embellishment of some of the clothing. Drag is camp, and fashion designers have condensed it and made it accessible to a general audience. The other part of it is queer nightlife, especially in the late ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, which had a huge impact on fashion and influenced designers like Stephen Burrows, who channeled the energy of Paradise Garage and Studio 54 into the clothes that were shown on the runway.”
Favorite Black Fashion Moment in Pop Culture: Diahann Carroll as Dominique Deveraux on Dynasty
Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images
“As a kid, I watched old episodes of Dynasty and thought she was so fascinating. As a Black queer person, I look at the impact she’s had on me and so many other Black queer people, including Patrick Kelly and Willie Smith, and the impact she’s had on the way we talk about style.”
Tiani Janae Graham, BBA
Courtesy of Tianyi Janae Graham
For Brooklyn-based Tiana Janae Graham, childhood memories of collecting magazines and making collages prepared her for a career in fashion history and archiving. After studying fashion merchandising, she got a job as an archival assistant and started Archive Alive, an Instagram account showcasing rare historical fashion images. “I’m doing all the things I want to do professionally while also demystifying history,” Graham says. “I’m telling these stories and providing as much information as I can find about everyone who was involved in the project and the photos. Documenting in real time is key and important.”
On the impact of black women and hip hop in the fashion industry:
“Black women are the blueprint for the fashion industry, yet we are often underrepresented. The industry tries to get us to identify what’s new and trendy, but then they take that and dilute it, co-opt it, and make it easier for the average consumer to understand.”
“I often connect the Black influence on fashion with hip hop. If you go all the way back to Dapper Dan, hip hop style started on the streets with drug dealers, and then rappers copied their style and made it mainstream. It started a trend from there. Female rappers and hip hop artists are continually pushing the culture forward through their fashion choices. Cardi B and Beyoncé get to wear archival pieces that most people would never see unless it was in a museum exhibit. Lil’ Kim was recognized by Alexander McQueen, who said she was his idol, which was a big thing for a Black woman in hip hop. To receive that kind of recognition from a designer of his caliber was unheard of at the time.”
Favorite Black Fashion Moment in Pop Culture: Lil’ Kim in a custom purple jumpsuit at the 1999 VMAs
KMazur/WireImage/Getty Images
“Kim was styled by Misa Hilton and she had the perfect sense of style to pull off the monochrome look. Her hair, shoes, nails and makeup all matched the outfit. It was all groundbreaking for a black woman in hip-hop.”
Darnell Jamal Risby, M.A.
New York-based Darnell Jamal Risby channels his passion for teaching fashion history and connecting people through his work into exhibitions like “From Pocket to Wallet” at the FIT Museum and “Willie Smith: Street Culture,” which opened at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in 2020. “I’m preserving fashion history in a more strategic and nuanced way,” he says. “I’m trying to present it in a way that’s similar to how people have understood fashion history, crafting and weaving together narratives. I’m on a mission to lend my voice to exhibitions that tell the stories of Black people, Black creators, and fashion figures in fashion history.”
On the impact of black men in the fashion industry:
“When I was preparing the exhibition, from pockets to wallets, I wanted to tell a story about man bags that was inspired by a scene in the movie Beauty Shop, where the lead character, a male barber, is criticized for carrying a man bag. I felt this story had to be told because it shows that men can also wear bags and wallets. Even though there is a generation that is more committed to gender-neutral ideas, the current climate has called for a rethinking of these gender-based ideas.
“From the 60s to the 80s, Rick James, Prince, James Brown, Little Richard and Grace Jones expressed gender neutrality through fashion. The black community has always struggled with gender roles because of slavery, which made black men less masculine. I wanted to tell the story of the man’s handbag, especially the handbag on a black body, and break the idea that handbags are only for women.”
Favorite Black Fashion Moment in Pop Culture: Beyoncé wearing custom LaQuan Smith shoes for her On the Run II tour
Picture Group/Shutterstock
“Beyoncé frequently uses fashion and costumes as a means to communicate various social and cultural messages. When she first came out wearing LaQuan Smith, it was significant because she had never opened a show or tour wearing a Black designer before.”
