Insider Presents the ‘Black Ensemble’ of pioneers, models, designers, and thought leaders of luxury fashion
In a 2013 interview with British Vogue, Stella Jean, a Haitian-Italian designer, activist, and a protégé to Giorgio Armani, had a message: “Fashion can be used as a cultural translator and a tool against colonization; it re-establishes the balance between symbols, stories, and different worlds through style.” Years later at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020, this message gained new poignancy for fashion leaders.
For centuries, high fashion and haute couture have been shaped by Eurocentric beauty standards. But Black influence has been ever present if rarely acknowledged. From early pioneers whose work helped define the style and ethos of their time to today’s trendsetters who set the standard for cool, Black artists, creators, influencers, and luminaries in the highest echelons of fashion deserve their flowers. This section of Black Ensemble: Fashion for the Culture looks back on the pioneers, models, designers, and thought leaders who form the foundation of luxury fashion today.
Black creatives today have a rich legacy to protect and nurture as the fashion world evolves. We’ve barely scratched the surface here of unsung fashion heroes who deserve credit from the multibillion-dollar luxury brands that benefited from their early work. As you explore this series, you’ll find more forward-looking features honoring the Black designers, stylists, and tastemakers currently driving the industry to new heights. We also dive into current stories of triumph in mainstream fashion, where Black people are leading the charge in size inclusivity and challenging the tradition of cultural appropriation in commercialized fashion. Click below to find more Black Ensemble features.
Credits
Reporting: Ashley Davis
Editing: Stephanie Hallett
Copy editing: Jonann Brady
Series editing: Brea Cubit, Stephanie Hallett
Design, development, and graphics: Taylor Tyson
Design editing: Kazi Awal, Jenny Chang-Rodriguez
Photo curation: Crystal Cox, Isabel Fernandez-Pujol
Photography: Josephine Baker Hulton Archive/Getty Images, General Photographic Agency/Getty Images, Gaston Paris/Roger Viollet via Getty Images, Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images;
Zelda Wynn Valdes Carl Van Vechten Collection/Getty Images, Bettmann / Getty Images, George Freston/Fox Photos/Getty Images; Cicely Tyson AP, Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, Dennis Oulds/Central Press/Getty Images; Dapper Dan Ezio Petersen/Getty Images, Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Tiffany & Co., Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images for Manhattan Magazine; Donyale Luna RDB/ullstein bild via Getty Images, Patrice Habans/Paris Match via Getty Images, Jack Garofalo/Paris Match via Getty Images; Tracey Africa Norman Business Wire, Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for GLAAD; Grace Jones Anthony Barboza/Getty Images, Chris Walter/WireImage, John Kisch Archive/Getty Images, Dave Hogan/Hulton Archive/Getty Images; Winnie Harlow DANI POZO/AFP via Getty Images, Dave Benett/Getty Images, Kelly Taub/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images, Arturo Holmes/Getty Images; Anne Lowe Bachrach/Getty Images, Ted Fitzgerald/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images, Bettmann Archive/Getty Images; Jay Jaxon Bequest of Lloyd Hardy, Rachel Fenderson Collection, Bequest of Lloyd Hardy, Rachel Fenderson Collection, NBCU Photo Bank; Willi Smith Thomas Iannaccone/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images, Anthony Barboza/Getty Images, John Bright/Penske Media via Getty Images; Virgil Abloh Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, AP Photo/Thibault Camus; André Leon Talley John Lamparski/Getty Images, Taylor Hill/Getty Images, Craig Barritt/Getty Images, Jemal Countess/Getty Images; Telfar Clemens Jamie Squire/Getty Images, Arturo Holmes/Getty Images, Mireya Acierto/Getty Images; Zendaya Edward Berthelot/Getty Images, Karwai Tang/WireImage, James Devaney/GC Images; Pharrell Williams Anthony Reginato/Newspix/Getty Images, Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images, Evan Agostini/Getty Images
