Fashion has been around for tens and thousands of years. African American people have made several impacts on fashion such as hoop earrings, baggie clothing, and lots of sneakers.

It all started with the first African American fashion designer, Ann Lowe, born in rural Alabama in 1898, she designed many pieces, such as wedding dressed,s including Jacqueline, or Jackie, Kenndey’s wedding gown. Even though Anne created many beautiful gowns, little credit was given for her work. Even on Jackie’s wedding day, she was so embarrassed by the fact an African American woman made her dress, that she attempted to belittle Ann and make her go through the back of the house to give Jackie the wedding dress. Therefore, because of Ann Lowe’s work, she paved the way for more history to be made with African Americans in the fashion industry.

Even though Black History Month is over, African American designers are still paving the way for others to succeed. For an example of black fashion, Telfar, the black own-bag brand, was created in 2005 by Telfar Clemens. Telfar Clemens, a self-taught fashion designer, created the bags while at Pace University in New York, but they didn’t become popular until 2014. The design for the Telfar bags was inspired by an idea to make fashion inclusive for everyone. A genderless form of fashion with the use of vegan material. Telfar Clemens is an award-winning fashion designer who also managed to design uniforms for White Castles, donated money to bail out teens from Rikers Island, and was honored with the American Accessories award. 

Off White, a black-owned fashion brand, was created by a man named Virgil Abloh; founded in 2013 under the name Pyrex Vision but later changed to Off White. Off White is a design full of streetwear with a blend of art and music. Off White fashion is a form of fashion to stick out and be seen. It’s a way to create a bridge between luxury and streetwear fashion.

Denim Tears is a black-owned fashion brand created by Tremaine Emory in 2019. Tremaine created the brand to explain the history of African Americans and slavery. Since the shapes on the clothes are cotton. Denim Tears is known for social justice, with a mix of streetwear and fashion.

These are just a few of the many African American fashion designers that have and will continue to make changes in the fashion industry. To show others that you can express yourself for who you are without being apologetic.