Meet Designer Jeffrey Banks

Jeffrey Banks was born on November 3, 1955, in Washington D.C. He knew from an early age that he was going to be a fashion designer. “I was only 10 years old when I designed an Easter suit for my mother,” he told Black Enterprise. “The dress was raw silk and it had a banana-colored, wool jersey coat that buttoned to one side. I picked out the fabric, went to the dressmaker with my mother, and even picked out the accessories. She loved it and wore it with lots of pride.” Jeffrey attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY before attending Parsons School of Design in New York, NY.  While in school he worked as a Part-time assistant to Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. After graduating from Parsons in 1977 he went on to further pursue his career in fashion.

Jeffrey quickly moved up the ranks from a job as a clerk at an elegant haberdashery in Washington, D.C. where he worked for three years as a designer for Nik-Nik Clothing & Sportswear during the late 70s. In 1977 he won a special Coty Award for a men’s fur collection that he designed for Alixandre. At the age of 23, he was the youngest person ever to win this award.

In 1978 Jeffrey decided it was time to take his career to the next level and start his own design firm, with himself as president and chief designer. He continued building his reputation as a designer of furs for both men and boys. According to Andre Leon-Talley in Ebony, by 1980 Banks was creating furs for males “so smart and tailored that some women want to wear them.” During this time he was also designing outerwear for L’Aiglon, and men’s clothes for Glanzrock. Known for his ability to merge practical comfort, whimsy, and casual sophistication, Jeffrey made his reputation in the fashion industry by putting a modern twist on classical elegance.

Jeffrey currently has two companies, Jeffrey Banks Ltd. and Jeffrey Banks International, amassed $20 million through licensing deals and international sales.

Source: answers.com