Ola Hudson may not be a household name, but she has made some contributions to fashion. Many black designers do not get the recognition they deserve. So today's black history post is about Ola Hudson. Ola Hudson was born on October 12, 1946, in Los Angeles, California. Before pursuing her career as a designer, Hudson was a trained dancer. She studied at the Lester Horton School of Modern Dance. Shortly after, she went on to study at the Institute of Dance in Paris, at Le Loft[...]
Arthur L. McGee was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1933. At the age of 18, he entered a contest to win a scholarship to attend Traphagen School of Design in New York and won after submitting the winning design. His inspiration came from his mother, who created her own fashions. Arthur went on to study millinery and apparel design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). While attending FIT he began working for the American couturier Charles James. He later produced his own designs while pur[...]
// // ]]> Corianna and Brianna, also known as Coco and Breezy founded the cutting edge sunglass brand, that aims to reach new fashion heights and introduce fashion lovers all over the world to their unique sense of style and original accessories. "Your eyewear is always your outfit and your clothing outfit is always your accessory”. During a visit to NYC in 2009, Coco and Breezy’s edgy eyewear was an instant hit with people looking to buy. The two moved to NYC without a place to live[...]
Meet Designer Stephen Burrows Stephen Burrows was born on September 15, 1943, in Newark, New Jersey. He learned how to sew at a young age when he started making clothes with his grandmother. Realizing that fashion was something he wanted to do, he attended the Philadelphia Museum College of Art but later he went to New York City to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). After graduating from FIT in 1966, he began making clothes for the O boutique that he'd co-founded along with[...]
Meet Designer Patrick Kelly Patrick Kelly was born on September 24, 1954 in Vicksburg, Mississippi. His interest in fashion came at a young age, Patrick's earliest recollection of his love for fashion was when he was about six years old. One day after his grandmother brought home a fashion magazine, he noticed that there were no pictures of African American women in it. His grandmother explained that designers did not have time for African American women and he was determined to change this.[...]
Meet Designer Carly Cushnie Carly Cushnie knew that fashion was something she wanted to do, after high school she took classes at the Parsons outpost in Paris. She then moved to New York to enroll full-time at Parsons The New School for Design. While in her junior year, she met Michelle Ochs and the two quickly become close friends. While in school Carly interned at Oscar de la Renta working on ready-to-wear clothing. She was runner up for student designer of the year at Parsons, her friend Mic[...]
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 pri[...]
Meet Designer Martine Rose Martine Rose is a London-based designer who originally started her career by designing unisex T-shirts with her friend Tamara under the label LMNOP. They showcased their debut collection of 10 shirts at Blacks, a private members club in Soho 2007. LMNOP was doing well and had a huge following, but Martine decided to go solo and start her own brand. Her main focus was on shirts and gradually she started to branch out into other aspects of menswear. Partnering with[...]
Meet Designer Samantha Black Samantha Black attended Pratt Institute in New York, while also interning for Jill Stuart and Michael Kors. She graduated in 2005 with a BFA in Fashion Design. After graduation, Samantha moved to London where she worked personally with one fashions legendary designers the late Alexander McQueen. After returning to the states, she became the head designer for the entire women’s denim line at Jimmyz, which is owned by Aeropostale. Samantha was one of the selecte[...]
Kimberly Goldson was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Fashion became apart of her life at a very young age. While attending the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) she majored in Fashion Merchandising Management, but the design aspect was something she taught herself. At the beginning of her career, she designed custom pieces for clients in Atlanta. She also worked as a production assistant for several clothing labels and as a manager for the U.S. Census Bureau. Deciding to take her car[...]