Jon Haggins was born in Florida in 1943. At the age of 15, he headed to New York to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology. Shortly after graduating, he opened his studio. Within two years, his first collection sparked the interest of popular fashion magazines due to his different type of designing style that stood out from what was considered fashionable at the time. Haggins changed the fashion game with his soft, draped matte jersey designs. As his career took off, his clot[...]
Mildred Blount's interest in designing hats came about when she worked as an errand girl in a New York City hat shop. Her love of millinery [hat designer] led her and her sister Clara to open a dress and hat shop. During the World Fair in 1939, a collection of hats she designed was exhibited, giving her the opportunity to design hats for the movie "Gone with the Wind". Mildred was the first black Milliner to design hats for Hollywood films, such as Gone With The Wind and the Easter Para[...]
Meet Designer Patrick Robinson Patrick Robinson was born on September 8, 1966, in Memphis, Tennessee. He grew up in Orange County, Los Angeles. While in high school he worked part-time at Nordstroms at the Cerritos mall. Patrick’s first attempt in fashion was when he created his own small line of beach wear, inspired by his love for the surfing lifestyle. His love for fashion stemmed from a movie he saw that featured American designers Calvin Klein and Jeffrey Banks. After graduating fr[...]
Meet Twin Designers Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim were born in Alabama but raised in Somalia. At a young age, they returned to the U.S. due to a civil war erupting back home. They moved right outside Washington, D.C., in Northern Virginia. As a way to understand their new surroundings, the twins turned to fashion. They didn't speak any English, so their mother would buy them fashion magazines. They couldn't read the language in the magazines, but they understood the photos, "f[...]
28 Days Of Black Fashion Since today is the first day of Black History Month, I wanted to dedicate the next 28 days to something that I love, Fashion! So for the next 28 days, I will be posting everything about black fashion, from black fashion designers, black shoe designers to black fashion stylists, black fashion models, and black fashion icons. So sit back and enjoy the next 28 days of Black Fashion! Naomi Campbell is my all-time favorite black fashion models. She has helped pave the way f[...]
Karl Kani was the first black man to launch a Hip Hop Fashion line and became one of the 100 richest African-Americans in 1996 according to People Magazine. Carl Williams a.k.a Karl Kani is the founder and CEO of the Hip Hop fashion brand Karl Kani. Karl launched his line in 1989 as a fashion-forward and Hip Hop influenced clothing line. He created the baggy pants which inspired and led others to follow in his footsteps. Karl paved the way for many black designers earning the title of the[...]
Elizabeth Keckley was born into slavery. Using her skills as a dressmaker, she was able to buy her freedom in 1855. Keckley’s superior craftsmanship and design skills won her a number of wealthy clients who loaned her money to secure her and her son’s freedom. As a free woman, she moved to Washington, D.C. where she received a reputation for designing the most elegant dresses. This led to her meeting the First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln (the country’s 19th first lady) and soon after she begi[...]