Jay Jaxon was born Eugene Jackson on August 30, 1941, in Queens, New York. The youngest of four, born to Ethel Rena-Jackson and Sidney Jackson. His father, Sidney Jackson, was a truck driver, and his mother, Ethel Rena-Jackson, was a housekeeper. While in high school, Jaxon moved in with a family that lived nearby, helping them with childcare. There he would join in with the family when they would make clothing. Jaxon discovered his love of fashion while tailoring a dress[...]
Pat Cleveland was one of the first black supermodels to gain prominence as a runway and print model. Cleveland was born in New York City on June 23, 1952, to father Johnny Johnston a white jazz saxophonist, and her mother Ladybird, a painter who was of African American and Native American descent. Cleveland attended LaGuardia High School of Art and Design, where her first love was fashion. By the age of fourteen, she was designing and wearing her own cr[...]
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrA0sXfnIPf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Meet male model Alton Mason, 2019 he became the first black male model to have walked the runway for Chanel during their Métiers d'Art show. This groundbreaking moment in the brand's 109-year existence was long overdue. https://www.instagram.com/p/CG7wkW5pneg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Mason was born November 21, 1997, to a father who is a former professional basketball player and his mother a f[...]
There were other models before her, but Helen Williams was the first black model to cross over into mainstream. Helen Williams was born in East Riverton, New Jersey in 1937. With her love of fashion, she began sewing her own garments at the age of seven. At 17, Williams worked as a stylist at a New York photography studio. She was spotted on separate occasions by Lena Horne and Sammy Davis Jr, who happened to be in the studio doing press shots. They encouraged her to pursue a career in f[...]
Meet Designer Byron Lars Byron Lars started designing under his own label in 1991 with a small collection of sportswear focusing on what he refers to as "twisted American classics." His inspiration came from such an unlikely source, his grandfather's hunting jacket. Byron put his spin on it with a "Dior New Look" proportion to create a Duchess of Windsor meets Field and Stream hybrid. After his second season in the business, Women's Wear Daily hailed him as "Rookie of the Year." His line was[...]
Meet Designers Darlene and Lizzy Okpo “I definitely am a big Black History buff. When you observe the women of our history, their style was amazing.” ~Darlene Sisters Darlene and Lizzy Okpo were born in the Bronx, NY, to Nigerian immigrant parents. Their inspiration comes from their parent's personal style with American culture. With both Darlene and Lizzy's love of fashion, they created a women’s wear collection named after their father, William Okpo. Their brand represents the “imm[...]
Meet Designer Duro Olowu Duro Olowu was born in Lagos Nigeria, to a Nigerian father and a Jamaican mother, he was raised between both Nigeria and England. Olowu developed a love for fashion, he became inspired by the women around him, from the clothing they wore, which were a mixture of colors and textures. He gave up the chance to become a lawyer like his father and instead decided to pursue a career in fashion. Living in London provided him the opportunity to embrace the culture, art,[...]
Meet Designer Ozwald Boateng Ozwald Boateng was born in 1968 in London, England to Ghanaian immigrant parents. Back in Ghana his mother had worked in the fabric business and took in custom work as a seamstress in England. At the age of 5, Boateng's mother made him a purple mohair suit that quickly became his favorite outfit. At 16, Boateng began dating a girl he met at a London technical college, she showed him how to sew and make clothes. Soon after Boateng had switched his major from comput[...]
Meet Jérôme LaMaar “I was wearing skinny jeans and had a hi-top fade before it was trendy. Kids on the subway called me names, but I went to an arts high school, so my classmates thought I was interesting and edgy” "The 5:31 woman is not interested in common trends, she is clever enough to try unexplored ideas of timeless classics. There is also no room for unwearable Avant-Garde garments nor ball gowns in her fast pace life" The Bronx born, native New Yorker Jerome LaMaar, got his[...]