Black History Month: 6 Men & Women Who Have Shaped the Fashion Industry

Friday saw the transition to a new month, and as we bid farewell to September and welcomed in October, so too did we see the start of Black History Month. An important month in anyone’s calendar, here at Eldimaa Fashion we are celebrating with 30% off store wide, an array of social media posts and a blog series dedicated to celebrating Black History.
This week, we are starting where we know best, fashion. There are so many icons and pioneers within the fashion industry, all of whom are paving the way for new talent and leading the way within the industry. From designers to models to fashion commentators, there are so many names to celebrate, and we have done just that, with a list of some of the figures we view as the most influential within the fashion industry, past and present.

 

Edward Enninful

 
We could not make a list of influential people within the fashion industry without naming editor of British Vogue Edward Enninful. When Enninful was named as Alexandra Shulman’s successor back in April 2017, he became the first black editor-in-chief of the magazine. Adding another title to his already illustrious and successful career, Enninful has, since his appointment, revitalised British Vogue, taking it down a more contemporary, ground-breaking, diverse and global route. 

Jay Jaxon

 

Jay Jaxon, who trained in prestigious fashion houses such as Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior, paved the way for designers like Virgil Abloh and Olivier Rousteing. Jaxon was famed for his success in France, one of the few African American designers to enjoy such success in the fashion capital, rescuing design house Jean Louis Scherrer from the brink of collapse in 1969 and becoming the first African American to become a head designer at a French couture house.

Stella Jean 

 

Considered to be Giorgio Armani’s protégé, Stella Jean is an Italian fashion designer and member of the Italian Chamber of Fashion. Jean has had a successful career within Italy, her blend of traditional Italian style fused with different cultures and influences making her one of the most influential women in Italian fashion. Having designed for the likes of Rihanna and Beyonce, Jean has also featured in V&A exhibitions and collaborated with the likes of Christian Louboutin. Jean is also the first and only Italian fashion designer to take to the stage at a BLM protest.

 

Virgil Abloh

 

Famed for his work as CEO of Off-White, Virgil Abloh has been breaking boundaries in the fashion industry since his very first foray into the world of international fashion. Starting off in Chicago street fashion before bagging himself an internship at Fendi, Abloh has gone on to be one of the most renown fashion designers, and the first American of African descent to be artistic director at a French luxury fashion house, being named the Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton in 2018.

 

Donyale Lola

 

Donyale Luna was the first African-American model to appear on the front cover of British Vogue and has been cited as the first black supermodel. Luna, who enjoyed a successful career in the worlds of both fashion and film, is cited as one of the key figures for bringing about change in the world of fashion. Luna’s infamous 1966 Vogue cover enabled much more diversity within fashion modelling, paving the way for women and men of the future.

 

Naomi Campbell

 

Another incredibly successful and powerful woman, Naomi Campbell’s long and illustrious career highlight just how influential she has been within the fashion industry. Famed for being one of the “big six”, a group of influential supermodels within the 90s, Campbell became the first black model to appear on the cover of French Vogue and was the first black model to appear on the illustrious September cover of American Vogue.

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