Black LGBTQ+ Fashion Designers

Black LGBTQ+ Fashion designers are a big part of the fashion industry. Recent events have put the lives of all black people in the spotlight. I am so excited and hopeful that we as a society will finally proclaim black lives matter with truth and conviction. I have written about black designers before but never Black LGBTQ+ fashion designers, so it is time. Being queer myself, I always hope to support and fight for all civil rights. The fashion industry has not always and is not always a champion for civil rights. This recent article from Harpers Bazaar lays out some changes needed in the fashion industry (The Fashion Industry Has Failed Black People—Here’s What Needs to Change). However, I want to celebrate the advances we have made even though we still have a way to go. 

LGBTQ+ FASHION DESIGNERS

Currently, I am watching a program on t.v. called Legendary, which is a competitive program from the ballroom world. The ballroom queer culture was first exposed to the world in the 1990 film Paris is Burning. The film chronicles the ball culture of New York City and the African-American, Latino, gay, and transgender communities involved in it. Many more have been exposed to ballroom through the Emmy Award-winning show Pose. Pose takes into the ballroom scene giving us a look into this fascinating world and its connection to fashion. In fact many Black LGBTQ+ designers are influenced, inspired and pay homage to the ballroom community. Furthermore many got their start in fashion from the ballroom scene.

Certainly, it is long past due to celebrate Black queer designers and their contribution to the fashion industry. Black LGBTQ+ designers bring experience and background that excites the fashion world by challenging stereotypes. First, these designers are often forward-thinking and exciting creatives. Second, through their adventurous spirits and new creative energy, they push the industry for more inclusivity and equality. Significantly all this is accomplished while battling oppression, racism, transphobia, homophobia, lack of financial resources, and more. Therefore, it is doubly important to give them the recognition they’ve lacked for far too long.

Since we just finished Pride month and Vancouver Pride is at the end of this month, I like to enjoy the summer of Pride. It is the perfect time to combine three passions for this post, Black rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and fashion. Therefore, inspired by my partners at Shop Style I would like to celebrate Black LGBTQ+ fashion designers.

CHRISTOPHER  JOHN  ROGERS 

Christopher John Roberts is a self-described "effeminate" gay Black man from Louisiana. In November 2019 he won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award. The prize was well deserved. Rogers S/S 2020 collection caught my attention. Unless you follow fashion with the zest of an avid fashionista fan following the latest runways like a hawk, you probably haven't heard of Rogers. I have because I do follow fashion with such zest. Rogers is a 26-year-old fashion designer working in Brooklyn. Furthermore, he has just produced his third collection from his apartment table.

Rogers presents fashion with drama and vitality. His runway shows have opera scale dresses with the attitude of a drag ball and pay homage to the black church ladies of his upbringing. Some might call his collections gaudy, however the taste levels of today are different. Quality of taste doesn’t matter as much as personal agency: Did you own that look? Michelle Obama, Lizzo, and Tracee Ellis Ross took note, each wearing one of Rogers’s pieces out in the world.

Photo: Courtesy of Net-A-Porter

Christopher John Rogers

Christopher John Rogers

Christopher John Rogers

LaQUAN SMITH

BLACK LGBTQ+ FASHION DESIGNERS

It is 10 years since LaQuan Smith formed his self named NYC fashion company. However, it is still a fight for an out Black LGBTQ+ fashion designer. Smith is a self-taught designer from Queens and has fought his way to be a go-to designer for many celebrities. I have often said that gay men have a special relationship to women, and that is so clear with the designs of LaQuan Smith. Smith designs with the spirit of a modern woman in mind. He instills her with confidence and sexiness. Moreover, he understands the female form and celebrates it with his luxurious and glamorous style. Fashion icons and risk takers including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Kim Kardashian, are all noted fans.

Certainly S/S 2020 was no exception to Smiths take no hostages attitude. In fact the collection was a western romp that mixed showgirls with the rodeo. Animal prints and latex gave the body conscious designs a sense of fun and blatant sexuality. There has always been a relationship between the LGBTQ+ community and the world of show biz. In this collection Smith toys with these relationship and wins.

LaQuan Smith

LaQuan Smith

LaQuan Smith

LaQuan Smith

NO SESSO

BLACK LGBTQ+ FASHION DESIGNERS

No Sesso,  means “no sex/no gender” in Italian . No Sesso is a community-driven brand founded by Pierre Davis.  Davis has strived to challenge fashion conventions and blur the lines between fashion, art, culture and design. No Sesso made headlines when it became the first transgender-owned line to show at New York Fashion Week . Through her work, Davis’ goal is to have more Black queer designers involved in mainstream fashion conversations.

Certainly this was a huge move towards inclusivity within the fashion industry.Founded in 2015, Davis' brand No Sesso is agender and shows in chapters rather than collections. Her whimsical designs, which blend traditional gendered codes of dress, have won over Erykah Badu and Kelela amongst its many A-list fans.

CHECK OUT THE NO SESSO FASHION

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TELFAR

BLACK LGBTQ+ FASHION DESIGNERS

While you may be cool, if you are not aware of Telfar I might question your credentials. Telfar Clemens is a self-Taught NYC designer whose eponymous label was launched back in 2005. Since that time this queer designer with a background in the nightlife scene has created a label that truly is unisex. The crowd at a Telfar show tells his story mostly black and lots of LGBTQ+ followers and friends.

The most compelling evidence that Telfar is making waves is that they showed their S/S 2020 collection in Paris. Clemens designs everyday sportswear with an unexpected edge. He knows the branding game. Telfar’s vegan leather, tote-style 'Shopping' bags, embossed with the artsy, genderless label’s ‘TC’ logo are sold for less than $300. They have become status symbols for a cadre of cool kids . Especially queer, creative people of color in the hip neighborhoods of Brooklyn and downtown Manhattan, who identified with the label’s inclusive message: “It’s not for you, it’s for everyone.”

Telfar

Telfar

Telfar

Telfar

Telfar

Telfar

OLIVIER ROUSTEING

Olivier Rousteing is a gay fashion designer and the groundbreaking creative director of the French fashion house Balmain. With his street-inspired style and impeccable cheekbones, Rousteing caused a massive stir in the world of fashion when he took over the label from then-director Christophe Decarnin in 2011. Rousteing was only 25 years old at the time, and of mixed race. In fact, Olivier Rousteing is the youngest head of a Paris fashion house since Yves St Laurent.
Despite all the haters, Rousteing has delivered the brand out of couture obscurity and into the ethos of pop culture, with celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Rihanna as campaign faces and Beyoncé wearing his designs on the red carpet. Here's a look at the Spring 2020 collection.

Balmain

Balmain

Balmain

BLACK LGBTQ+ FASHION DESIGNERS 

In conclusion, the fight for rights in the black and all ethnic communities overlap with the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Us queers are everywhere therefore our causes unite. The fashion industry has always attracted gay men, and therefore gay black men would be no different. However, it has often been difficult for LGBTQ+ black people entering the fashion industry not only are they dealing with systemic racism but also homophobia. Starting a fashion label is hard enough, and often the black community is poorly served by the financial community. Therefore, I encourage all of you to support black LGBTQ+ designers.

BLACK LGBTQ+ LIVES MATTER

CIAO FOR NOW J. ANDREW