5 POC Fashion Designers That Changed The Designing World

To understand the fashion sphere, you must first acknowledge the crowd of voices that shaped it. It's difficult to encapsulate the scope of fashion and the influence of people of colour, but here are some voices who have transcended time to this very day and age.

Zelda Wynn Valdes

The pioneer of the Playboy bunny suit and notorious for empowering women with her curve-flattering, figure-enhancing designs, Zelda Wynn Valdes has her name carved out in history. Personally commissioned by Hugh Hefner, Valdes celebrated the female body in sensual figures and created groundbreaking gowns for many celebrities, like Ella Fitzgerald, the famed singer, Josephine Baker and Mae West.

Fitting curvaceous women was what Zelda did and her influence on fashion has had an unprecendented effect on popular clothing and body types.

Anne Lowe

Anne Lowe's perseverance through exclusion and racial segregation will forever make her a powerful face in the fashion industry. After attending the S.T Taylor School of Design against prejudice, her reputation grew even stronger. Lowe eventually went on to design the bridal gown and bridal party dresses of Jacqueline Bouvier, who then went on to become Jackie Kennedy, the wife of J.F.K. Against all odds, Lowe stayed strong in her life and her creations until her death in 1981. She continues to be celebrated for her historical accomplishments even through her struggles.

Lowe is a strong icon of fashion, sought after and commissioned by all who knew her name and were accepted.

Issey Miyake

It's likely you've heard of Issey Miyake. After educating in Tokyo, Miyake travelled to Paris and New York to work with famed names like Givenchy to hone his craft. He then, in the 1980s, began fashioning pleats into groundbreaking androgynous clothing, a collection called Pleats, Please which would become his namesake after a boom in popularity and interest. He was also inspired to model his pleated clothing on dancers in showcases. Miyake even contributed to Steve Jobs' iconic black turtleneck look after Jobs expressed interest in his craft, making him 'like a hundred' as Jobs said. After his passing in 2022, Miyake is still a hugely heralded name and craftsman across the world.

Pleats, Please was a celebration of androgynous fashion across decades, showcasing a modernity unheard of in the 1980s.

Rei Kawakubo

Rei Kawakubo began Comme De Garçons in Tokyo, 1969 in the shadow of the 70s. In 1975, she opened her first boutique. Kawakubo had a relationship with the anti-fashion and deconstruction, creating standout pieces that thundered with non-conformity in a feminine and beautiful way. Her brand developed into a huge Japanese force, with most if not all of her clothing in black and grey during the 1980s. When she brought it to the West, she began her empire. Viktor & Rolf considered Kawakubo an 'outburst of creativity in the beginning of the 1980s' in the book Commes Des Garçons: Unlimited by Sanae Shimizu.

Comme Des Garçons is immortalised in culture and media forever, an icon of fashion and beautiful chaos.

Vera Wang

Wang's uprising was more privileged than others, her career beginning at Vogue for 17 years and then at Ralph Lauren for 2 years. Upon turning 40, she began her groundbreaking wedding dress brand that is now sought after at every turn by millions. Wang made wedding dresses for celebrities like Ariana Grande, Victoria Beckham, Alicia Keys and many many others. She even fulfilled her once-dream, becoming a fashion designer for figure skaters, which she used to want to pursue. Wang was also inducted into the U.S. Skating Hall of Fame for her fashion contributions.

Vera Wang's wedding dresses have a reputation for a reason. Wang's fashion is elegant, show-stopping and era-transcending.