Within the fashion industry, there are a lot of skilled Black designers, a significant number of which have not received the spotlight they deserve.
Here are 23 Black-owned fashion and beauty brands that you should have on your radar:
Tia Adeola is a Nigerian-born, London-raised designer who made her NYFW debut in 2018. Her clothes have been worn by celebrities like SZA and Kali Uchis.
Founded by Nigerien designer Dumebi Iyamah, Andrea Iyamah is a clothing line strongly inspired by color and ethnic cultures.
Bianca Saunders is a 27 year old menswear designer who made her first London Fashion Week Men’s appearance in 2018 and is paving the way as one of the most impressive names in British Fashion.
Bernard James is a Brooklyn-based jewelry designer known for his craftsmanship and intricate attention to detail. Bernard strives to reinvent the standard of luxury by creating timeless pieces of jewelry.
Baby Phat was founded in 1999 by Kimora Lee Simmions. The iconic brand relaunched in 2019 with a collection with Forever21 and in 2020 launched Baby Phat Beauty.
Daily Paper is an Amsterdam based men’s and womenswear brand that was founded in 2010 by childhood friends Jefferson Osei, Abderrahmane Trabsini, and Hussein Suleiman. All three friends have a similar African background and they use their heritage to create minimal streetwear pieces.
Come Back As Flowers is an L.A. based loungewear brand that specializes in 100% recycled cotton tie-dye co-ords and is locally manufactured.
Diet Starts Monday
Longtime friend Davin Gentry and John Geiger created the creative menswear brand Dite Start Monday in May of 2017. The brand started in Washington, D.C., and took an exciting approach to men’s fashion.
Founded by iconic designer Tracy Reese in 2019, Hope For Flowers is a womenswear label that designs clothing without adding to the world’s environmental impact.
Fe Noel Brooklyn is a womenswear brand in New York. The label was created by designer Felisha Noel draws inspiration from her Grenadian roots. The brand is known for its vibrant hues and luxury fabrics.
LIV Streetwear was founded by ’90s-obsessed streetwear designer Olivia Anthony. The brand is a genderless line of fun, nostalgic, and comfortable styles.
Pyer Moss was founded in 2013 by Haitian American designer Kerby Jean-Raymond. The brand is a men’s and womenswear fashion label with a narrative that speaks about heritage and activism.
Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty launched in 2018 and is a size-inclusive, diverse, and unapologetically confident brand. Savage x Fenty is known for its powerful fashion shows. Rihanna made history again last year, as LVMH’s first black female designer.
Telfar is a designer brand based in Bushwick, Brooklyn founded by Telfar Clemens in 2014. The brand incorporates unisex designs with a comfortable sportswear design.
We Dream In Color was founded in 2020 by designer Jade Gedeon. Each piece of jewelry that the brand makes is assembled by hand and in house by their product team in Salem, MA.
Founded in 2013 by hairdresser Vernon François and creates outstanding products for textured hair. The brand’s oils are sourced in Africa where they work with an organization that works with local farmers that trade with them fairly.
Black Opal is a beauty brand established in 1994 by the late Nikos Mouyiaris, his significant other Carol Jackson Mouyiaris, and dermatologist Cheryl Burgess, M.D. The brand has the finest collection of cosmetics for men and women of color.
Bevel was founded in 2013 by Tristan Walker. The brand is an award-winning men’s grooming line, including skincare, shaving, hair, and body products specifically for men of color.
Mented Cosmetics is a beauty brand that was founded by KJ Miller and Amanda E. Jhonson. Miller and Johnson wanted all women, from light to tan to dark skin tones, to feel like they have makeup that works for their complexions.
Loving Culture was founded by Mary-Andrée Ardouin-Guerrier who started the experiment and making her hair oil to help speed up the growth of her hair. She saw amazing results and decided to let her family and friends try. They loved the oil so much that they were willing to buy it, thus giving her the idea to create Loving Culture.
Beauty Bakiere is a cruelty-free cosmetics beauty brand that was founded by Cashmere Nicole. When Nicole founded her brand, she wanted it to promotesweetness as an alternative to the bad-girl perceptions that young people are often exposed to on social media.
The Lip Bar was founded by Melissa Butler in 2011. The brand is a vegan and cruelty-free makeup line known for its shea butter and avocado-infused lipsticks. The brand recently made a collection collaboration with Justine Skye.
Bomba Curls was created by Lulu Cordero, an Afro-Dominicana who wanted curls to be celebrated. Cordero created her blends using the Dominican beauty secrets she grew up with and her curls and edges thrived.