The Five Most Influential Black Male Designers in Fashion

Although the fashion industry continues to struggle with its diversity problem, Black designers are beginning to see increased prominence in the field. Arguably more than womenswear, menswear in particular has experienced an influx of Black male designers. With an incredibly slimmed-down number of fashion shows happening this year, these Black men have stood out amongst the pack as the most influential Black male designers of the moment.

Adrien Sauvage: A. Sauvage

Adrien Savage, founder of the brand A. Sauavage, is a British-based designer known for his fresh take on classic tailoring. His collections often feature beautiful suiting combinations in unique patterns, mixing in edgier pieces such as impeccably cut leather and suede jackets. His "no-nonsense" approach to dressing has appealed to many famous clients including John Legend, Dwayne Wade and King Beyonce herself.

Jerry Lorenzo: Fear of God

Jerry Lorenzo is undoubtedly one of the biggest names in men's fashion, thanks to his clothing and accessories brand Fear of God. The brand, known for effortlessly mixing streetwear and tailored pieces, has been highly successful amongst classicists and hypebeasts alike and has paved the way for his more affordable line Fear of God Essentials and an uber-stylish collaboration with storied Italian menswear house Zegna.

Kerby Jean-Raymond: Pyer Moss

Recently awarded the Council of Fashion Designers of America's ("CFDA") award for menswear designer of the year, Kerby Jean-Raymond has created a lane of his own in fashion, often using his Pyer Moss collections to highlight issues impacting the black community, usually before it is "fashionable" to do so. Raymond has collaborated with artists such as Erykah Badu and has dressed everyone from Colin Kaepernick to Swizz Beats.

Telfar Clemons: Telfar

Telfar Clemons, the man behind his eponymous label Telfar, has been making a name for himself, not only because of his clothing lines for both men and women but also for his highly sought after accessory offerings. In fact, he recently was named accessories designer of the year by the CFDA. Clemons has also landed some high profile partnerships, including his most recent with Ugg, which will surely be a hit with customers once it lands in stores in 2021.

Virgil Abloh: Off-White and Louis Vuitton Menswear

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few years, you definitely know the name Virgil Abloh. Not only has he been able to carve out a niche for himself in menswear through the founding of his streetwear behemoth Off-White, he has since taken over the rarified world of French fashion, assuming the title of creative director of Louis Vuitton's menswear collections. Abloh has been the recipient of a number of fashion awards and nominations, and his almost cult following has solidified his place on the list of the world's most influential designers of our time.