When studying the history of fashion the knowledge of famous designers is a crucial first introduction. However, since history has been viewed through a white and overwhelmingly male lens, our perception of fashion history is not necessarily reflective of the full picture. In particular, countless designers from traditionally marginalized backgrounds have been largely left out of the narrative. The Black and African American designers included here are not only significant for their artful creations, but also for the racial barriers they broke in the fashion industry. The oldest design displayed here is by the little-known American couturier Hylan Booker who in 1968 became the first African American to sit at the helm of a French couture house, The House of Worth. Booker's pioneering work blazed trails for Patrick Kelly who in 1988 became the first American designer admitted into the Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode, the prestigious French couture federation.
