Our goal is to create profiles of important, lesser-known fashion designers. For resources on more contemporary designers, see our Zotero database.
Elizabeth Keckley, a remarkably successful dressmaker, built her career upon exacting technical standards, graceful clean lines, and an understanding of Parisian fashionable trends. She is well known for her work for the political elite of Washington DC, particularly for Mary Todd Lincoln. Keckley was one of the first African American women to publish a book and was an impassioned activist who created a relief organization for newly freed enslaved persons.
A master dressmaker and designer, Emile Pingat (c. 1820-1901) was among the elite Paris couturiers of his age, who dressed the wealthiest and most sophisticated of clients in the fashion capital of the world.
No longer “society’s best kept secret” as the Saturday Evening Post called her, Ann Lowe is recognized as a pioneering African American couturier. Her pieces are preserved in renowned museum collections including the Smithsonian, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Museum at FIT.
About the Designer Rudi Gernreich was an avant-garde designer whose works questioned the status quo of the fashion industry and often reflected his own political...
The designer of many of Marimekko’s classic stand-out prints was Maija Isola, who famously abandoned conservative designs in favor of bold, graphic styles. Her work includes unique floral and nature-inspired designs, and is exhibited in museums including the Victoria and Albert Museum, Design Museum Copenhagen, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Stephen Burrows is celebrated for his graphic color blocking and innovative use of matte jersey fabric at the height of the disco era. He became one of the first Black fashion designers to achieve international acclaim.
Willi Smith was the popularly renowned designer behind Williwear, a womenswear line that opened in 1976. He was known for his innovative blend of the newly-emerging concept of streetwear with high fashion.
Patrick Kelly was the first American designer ever to be admitted to the Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter, which governs the French ready-to-wear industry. He unapologetically incorporated his Southern Roots, racial imagery, and expressions of Black joy into his designs; stating “I want my clothes to make you smile.”
If you would like to contribute content or to join the editorial team, either as a specialist or copy-editor, please contact us! Check out all our categories of content below.
The Fez and the Ottoman Path to Modernity
1869 – Red Silk Dress
katazome (stencil printing)
1905 – André Derain, Lucien Gilbert
Inès Gâches-Sarraute and the Straight-Front Corset