Daniel Day, 78, better known as the legendary Dapper Dan, started his career as the “king of knock-offs”, as per Trill Mag. He’s now renowned as one of the strongest influences in menswear and streetwear.

According to The Guardian, Day started his career by making clothes for gangs in Harlem, New York. His clothing atelier Dapper Dan’s Boutique was known for reworking logos of several luxury fashion brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci into his own creations, per Ciafe.

His talents were eventually recognised by the industry, as he went from becoming a pariah of luxury fashion to launching his own line with Gucci in 2018.

2. Carly Cushnie

Cushnie launched her brand initially as Cushnie et Ochs with friend Michelle Ochs, almost immediately after graduating from Parsons School of Design in New York City, per Fashion Elite. Later becoming independent, she went on to run one of the most “prominent black-owned brands in American fashion”, according to The New York Times, paving way for many more women of colour in the industry.

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3. Tracy Reese

Reese, 59, launched her namesake fashion label in 1998, which has since expanded to include multiple sub-brands such as Plenty, Frock! and Black Label.

In 2019, Reese launched Hope for Flowers, a slow-fashion line that prioritises responsible and sustainable production practices.

4. Virgil Abloh

Abloh founded his own fashion house in 2012, Off-White, bringing streetwear to the forefront of luxury fashion. His passing in 2021, after battling an aggressive form of cancer, was felt throughout the fashion industry as a great loss.

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5. Christopher John Rogers

Rogers sewed his first collection at his dining room table in 2017, per Elle. At nearly 30 years old, his designs are known for their drama and “pragmatic glamour” as he told Vogue, calling them “things that are expressive and fun and encourage the wearer to take up space”.

High-profile celebrities such as Cardi-B, Rihanna and Lizzo have been seen wearing his designs.

6. Heron Preston

Known for his logo-heavy streetwear aesthetic, the 39-year-old fashion designer previously worked for Nike and also collaborated alongside big names in fashion such as Kanye “Ye” West and the aforementioned Abloh.

While Preston launched his namesake label in 2017 during Paris Fashion Week, he only made his debut at New York Fashion Week this year, per WWD.

7. Rihanna

Despite the shuttering of the brand, Rihanna became not only the first woman but the first woman of colour to head a luxury fashion house under LVMH, as shared by the 34-year-old Barbadian singer herself.

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8. LaQuan Smith

Not all successful fashion designers have a traditional education in the discipline. Some of them are backed by passion stronger than a degree. Laquan Smith, 34, is one of them.

Despite never having studied fashion, per Fashionista, Smith made his own designs and clothes in his childhood bedroom, then made his New York Fashion week debut at only 21.

He went on to launch his own namesake label in 2013 and is a favourite among stars like Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and the Kardashians, as shared by The Hollywood Reporter.

9. Tia Adeola

While not a veteran (yet!) in the industry like the rest on this list, Adeola’s brand is on a speedy incline.

She launched her eponymous brand in 2016 when she was just 18, per Evening Standard. Now in her mid 20s, she has dressed the likes of Cara Delevingne, Gigi Hadid and SZA.

The young designer is constantly pushing for diversity in the industry and this is especially obvious in her fashion shows. This NYFW, her cast consisted predominantly of black models, as reported by Hypebae.

The previous year, she also showed her clothing back home in Nigeria, at Lagos Fashion Week. “It’s me trying to break the mould for my peers and generations to come after me,” she said in an interview with InStyle.