17 Sisters Who Are Shaping the Conversation About Black Women and Style

When Oprah Winfrey wears a brand or trend, we pay attention — and run to buy it. She uses this enormous power for good by intentionally putting her stamp of approval on many Black-owned businesses and products in her much-anticipated annual “Favorite Things” list and other forms of recognition, giving those brands a significant boost in sales and overall awareness.

7. Amanda Gorman, 24

Amanda Gorman’s visibility skyrocketed after she became the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history. Since then, she’s been on the cover of multiple magazines, including Vogue, Allure and Variety; she cochaired the 2021 Met Gala; and she was signed by IMG Models. As the Harvard graduate steps into her new role as a style icon, she’s bringing her voice and message of change to the fashion and beauty worlds. Gorman was recently named Estée Lauder’s first-ever Global Changemaker. In that role, she will help launch Writing Change, an initiative to “advance literacy as a pathway to equality, access and social change.” On the topic of beauty, Gorman told Estée Lauder, “The body and the face, just like words, are their own type of language.”

8. Aurora James, 38

Aurora James, the designer, creative director and founder of luxury accessories brand Brother Vellies, has a celebrity following and has won numerous CFDA awards. She leveraged this influence and launched The Fifteen Percent Pledge, an initiative that challenges brands to commit 15 percent of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses. “The general idea was that Black people are almost 15 percent of the population in America, and therefore it would be incredible if major retailers would commit 15 percent of their spending budget to Black American entrepreneurs,” she explained to People TV. More than two dozen retailers, including Bloomingdales, Crate&Barrel, Gap, Nordstrom, Macy’s and Sephora, have joined the pledge.

9. Zerina Akers, 36

Zerina Akers is a costume designer and fashion stylist whose A-list clientele includes Beyoncé, Chloe x Halle, Ava DuVernay and Yara Shahidi. She created Black Owned Everything, a marketplace for Black-owned fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands. “Black businesses have fought exclusion, systematic oppression and active disenfranchisement for decades. Our goal is to change the narrative and to invite you to support Black-owned businesses, celebrate Black creators and participate in an inclusive, unified community,” Akers says on her website.

10. Chioma Nnadi

As editor of Vogue.com, Chioma Nnadi oversees the publication’s digital content. She is committed to shining a light on Black talent in the fashion industry. “We need to create new pathways to success for the next generation of Black talent … and that’s something that should be on the agenda all year round, not just during Black History Month,” she said in an interview with the CFDA.

11. Lindsay Peoples Wagner, 31

Lindsay Peoples Wagner is the editor in chief of New York magazine’s style and culture website, The Cut. Before that, she was the top editor of Teen Vogue, where she was the youngest editor in chief of any Condé Nast magazine. In 2018, Peoples Wagner wrote “What It’s Really Like to Be Black and Work in Fashion,” an article for which she interviewed more than 100 Black celebrities, models, executives and other industry professionals who shared vulnerable accounts of their experiences in the fashion world. The acclaimed article sparked a long-overdue conversation in the industry. And it led to the creation of The Black in Fashion Council, a collaboration of editors, stylists, models, executives and creatives with the aim of creating a new standard for inclusivity.

12. Mary Schmidt Campbell, 74

13. Dara Douglas, 41

14. Nadine Ijewere, 30

These three women played critical roles in the Polo Ralph Lauren collaboration with Morehouse and Spelman colleges. The limited-edition collection pays homage to the history, tradition and style of HBCUs. As Spelman’s president, Mary Schmidt Campbell sees the collaboration as a modern celebration of the school’s past. “I thought it evoked an aspect of our history and heritage that we don’t talk about and we don’t see very often on the public stage,” she told The Washington Post. Dara Douglas, a Spelman graduate, served as the project’s archivist and worked closely with Ralph Lauren colleague James Jeter, a Morehouse graduate, who inspired and led the collaboration. London-based fashion photographer Nadine Ijewere was responsible for the captivating, powerful images.

15. Jessica Cruel

As editor in chief of Allure, Jessica Cruel is in charge of content development across the publication’s multiple platforms. She also has held director and editorial roles at Refinery29, Self and PopSugar. Cruel led the launch of The Melanin Edit, Allure’s platform for exploring Black beauty and all “facets of a melanin-rich” life. “The Melanin Edit is here to help ensure that Black skin always feels like the gift that it is — a gift to be recognized, celebrated and protected,” the website states.

16. Regina King, 51

The Emmy- and Oscar-winning actress Regina King cohosted the 2022 Met Gala, a prestigious honor. The annual fundraiser event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute is known for drawing the biggest celebrity and fashion names, who showcase extravagant outfits based on the yearly theme. King, who was the second Black woman to be nominated for best director at the Golden Globes for One Night in Miami…, was one of the hosts at this year’s event, themed “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.”

17. Essie Golden, 36

Model, blogger, influencer and body-positive advocate Essie Golden is a trusted voice in the plus-size community. She cofounded #GoldenConfidence, a movement promoting diversity and size inclusivity, and Thick Laces, a community for plus-size sneaker and street wear fans. In her 10-plus years of being a content creator, Golden has partnered with Amazon, DSW, JCPenney, Lane Bryant, Old Navy and many other brands. And her Instagram (@essiegolden) features accessible street-style fashion. “I love using my platform to inspire and encourage other women and help them feel confident,” she says on her website.