The Original Fashionistas By: Chantel Gillus
Black women are the standard. We are trendsetters, innovators, and reinventors. Black women have continuously pushed the barriers of fashion and exemplified immense creativity in a society where their contributions are often overlooked and discredited. Fashion trends like hoop earrings, colored hair, braids, long and intricate acrylic nails; styles called ghetto and unprofessional when Black women wear them but labeled as edgy and trendy on white and non-Black women. The fashion world should celebrate Black women's impact and persistence in challenging fashion norms today. Black women have made both societal and political statements through their fashion sense. They continue to fight for justice and equality in style. Enter singer and dancer Josephine Baker, who was also a Civil Rights activist and part of the French Resistance. She was popular for her shimmering dresses, marabou feathers, and flashiness and glam from Harlem to Paris (Silver). Nina Simone wore jaw-dropping evening gowns and striking prints that she played up with vivid sunglasses and turbans (Silver). By the late 60s, when she utilized her public stance and music to become a trailblazer in the Civil Rights movement, she dressed the part by wearing more serious maxi dresses while accessorizing with poise (Silver). Transitioning into the 1970s, we have Diana Ross, who embodied 70s glamor. With the assistance of the acclaimed costume designer, Bob Mackie, Ross made marabou feathers, sequins, eye-catching jumpsuits, striking colors, tall bouffants, and teased-out afros
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her staple looks (Silver). Cicely Tyson, a model turned movie star, was another celebrity who was unafraid to flaunt her natural beauty by sporting cornrows or an afro (Silver). She proved that Black women could be graceful by flexing her natural beauty while wearing sophisticated dresses and outfits. Beverly Johnson, the first Black model to appear on the covers of American Vogue and French Elle, set the bar for future models with her chic looks and business endeavors. She's appeared in films, wrote books, ventured into entrepreneurship, and advocated for inclusivity in the fashion industry (Silver). The following line of Black female supermodels in the 70s, 80s, and 90s were risk-taking Iman, boundary-pushing Grace Jones, fashion muse Naomi Campbell, and cool-girl Tyra Banks. They became more than just models because people became immersed in their lavish lifestyle and their dazzling, jet-setting dress sense. Like Beverly, they went beyond the cover of magazines and runways, appearing on television
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shows, movies, and even becoming singers; they were now pop icons. Pop star Janet Jackson constantly looked sleek and sultry with her power suits, bralettes, satin trousers, chunky belts, crop tops, high-waisted denim, and combat boots. In the late 80s and early 90s, she often accompanied her outfits with a beret or micro-shades. She had a grungy style which was a breath of fresh air in the pop music scene. Also, in the late 80s and early 90s, hip-hop trio Salt-N-Pepa and DJ Spinderella opened the door for the "borrowed from the boys" look, wearing oversized, graphic leather jackets as seen in their "Push-It" (1987) music video. They were known for stepping out in knee pads, kente hats, and distressed clothing. Back in the olden times, clothing became distressed due to high use, and they were an exhibition of poverty. Although like Black women usually do, Salt-N-Pepa switched the game up and turned a negative into a fashionable positive. Other stars in the 90s like TLC and Aaliyah also contributed to the tomboyish and edgy look. TLC (Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes, and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas) were known for their tomboy wardrobe, bold use of color, and daring fashion choices. They made political statements through their music and clothing, like expressing their sexuality and promoting safe sex by attaching condoms to their clothing; Lisa covered her left eye with a condom, which eventually became her signature look. Aaliyah followed suit by finding the balance between having a tomboyish charm and sex appeal. In the 90s, her staple looks included men's boxers under her baggy jeans and pairing them with a baby tee, oversized tracksuits, and lustrous motocross outfits. Aaliyah's style was chill, sexy, yet classy like her songs. On the other hand, Lil' Kim bravely sported raunchy clothing and colorful wigs throughout the mid-late 90s to early 2000s to flaunt her sexuality as a
