In The Talk Of Diversity, A Class Of African-American Designers Remain Sidelined

As the topic of diversity is at the forefront of the fashion industry, the apparent lack of black designers warrants more attention.

- Kames Narayanan

Leafing through the pages of history, one cannot count many instances that have been an impetus for profound changes in the fashion landscape. Yet, when Louis Vuitton’s newly appointed men’s artistic director Virgil Abloh walked out to take his final bow at the end of the rainbow-hued runway he had laid out for his debut collection, it was a poignant moment for the future of fashion.

When Abloh was named artistic director of the storied heritage house, the appointment was a monumental win for the African-American community — a minority in the fashion industry by a landslide. Not only is he the first black designer to helm Louis Vuitton, he is amongst a rare breed of them who has risen in the ranks to head luxury houses of such calibre.

In fact, there have been only two other black designers who have achieved such a feat — Ozwald Boateng, who led Givenchy’s menswear for four years from 2003 to 2007 and Olivier Rousteing, who currently heads Balmain. This seemingly bleak outlook for African-American designers, is reflective even when considering the lot of contemporary designers on the whole.

Throughout the industry, designers like Martine Rose, Tracy Reese, Shayne Oliver and Samuel Ross count towards tokens of diversity — a state of affairs that have remained stagnant for years. While the discussion on minority representation has been a hot topic of late, the boundaries of the conversation have largely ended on the runway.