18 Black Style Icons Whose Legacies Continue to Inspire
These women are trendsetters and trailblazers in every sense of the word.
As we—our country, brands, businesses, and citizens—continue to reckon with the racial injustices and inequalities in our nation today, organizations like Girls Going Global and Uniquely You Summit are supporting young Black women with scholarships for college tuition, the development of leadership skills, and guidance with navigating the complexities of society today.
The following women are certainly style mavens in their own right, but they are also so much more. Many of these women were at the forefront of the civil rights movement, pioneered their respective industries, and established legacies that continue to inspire us today. Their fashion choices served as social and politician statements to stand up to a society that often looked down upon them. Here, we celebrate the amazing achievements, electrifying passion, and societal advancements these Black women (and many others) advocated for during the civil rights movement of the 20th century.
The Supremes
Founding members of Motown's most successful group, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard brought a sense of maturity and glamour never quite seen before on the stage. The Supremes rose to popularity in a time where racial tensions were at an all-time high in the United States. Their appearances at traditionally white venues in the 1960s broke down racial barriers and paved the way for future acts to follow.
As each woman ventured on to her own solo career, you couldn't help but see bits of the Supreme's unapologetic feminine style influence their individual fashion choices. Here, the girls dazzle in hand-embellished gowns and graphic makeup.
Diahann Carroll
Diahann Carroll made waves in the 1960s and 1970s across film, television, and even the stage. Born in the Bronx on July 17, 1935, Carroll skyrocketed to popularity with the starring role in Julia, the groundbreaking American TV series chronicling the life of a Black professional woman.
As for her style, the leading lady donned it all, from leather jackets and tweed shorts to glitzy, gemstone-embellished gowns. Posing for a studio portrait in the late 1960s, Carroll playfully fans out her flowing white dress.
Cicely Tyson
The first Black woman to receive an honorary Academy Award, Cicely Tyson actually started her career as a fashion model in the 1950s after a fashion editor at Ebony magazine scouted her on the streets. Tyson went on to become the face of the Black is Beautiful movement in the 1960s, appearing on countless magazine covers. It wasn't long after that she starred in the 1963 drama series East Side/West Side, becoming the first Black woman to play the leading role in a television show.
From her appearances on the red carpets of the Academy Awards and Emmys to her strolls through the city, Tyson's style was carefully thought out with attention to every detail. Here, the actress hits the streets of London in a full-length fur coat and paisley blouse for an impactful yet casual look.
Donna Summer
Donna Summer, the Queen of Disco, captivated the world when she came onto the scene in the 1970s with her powerful voice, flashy wardrobe, and colorful makeup. Born on December 31, 1948, in Boston, Summer's music repertoire blends funk, rock, and gospel to create a one-of-kind sound. Here, she's photographed performing for a packed crowd in New York City wearing a princess-line dress with a glittering bodice and feather pinned in her cascading hair.
Lena Horne
Lena Horne, born in Brooklyn, was a nightclub and recording star who achieved fame in the '50s. Horne was the first Black woman to sign a long-term contract with a Hollywood studio (MGM), and she was active in the civil rights protests and marches of the '60s. Here, she arrives at a premiere in 1964, elegantly dressed in a winter coat, turban, and gloves.
Iman
The supermodel was born in Somalia and lived in both Saudi Arabia and Egypt throughout childhood, thanks to her diplomat parents. She was studying political science when she was first approached by photographer Peter Beard in Nairobi.
Iman was instrumental in demanding equal pay for models of color within the industry. Photographed here in 1975 in New York City, Iman's effortless style is on display, as she paired a turtleneck with a striped kaftan.
Aretha Franklin
The Queen of Soul was known for her powerhouse voice and timeless sense of style—she was the master of chic combinations of separates—and also her ability to rock an evening gown when performing. Several of Franklin's songs, like her famous "Respect," demanded equality through their lyrics, and she was active in civil rights work. Here, she was photographed while recording her rendition of "The Weight" at Atlantic Studios.
Angela Davis
Born in 1944 in Birmingham, Alabama, to schoolteacher parents, Angela Davis has been active in justice for Black prisoners from the '60s onward. Davis is currently a professor emerita at the University of California at Santa Cruz and has authored several books on race and politics, including Women, Race & Class and Women, Culture, and Politics. Here, she is photographed in May of 1975.
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald was a formidable jazz singer who toured the world and became a household name in the process. She won an impressive 13 Grammy awards and sold more than 40 million albums.
Along the way, the First Lady of Song and her manager refused to accept discrimination at hotels, concert venues, or restaurants. Fitzgerald was also an advocate for disadvantaged youths, supporting and donating to organizations fighting for child welfare.
Beverly Johnson
Before appearing as the first Black woman on the cover of American Vogue in August 1974 or the cover of French Elle in 1975, Beverly Johnson studied criminal justice at Northeastern University. Johnson tried her hand at modeling while on summer break, and the rest is history. She eventually appeared on more than 500 magazine covers, helping progress and widen the media's coverage of American beauty.
Billie Holiday
Known for her unique singing style, Billie Holiday got her start performing in nightclubs in Harlem. After recording with Benny Goodman and touring with Count Basie and Artie Shaw, Holiday became famous for her songs like "Strange Fruit" (a song condemning racism she sung at Café Society in 1939 in New York City and would close her shows with for the next 20 years), "Fine and Mellow," and "I Wished on the Moon." Holiday never let the fact that she had no formal training stop her from achieving her dreams.
Dorothy Dandridge
She broke ground as the first Black actress to be nominated for the Best Actress Academy Award in 1954 and starred in films such as Carmen Jones and Porgy and Bess. Dorothy Dandridge grew up in California with a mother who was also an actress and entertainer. Here, Dandridge casually poses in her California home the same year she was nominated for an Academy Award.
Josephine Baker
A world-famous performer, spy against the Nazis, and activist for the American civil rights movement, Missouri-born Josephine Baker was a force to be reckoned with. Known for her elaborate costumes, she spent most of her career in Paris but returned to the States and refused to play in segregated clubs, forcing owners to integrate audiences. She also promoted diversity within her own family, adopting 13 children from various countries.
Pat Cleveland
Born to a Swedish saxophonist and African American artist, the captivating and ethereal Pat Cleveland was raised in Harlem and took the fashion scene by storm in the '70s. In 1973, she was one of 10 Black models chosen for the Battle of Versailles, a runway show to raise money for the the Palace of Versailles's restoration that pitted five American designers against five French haute couture designers. It was a status quo–shifting event that had never seen so many models of color on the runway at one time.
Eartha Kitt
She studied at the New York School of Performing Arts, was a nightclub-singing phenomenon in Paris, and starred opposite Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis, Jr. Eartha Kitt was beloved for her charm and femininity and was once called "the most exciting woman alive" by actor-director Orson Welles. Kitt was outspoken against American soldiers dying in the Vietnam War, despite the negative effect to her career because of the comments.
Donyale Luna
Donyale Luna helped revolutionize fashion and publishing as the first Black model to appear on the cover of British Vogue in 1966. Born in Detroit as Peggy Ann Freeman, Luna gave herself her new name as a teenager and was offered help finding modeling work in New York City by photographer David McCabe. She worked with the likes of Richard Avedon, modeled alongside Bob Dylan, and was in Andy Warhol's inner circle.
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