Archives editor Tonya Blazio-Licorish has spent a particular amount of time throughout her role at PMC Media Archives rifling through historic imagery and stories. At the longstanding company that owns WWD, the visual culture historian tells me there was a light bulb moment that led to the creation of the book Black in Fashion: 100 Years of Style, Influence & Culture. In her own words, that pivotal moment pushed her to chase the ideal of creating a book that didn’t exist: one that charts the progression of African Americans and their ongoing relationship with fashion. She did just that with the assistance of the iconic publishing house she has worked at for years. Though she is a New Orleans native, she tells me that New York City has been the bulk of where she’s spent her life since the 1990s.
Black in Fashion: 100 Years of Style, Influence & Culture is an intimate and well-researched look at the symbiotic partnership between stylish figures and the moments they’ve lived through. When reading a copy of it weeks ago, what sticks out is how keen WWD has always been at disseminating news, features, profiles, and more of people closely affiliated with the origins of the fashion industry. The publication would report on isolated moments central to the DNA of the market: labor movements, breaking news, and figures such as Josephine Baker were covered by WWD as early as the 1910s and 1920s.
Through the dedication and grit of Blazio-Licorish, the book came to life and showcased substantial periods of growth for Black designers and businesses over distinct periods. Take for example WWD and its embrace of designers such as Willi Smith, Stephen Burrows, and Arthur McGee. The book includes a story clip shown in the book titled “The American Spirit of ‘73,” the piece centered these figures in a manner that was a precursor for the ongoing traction Black designers would relish in for decades, and even the present. But it also championed them as the faces of the American fashion industry, which was a rarity.
The idea of dreaming up an extensive book charting decades of Black fashion history is an homage to the unheard voices and the figures who paved their journeys over the course of their lives. A throughline I pick up on is that visual storytelling also drives forth a unique narrative; it strengthens the text by Tonya and her co-writer Tara Donaldson too.
“I’m constantly impressed by the paper’s documentation, and it is impressive, the amount of coverage WWD had, and we didn’t even put everything in the book,” Tonya shared over a Zoom call. Eras covered include 1910s-1920s, the 1930s, the 1940s, the 1950s, the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s, 2000s-2010s and the 2020s. What Black in Fashion captures is the spirit of resilience that WWD documented as the American textile industry was growing decades ago. Tonya spoke with countless modern designers too, including the lauded Tracy Reese and new age creators: Sergio Hudson, Aaron Potts, Felisha Noel, and more. “There is no book that culminates us in [this] way. I mean, you know, it is a coffee table book, but at the same time it’s an [important] reference that can stand the test of time,” Tonya said.
Reese, a Parsons graduate and noteworthy figure in American design who launched her namesake company in 1998, wrote the forward for Black in Fashion. Blazio-Licorish explains that Reese “is the voice of the future” and that she is creating what the industry needs. During this point of our conversation, Tonya expresses that Reese’s trajectory is comparable to Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and Donna Karan. Getting her insights into the book was important due to the longevity of Reese and her designs. She adds that the fact that Tracy knew who she was even decades ago is the key to her power. “She knows what her brand is and who her brand is for,” Tonya shared.
Building the book and transforming it into digestible archival content meant that the author had to go back to and reflect on significant moments in Black history. “To go back at the beginning for me, finding all of that information, and curating it, you start to see the connections.” One such connection consisted of Josephine Baker and her influential timeline which spawned a figure like Rihanna. “There’s always a story before the story, and I think that WWD did a really good job looking at the entertainment sector.”
Due to the unique position WWD sat at, the book is broken up by decades. It traces moments covered by the trade publication and also features mini articles throughout. Businesses and titans within the fashion industry are also covered, spanning the distinct time they’re associated with. Blazio-Licorish says the book follows the ebb and flow of the fashion market and the businesses that were created as time stretched on.
One time period that sticks out is the 1980s. Described as a bit removed from the “free-flowing success” of the 1970s, during this period the trade publication covered quite a bit, including centering individuals who are offering compelling takes on design, in the retail business, and beyond. Black in Fashion documents how in 1987 the industry is mourning the loss of designer Willi Smith–in January 1988, Patrick Kelly, renowned for his playful clothing, sold the worldwide rights to his women’s ready-to-wear, according to a previous WWD report. Notably, by 1989 B Michael debuted his eponymous signature collection. Separately, the Black Retail Action Group, also known as BRAG, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 1989.
Household names such as changemakers Bethann Hardison, who founded the Black Girls Coalition with Iman in 1988, and André Leon Talley, the iconic figure who was the first Black Paris bureau chief at WWD are featured too. Blazio-Licorish mentions that she feels what is important about the book is also how it allows readers to get to know the designers who are often not looked at intimately. Designers who breathed life into the fashion industry in the 1980s, Lester Hayatt, Willi Smith, and Gordon Henderson each are covered in the book. Hayatt, a Parsons graduate who subverted ideals placed on maternity clothing and camouflage–Black in Fashion pinpoints how this key figure once had a shop at the Herald Square location of Macy’s. Henderson is often associated with being the first Black designer to win the Perry Ellis award for New Talent at the 1989 CFDA Awards (he also cut his teeth designing at Calvin Klein before launching his namesake label).
Women who haven’t received rightful recognition for their contributions to American fashion at large are uncovered as well. Ann Lowe, a designer who poured into her atelier decades ago, gets her due in the book; an article on her ran in the publication in November 1960. Lois K. Alexander Lane, the founder of the Harlem School of Fashion in 1966 and the Black Fashion Museum in 1970, is also mentioned. National Association of Fashion and Accessory Designers, which was started in the 1950s, gets coverage by WWD too. The organization, which focused on inclusivity and representation of Black designers, featured members like Zelda Wynn Valdes (Valdes designed for Josephine Baker, Eartha Kitt, and more).
As for André, Blazio-Licorish mentions that he initially broke the story of Yves Saint Laurent’s jazz suit. In Black in Fashion, the book traces an article he wrote in 1979, “Fashion’s Showgirls” which featured supermodel Alva Chinn, an original Halstonette who went on to walk in the Battle of Versailles on behalf of designer Stephen Burrows.
That same year Leon Talley wrote a story featuring details about the rise of Hubert Givenchy’s house muses who were Black: Sandi Bass, Dianne Washington, Sandi Bass, and Lynn Watts. These women were referred to as the “all-Black cabine.” For the February 1979 cover of WWD, a now-historic image features Leon Talley, Givenchy, and the models at Givenchy’s atelier. After their debut at a presentation for the house, the women went on to walk in Paris, Milan, and Rome due to the demand that followed.
Additional significance is placed on Leon Talley as a disruptor within Black in Fashion. During his time at WWD he also conducted the last interview featuring Ada “Bricktop” Smith, a stylish Harlem social club owner and singer from Paris–she was known to don pieces by Schiaparelli.
“André would break a story [on] the jazz suit. This is one specific item that Yves Saint Laurent designed, and that would be a part of his collections from the mid-seventies forward. It’s a suit that he did often,” Tonya shared. “André was the first to talk about that story, and how it related to Yves Saint Laurent’s inspiration, the inspiration around jazz and the culture of Harlem and the Harlem Renaissance.”
Savants in the hip-hop and fashion industries become enmeshed together in the 1990s. Black in Fashion doesn’t shy away from delving into this period. “Hip-Hop: It’s Slammin,” is a feature cover on hip-hop sportswear in the women’s category. Spike Lee’s 40 Acres and a Mule label makes its debut in the piece. During this period brands including Karl Kani, Cross Colours, FUBU, Baby Phat and April Walker’s Walker Wear are acknowledged. Designer Shawna McGee receives coverage for their contributions. And so do stylists Misa Hylton and June Ambrose, both who are notable women within the hip-hop industry renowned for their concise and career-defining work on behalf of Lil’ Kim and Missy Elliott respectively. By 2000, streetwear has taken over, and by WWD it’s described as “inspired by Black voices and hip-hop street culture.”
As previously mentioned, designers of the moment such as Aaron Potts, Sergio Hudson, and Felisha Noel are featured toward the end of the book (Virgil Abloh, the late designer and founder of Off-White is also highlighted). The mentions of the present moments within the fashion market are of high importance–their inclusion offers an opportunity for readers to get familiar with them. Additionally, their space in the book highlights how figures throughout the history of the American fashion industry have paved the way for the present designers.
Wholly, Black in Fashion is a fitting culmination of the brightest moments within the industry. The happenings, figures, and momentous occasions spanning history are deserving of a spotlight. What Blazio-Licorish set out to do was well-needed–and she’s also accomplished creating a historical series of documents that readers can look to for discovery and inspiration.