History: Pioneers of Queer Black Fashion
Zindziswa Malanca
When we think about fashion and Blackness as concepts, there is always an emphasis placed on the role of history. Our cultures, clothes, hair, and accessories have a longstanding relationship with this history, one that is undeniably intertwined with oppression.
This article delves into the facet of Black culture pertaining to fashion. We will be looking at some pioneers of Black queer fashion and how their lives, struggles, and desires to make an impact have shaped what it means to be queer in the world of fashion and what it means to be LGBTQ+ in BIPOC spaces.
The LGBTQ+ community has led the race when it comes to fashion. While BIPOC have a long and spotty history with accepting queerness within their communities (mainly as a result of colonialism), we must acknowledge the roles that Black LGBTQ+-identifying individuals have had in creating safe queer spaces everywhere, including in fashion. We have to be mindful that while not identifying as cisgender and heterosexual always comes with discrimination in this world, even “safe” LGBTQ+ spaces were not always safe for LGBTQ+ Black individuals.
Fashion is about expression, freedom, and art. What we wear reflects how we see ourselves and how we see others. Black fashion has been, and often continues to be, scrutinized because of mentalities associated with colonial structures. White people were seen as the norm, the beauty standard, while BIPOC artistic expression was depicted as primitive or less meaningful. However, this is simply not true, and our clothes can enlighten someone about where we are from, to whom we owe allegiance, and what our history has entailed. Our hairstyles can do the same. Many African women brought over the Atlantic as enslaved people would braid grains of rice into their hair for food. This has massively changed the kinds of rice available in North America.
The LGBTQ+ community has borrowed a lot from BIPOC LGBTQ+ culture. Language (notably AAVE), accessories such as acrylic nails, and even mannerisms and dance moves typically associated with Black women have become symbols of the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. This is not inherently a bad thing; rather, it’s an opportunity to pay homage to the pioneers of Black LGBTQ+ fashion.
Being androgynous in appearance can be a form of rebellion for Black people, an escape from the constraints of gender to a realm of existence that allows people to simply be. Suppose we explore more contemporary individuals who embody the concepts of gender exploration and androgyny within fashion, such as ASAP Rocky, Jaden Smith, Willow Smith, Billy Porter, and Janelle Monáe, to name a select few. Androgyny is not the only arena where Blackness, fashion, and queerness collide. There is a delightful component to knowing that you can be masculine, feminine, androgynous, or simply yourself through what you wear.
These individuals rest on the shoulders of giants. Their ability to dress androgynously, and even to test the boundaries of fashion, was earned through a history of innovation. The fashion industry is the arena in which Black LGBTQ+ creators were—and are—free to exercise artistic liberty, show off their history, and petition for a more inclusive stage for future generations to do the same. Marsha P. Johnson, Glady Bentley, and Willi Ninja are some of the foundational individuals whose struggles with self-expression paved the way for us to be able to experience fashion free from constraints and fear, at least for the most part.
Marsha P. Johnson (1945–1992), a transgender rights activist and one of the key figures of the 1969 Stonewall riots, was a drag queen and petitioner for civil rights and the rights of HIV-positive individuals. She performed in the United States, and her legacy is a reminder that the LGBTQ+ community stands on the shoulders of Black trans women.
Gladys Bentley (1907–1960), a lesbian singer and performer famous for her “cross-dressing,” would perform in a top hat and tuxedo during times when it was highly uncommon for women to do so. She was celebrated as a fashion trailblazer in her community.
Willi Ninja (1961–2006) was a dancer and choreographer, famous for coining the iconic dance known as voguing. The dance moves, characterized by sharp angular gestures and exaggerated poses, became a staple on runways and catwalks worldwide. All of these have been incorporated both on a global fashion stage and in LGBTQ+ communities as a pop culture phenomenon.
We have a long way to go in improving our conceptions of what it means to be LGBTQ+ and Black. One thing is for sure: the LGBTQ+ community has made its mark on fashion, and that is largely thanks to the Black men and women (and everyone in between) who paved the way for us to discover ourselves in a new light.
Current creatives: Black models
Lulu Karra
Black models have been bringing their Black girl magic to fashion runways. Growing up watching the likes of Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks revolutionizing the runway, and now seeing Iman, Adut Akech, Duckie Thot (and more—the list is endless) opening and closing major shows is cause for appreciation and celebration. Being a sucker for everything fashion-related myself, it’s thrilling to see platforms filled with more Black models, Black art, Black magic, Black music—all of it. Better still, there is hope that this spring, more and more Black models will be featured — not only on runways but on magazine covers, in cosmetics, and in the fashion industry as a whole.
For the past few decades, the fashion industry has been characterized by a history of race superiority. Many Black models’ stories revealed their feelings of unappreciation, with their work being overlooked and outvoted. Recently, controversy arose surrounding British Vogue’s magazine feature of South Sudanese models. Many in the audience felt that Vogue, in their attempt to showcase these amazing models, made so many alterations that they showcased the version of Black models that they wanted for themselves and their cover, as opposed to showcasing who the models truly are, with their true complexions and authenticity.
Even so, efforts have been made within fashion industries to promote inclusivity, giving Black creatives a chance to redefine fashion, to be authentic, and to make fashion their own. Celebrating Black models’ accomplishments and achievements not only appreciates their talent; it shines a light for other aspiring Black creatives to keep on pushing, to believe in themselves and their abilities, to aim for the headlines, to be icons, to be more and more creative, and to know it is indeed possible to become anything. Today, I recognize and choose to celebrate all the Black beauties out there for being themselves and doing their best, and for making the runways and the fashion industry their own.
