The Black Influence

 

    Fashion trends can be intentional and unintentional. Have you ever wondered where a certain trend or style comes from? There is always a backstory. I think of myself as a fashion historian in the making. Black culture has impacted the most popular styles of fashion even in modern times. 

1. Lettuce Hem

If you never noticed or knew the name of the detailing of this top it's called "lettuce hem." Designer Stephen Burrows invented the hem accidentally when he made a mistake for a request from Diana Vreeland in the 70's. It became popular during the disco era. This design started off as a misunderstanding but it became a style that is still being worn til this day. The lettuce hem has been manufactured by high-end and fast fashion brands.

2. Hoop Earrings

Hoop Earrings has become one of the most essential fashion accessories in history. It originated in Africa dating back to Nubia which is now named Sudan. It became a popular piece of jewelry for Egyptians, where both men and women wore them. In the 80's during the rise of rap and hip-hop culture, the size of hoops got thicker which developed into the style of bamboo and door knocker earrings. Today, hoop earrings comes in different varieties of shapes, colors, sizes, and styles.

    3. Nails

Acrylic nails were created in the US in 1950. The popularity of acrylic nails was influenced by celebrities like Diana Ross. In the 90's nail art and designs became a huge trend which is still universal. Creative nails are seen everywhere, from celebrities to fashion magazines. Nails have a long timeline of cultural impact by black communities.

4. Luxury

A Harlem fashion designer named Daniel Day, well known as Dapper Dan has helped merge luxury with streetwear.  In the 80's 'Dapper Dan' had his own clothing boutique and started using huge designer brands, such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci. He used those prints and applied them on clothes, furniture, and so much more. He created a space where he turned luxury goods into a urban feel and was creating things those brands had never done. During hip-hop culture, rappers like LL Cool J wore monogram prints on their clothing. Today, you can see how much Dapper Dan's influence and work with monogram trends impacted high-end companies and street wear culture.