Fashion has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Sunday nights were reserved for flipping through Black hair magazines, searching for the perfect hairstyle to wear to school the next day. My mom always had a stack of Jet magazines, and even though I was too young to care about most of the articles, I’d still skim through them, taking in the photos and celebrity features.
Surprisingly, at one point, I thought I’d grow up to write for Essence magazine—the articles, the photoshoots, the way they covered style and culture felt like something I wanted to be a part of. And then there was my first fashion show in middle school—Fashion Fair. Do you remember that? The glamour, the models, the music—it was my first real glimpse of the power of Black fashion, and I was hooked.
Looking back, all of those moments—the magazines, the music videos, the fashion shows—led me to attend fashion design school and eventually launch AutumLove.com. But here’s the thing—none of this would exist without the Black creatives who paved the way. From the streets to the runway, Black culture has shaped fashion in ways we see every day, even if it doesn’t always get the credit it deserves.
So, in honor of Black History Month, let’s talk about the moments, icons, and trends that changed fashion forever.
