As with any culture, it is critical for the new generations to know who were the initiators of that specific culture. In terms of fashion, when individuals think of ethnic designers they automatically assume that it all began with hip-hop but that could not be further from the truth. While Russell Simmons, Sean Combs, and Shawn Carter were brand owners in urban fashion they were not fashion designers. The first Black man that gained commercial success as a designer and fashion entrepreneur was none other than Willi Smith. In 1976, he founded his own clothing company, WilliWear, and became the most profound designer of his time. With his creative wit and passion for sleek style, Willi was able to steer WilliWear into a direction where the clothing label grossed $25 million dollars per year. That was in 1986. Unfortunately almost one year later, in 1987, he passed away and was not able to witness the milestone he was setting for world culture. There are assumptions of what caused his death but none are fact, so out of respect for this amazing man I won't make a false claim.
Check out his obituary in the NY Times here.
