LaQuan Smith (born August 30, 1988) is an American fashion designer and founder and chief executive officer of womenswear clothing brand LaQuan Smith, LLC. He is based in New York City.
LaQuan Smith (born August 30, 1988) is an American fashion designer and founder and chief executive officer of womenswear clothing brand LaQuan Smith, LLC. He is based in New York City.
Smith was born on August 30, 1988, in Queens, New York. As he grew up, he developed a passion for fashion and design. He further developed his passion at the age of 13 when his grandmother passed on her old Singer sewing machine for him to use. From there, he began regularly designing and creating garments. In 2007, he graduated from Glasgow High School in Delaware. [1] Shortly after he began his career in fashion. [2]
In 2005, Smith applied to the Fashion Institute of Technology, as well as Parsons School of Design, but was not accepted. [3] Smith then began interning at the New York magazine BlackBook in 2007, working for celebrity fashion stylist Elizabeth Sulcer. [3] He would attend events by pretending to be a BlackBook editor. In 2008, he created his self-titled designer brand. [4]
In February 2010, he made his New York Fashion Week debut at the Society of Illustrators headquarters in Upper East Side. The audience for Smith's 'Water Goddess' show included fashion press, buyers, and celebrities. Specifically, the Vogue editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley, [5] Vogue style director Alexandra Kotur, Janice Combs, Misa Hylton, Justin Tranter, and lawyer L. Londell McMillan. He later presented a Spring-Summer Collection in September 2010.[ citation needed ]
Smith's collection for the 2011 New York Fashion Week was showcased in the Gramercy Ballroom at the Peninsula Hotel. The collection, titled 'A Story Book Path', was inspired by Marie Antoinette, Cruella De Vil, and Queen Elizabeth I. Notable guests included Andre Leon Talley, Diane von Furstenberg, George Malkemus, Sandra Bernhard, Lorenzo Martone, Marcus Samuelsson, and L. Londell McMillan. [6] Models walking in the show included Cassie Ventura, Deborah Cox, Jaslene Gonzalez, Serena Williams, [7] [8] Rihanna, [9] [10] Kim Kardashian, Nicki Minaj, and Christina Milian.[ citation needed ] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]
For the February 2022 New York Fashion Week, Smith paid tribute to his mentor, Andre Leon Talley, by showcasing a glamour-styled event. The show featured Julia Fox and exhibited models wearing high-heels, red sequined dresses, faux fur corsets, cut-out frocks, gold leggings, miniskirts, and Lurex. [25]
Since LaQuan Smith was a child, he sought comfort in the female figures that have been present in his life. As a young gay man who was self-described as "very flamboyant" [26] therefore growing up in the traditional social setting of Queens, New York proved to be a difficult experience. The young designer was often reminded of his differences in the form of teasing from his male peers. [26] His grandfather, George A. Smith, disapproved of Smith's non-traditional interests, noting his desire for Smith to played football and after that not working out, "it was basketball, then a baseball glove." [27] Luckily, not everyone in Smith's life shared the anti-design sentiment that he faced during his early life; many female friends around him served as a point of encouragement to keep pursuing his dream. [26] Thus, he did not allow himself to be discouraged from working with clothing. [26]
In fact, clothing design was such an integral part of Smith's life that the very first runway show he ever created debuted while Smith was still in middle school. [28] Similarly, the women in his family had a large impact on his confidence as a designer and he largely credits them for much of his inspiration. [26] That can be seen today in the fact that he continues to produce his clothing right in his hometown of Queens, New York. [29] Smith, who learned to sew from his grandmother, [30] took the female energy of empowerment that was given to him while growing up and channeled it into his creations. This is evident in every collection he presents [31] where emphasis on highlighting the female body has become a signature through figure-hugging catsuits, tailored jackets, and revealing cut-out dresses which he reimagines each season in a multitude of fabrics. Smith's dedication and unique perspective on his craft paid off after receiving media coverage from his first celebrity client. While perusing a tabloid section in 2010, Smith was surprised to see Lady Gaga wearing a pair of his leggings. [30] From there, his list of notable clientele has continued to grow and includes names such as Khloe Kardashian, Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner, Beyonce and most recently Vice-President and Presidential candidate Kamala Harris at the 2024 CBC dinner. [32] [33] [34] [35]
A supermodel is a highly paid fashion model who has a worldwide reputation and background in haute couture and commercial modeling. The term became popular in the 1990s. Supermodels usually work for prominent fashion designers and clothing brands. They may have multimillion-dollar contracts, endorsements, and campaigns. Supermodels have branded themselves as household names and worldwide recognition is associated with their modeling careers. They have been on the covers of leading fashion magazines. Claudia Schiffer stated in 2007 that, "In order to become a supermodel one must be on all the covers all over the world at the same time so that people can recognise the girls."
Thomas Carlyle Ford is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched his eponymous brand in 2005, having previously been the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Ford wrote and directed the films A Single Man (2009) and Nocturnal Animals (2016). From 2019 to 2022, he was chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Vogue, also known as American Vogue, is a monthly fashion and lifestyle magazine that covers style news, including haute couture fashion, beauty, culture, living, and runway. It is part of the global collection of Condé Nast's VOGUE media.
John Charles Galliano,, is a British fashion designer. He was the creative director of his eponymous label John Galliano and French fashion houses Givenchy and Dior. Since 2014, Galliano has been the creative director of Paris-based fashion house Maison Margiela. Galliano has been named British Designer of the Year four times. In a 2004 poll for the BBC, he was named the fifth most influential person in British culture.
Diane von Fürstenberg is a Belgian fashion designer best known for her wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence in 1969 when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon von Fürstenberg. Following their separation in 1972 and divorce in 1983, she has continued to use his family name.
Givenchy is a French luxury fashion and perfume house. It hosts the brand of haute couture and ready-to-wear clothing, accessories, perfumes and cosmetics of Parfums Givenchy. The house of Givenchy was founded in 1952 by designer Hubert de Givenchy and is a member of Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture et du Prêt-à-Porter. It is currently owned by luxury conglomerate LVMH.
Marc Jacobs is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for his own fashion label, Marc Jacobs, and formerly Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, which was produced for approximately 15 years, before it was discontinued after the 2015 fall/winter collection. At its peak, it had over 200 retail stores in 80 countries. He was the creative director of the French design house Louis Vuitton from 1997 to 2014. Jacobs was on Time magazine's "2010 Time 100" list of the 100 most influential people in the world, and was #14 on Out magazine's 2012 list of "50 Most Powerful Gay Men and Women in America". He married his longtime partner Charly Defrancesco on April 6, 2019.
André Leon Talley was an American fashion journalist, stylist, creative director, author, and editor-at-large of Vogue magazine. He was the magazine's fashion news director from 1983 to 1987, its first African-American male creative director from 1988 to 1995, and then its editor-at-large from 1998 to 2013. Often regarded as a fashion icon, he was known for supporting emerging designers and advocating for diversity in the fashion industry; while the capes, kaftans, and robes he wore became his trademark look. Talley also served on the judging panel for America's Next Top Model.
Pierre Balmain S.A., trading as Balmain, is a French luxury fashion house that was founded by Pierre Balmain (1914–1982) in 1945.
Derek Charles Blasberg is an American writer, socialite, and fashion industry personality. He led the fashion and beauty partnerships division at YouTube from 2018 to 2022.
Christian Vincent Siriano is an American fashion designer and member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). Siriano first gained attention after winning the fourth season of American design competition show Project Runway in 2007, becoming the series' youngest winner. He launched his eponymous Christian Siriano collection in 2008, which brought in revenue of over $1.2 million by 2010 and was estimated to have reached $5 million by 2012.
Alexander Wang is an American fashion designer. Wang launched his eponymous fashion brand in 2005 and came to prominence after being awarded the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2008. He is known for his urban-inspired designs and use of black.
Davit Komakhidze known as David Koma is a Georgian fashion designer based in London, England.
Kendall Nicole Jenner is an American model, media personality, and socialite. She rose to fame in the reality television show Keeping Up with the Kardashians, in which she starred for 20 seasons and nearly 15 years from 2007 to 2021. The success of the show led to the creation of multiple spin-off series including Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami (2009), Kourtney and Kim Take New York (2011), Khloé & Lamar (2011), Rob & Chyna (2016) and Life of Kylie (2017). Following the decision to end their reality show, in 2022 she and her family starred in the reality television series The Kardashians on Hulu.
Marc Bouwer is a fashion designer and costume designer based in New York City. He is a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America
The Met Gala, formally called the Costume Institute Benefit, is the annual haute couture fundraising festival held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in Manhattan. The Met Gala is popularly regarded as the world's most prestigious and glamorous fashion event. Fashion stars and models are able to express themselves by their fit according to the theme and social gathering. The event is known as "fashion's biggest night"; an invitation is highly sought after. Personalities who are perceived to be culturally relevant to contemporary society amongst various professional spheres, including fashion, film, television, music, theater, business, sports, social media and politics, are invited to attend the Met Gala, organized by the fashion magazine Vogue. The entry price for one ticket has risen to US$75,000 in 2024, an increase from $50,000 in 2023, to attend the annual gala in the world's principal financial center and fashion capital, New York City.
Jelena Noura "Gigi" Hadid is an American fashion model and television personality. In 2016, she was named International Model of the Year by the British Fashion Council. Throughout her career, Hadid has made at least 50 appearances in international Vogue. Models.com ranks her as one of the "New Supers." Since 2017, Hadid has been one of the highest-paid models in the world, earning $20 million.
Isabella Khair Hadid is an American fashion model. Throughout her career, Hadid, has made 35 appearances on international Vogue covers. In 2022, she was named Model of the Year by the British Fashion Council. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world on its annual list in 2023.
August Getty is an American fashion designer and founder of the fashion brand August Getty Atelier.
Steven Khalil is an Australian bridal and red carpet fashion designer, known for his bridal and red carpet gowns. Khalil launched his own fashion brand in 2003, 'Steven Khalil', and has since gained popularity. His designs have been worn by many Australian and International celebrities such as Samantha Jade, Giuliana Rancic, Dannii Minogue, Ariel Winter, Jessica Mauboy, Paula Abdul, Kylie Jenner, Khloe Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Jennifer Lopez, Kelly Preston, Emily Ratajkowski, Carrie Underwood, Princess Olympia of Greece, Georgia Fowler and Jesinta Campbell.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)