Fashion Revolutionaries: Four Black Women Trailblazing The Industry
As the end of Black History Month unfolds and Women's History Month approaches, we at Strike want to take a moment to spotlight the trailblazing black women who have work that has graced the forefront of the fashion industry but have also reshaped it from behind the scenes. In an industry criticized for lacking diversity, icons like Pat McGrath, Lacy Redway, Gabriela Karefa-Johnson, and Chioma Nnadi break barriers daily and deserve their flowers now!
Image Courtesy: Leibowitz Pictures Team
Pat McGrath
When you think of makeup, Pat McGrath should be the first name that comes to mind, as she has been championing inclusive beauty standards for over 25 years.
McGrath, born in Northampton, England, was first discovered when presenter Janice Long noticed her bold makeup style, with lipstick applied to her eyes, lips, and cheeks. Long was intrigued and asked McGrath to perform the same makeup on her. Soon after, at just 18 years old, she would move to London to do makeup for Soul II Soul, a British music group. Afterward, McGrath began collaborating with publications such as The Face and i-D. She worked alongside icon Edward Enniful, the youngest fashion director for i-D. McGrath contributed makeup to Enniful's striking editorial shoots during an era when makeup was viewed as either a grunge fad or simply non-existent. Her work is more famously known on the runway, as she has done makeup for designers such as John Galliano and Alexander McQueen.
In 1999, she worked for Giorgio Armani, creating a more exclusive shade range. In 2004, she was employed by Proctor and Gamble as the Global Cosmetics Creative Design Director. In 2014, she launched her makeup brand, Pat McGrath Labs, one of the world's biggest-selling beauty product lines, racking in $1 billion. In 2014, she also became the first makeup artist to be made a Dame Commander of the British Empire for contributions to fashion and beauty.
McGrath's dedication to the fashion and beauty industry has been outstanding. Whether it's her skill in matching foundation flawlessly or her iconic application of the signature red lip, she has made high fashion accessible to people from diverse backgrounds.
Image Courtesy: Mei Tao
Lacy Redway
Born in Jamaica, Lacy Redway is a hairstylist based in New York and LA. At just 11, Redway began working on hair. After her family emigrated from Jamaica, she worked in salons throughout high school and college. She soon realized that hair could be a feasible career, especially one that could get her into the fashion world. Pre-Instagram, Redway had a feeling that social media was her best bet at marketing herself, creating platforms on MySpace, Modelmayhem, and Black Hair Media when soon, she was getting clients from people all over the world and big names in the fashion industry were noticing.
After studying at The Aveda Institute in Manhattan, her career quickly went off, and she became a high-demand hair stylist for her proficiency in all hairstyles and textures.
Redway has an A-list client list, including Tracee Ellis Ross, Tessa Thompson, Malala Yousafzai, Anne Hathaway, Taylor Russell, Laura Harrier, Hunter Schafer, Sarah Paulson, and Elizabeth Olsen, among many others. She has worked for designers behind the runway, such as Christian Siriano and LaQuan Smith, and styled shoots for publications like Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, and ELLE. She has worked with brands like Shea Moisture, Tresemme, and even The Sims 4, creating an in-game sim that is a hair consultant inspired by her.
"As a hairstylist, I don't think you can truly consider yourself the best unless you can really cater to everyone," said Redway in an interview with Glamour. Redway's dedication to celebrating and nurturing the natural beauty of black hair has empowered overlooked models and prompted the industry to confront its biases and shortcomings, opening doors for stylists to understand all hair types better.
Image Courtesy: Target
Gabriella Karefa-Johnson
Another one of those high-profile names that Lacy Redway has been a hairstylist for is none other than Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, a fashion editor and stylist.
This Sierra Leonean American is a New York-based stylist who attended Barnard College, a women's college attached to Columbia University, and graduated with a degree in Art History. During college, she was a fashion intern for Allure, Vogue, ELLE, and WWD, and after graduating, she became a fashion assistant for Vogue.
As an assistant, she would befriend models on shoots like Gigi and Bella Hadid, gaining followers on Instagram because they would repost her content. As her following rose, so did her titles, going from Assistant to Associate to Editor in 4 years.
While working for Vogue, she became a fashion editor for Garage Magazine and quickly became the fashion director. In 2021, she became the first black woman to style a cover of Vogue and become the Global Contributing Fashion Editor at Large.
Not only is she a stylist for several publications, but she has styled runways for her close friends, such as Philosophy, Altuzarra, Gigi Hadid's brand, Guest in Residence, and others.
Although no longer working for Vogue, Karefa-Johnson has left an impeccable mark, styling 13 international covers featuring Serena Williams, Paloma Elsesser, Kamala Harris, and Amanda Gorman. Her ability to straddle multiple roles and platforms speaks to her creative ingenuity and inspires future black women and stylists.
Image Courtesy: Chioma Nnadi’s Instagram
Chioma Nnadi
Another major Vogue contributor is Chioma Nnadi. She studied at the University of Manchester and has a degree in English Language and Literature/Letters. She began her career as a features writer for the London paper Evening Standard. She then moved to New York to work as a style writer for Trace and The Fader.
In 2010, she began working for Vogue and climbed her way up the ladder to becoming the first black woman to become editor of Vogue.com. While at Vogue, she did cover stories with celebrities such as Cara Delevigne, Angelina Jolie, and Timothee Chalamet. In February 2023, she worked with Vogue to launch a podcast called The Runthrough with her co-host Chole Malle.
Following Edward Enniful's departure as editor-in-chief of British Vogue, it was announced that Chioma Nnadi would be assuming leadership. Although with a different title, Nnadi will still oversee all content in British Vogue as the head of editorial content. This would make her the first woman of color to hold senior leadership at Vogue globally.
In an interview with the Guardian, she said, "Things have changed a lot. When I started out, there was one other Black person working in the building, and we both went to the same college. It wasn't the same place it is now." As a woman who became many firsts for Vogue, she has done so much for the publication and the fashion world; she has opened many doors for future generations. Her leadership and legacy remain rampant, and we are excited to see what she does for her first issue of British Vogue.
As we continue to celebrate black women outside their respective months, we praise the impact and contributions of Pat McGrath, Lacy Redway, Gabriella Karefa Johnson, and Chioma Nnadi to the ever-evolving fashion sphere.
Strike Out,
Morgann Rhule
Boca Raton
Morgann (yes with 2 n’s) is the Web Director and a content writer for Strike Magazine. Her best friends describe her as a shopaholic bookworm who gives the best advice. Born in Jamaica, she wears it proudly with a beaded red, green, and gold necklace she never takes off. You can reach her on insta @morgannrhule or email morgannrhule@gmail.com
