1. CHARLES HARBISON
FOUNDER / CREATIVE DIRECTOR
HARBISON
This former womenswear designer for Michael Kors studied textiles, fine arts and painting at North Carolina State University before traveling abroad to absorb as much knowledge as possible about central Asian textiles. It paid off. The 32-year-old’s audience ballooned when Beyoncé wore a Harbison original to a New York Fashion Week show for Kanye West’s adidas
2. KERBY JEAN-RAYMOND PYER MOSS
New York Fashion Week had never experienced anything quite like the Pyer Moss Spring 2016 show in September. Designer Kerby Jean-Raymond opened with a 15-minute video filled with graphic footage of police brutality, including the chokehold death of Eric Garner. Once the models emerged on the runway, the mood stayed serious.
3. MIKO BRANCH
CEO
MISS JESSIES
For many naturalistas, Miss Jessie’s hair products are a balm for curls, kinks and coils. For founder Branch, they’re an homage to the homegrown creations of her grandmother, the original Miss Jessie. Following the death of her sister and business partner Titi in December 2014, Branch once again had to tap into an ancestral legacy of tenacity. This year, she released her memoir, Miss Jessie's: Creating a Successful Business from Scratch—Naturally, to share how she helped to usher in a self-love revolution for Black hair.
4. GABI GREGG
STYLE BLOGGER / FASHION EDITOR / BRAND CONSULTANT / SWIMWEAR DESIGNER
Since 2008, Gabi Gregg has worked tirelessly to empower so-called plus-size women via her site, GabiFresh.com. The wildly popular style blogger doesn’t just acknowledge the fashion needs of this typically ignored demographic; she celebrates them with body-positive photos that celebrate curves with luxurious, sexy threads. She was consulted by Target to help rethink, revamp and relaunch its plus-size debut line, Ava+Viv, and she partnered with Swimsuits for All to create the GabiFresh for SwimSexy collection.
