LaQuan Smith
Founder & Designer, LaQuan Smith
The designer’s long journey through the fashion industry has been seen as a template for independent designers who hope to find success in establishing their own brands.
LaQuan Smith is the founder and designer of his namesake brand, known for glamorous, skin-baring party wear favoured by a deep roster of celebrity clientele.
After he was denied admission by FIT and Parsons, Smith struck out on his own, introducing the world to "LaQuan Smith 3D leggings” in 2013, which soon began appearing on celebrities like Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian and Lady Gaga. His fan base spread from there, buffeted by lively New York Fashion Week shows, endorsements by key stockists such as Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue, and collaborations with brands like Asos and Puma.
Smith’s days as an industry outsider are long over. In 2022, he was nominated for a CFDA Award for American Womenswear Designer of the Year. Today, his unusual path to acclaim is seen as a template for independent designers who hope to find success while controlling their own fate.
“Everything that I have done from the very beginning has been unconventional; it hasn’t been the proper formula for how to be successful in fashion,” Smith said on the BoF VOICES stage in 2018.
VITAL STATISTICS
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At RaiseFashion, Positioning BIPOC Fashion Designers for Strategic Growth
BoF sits down with five New York-based BIPOC designers taking part in the second iteration of Raisefashion’s Brand Fellowship programme, to hear about their entrepreneurial experience in the fashion capital and how the non-profit is helping them prepare for success.
At RaiseFashion, Positioning BIPOC Fashion Designers for Strategic Growth
BoF sits down with five New York-based BIPOC designers taking part in the second iteration of Raisefashion’s Brand Fellowship programme, to hear about their entrepreneurial experience in the fashion capital and how the non-profit is helping them prepare for success.
At NYFW, an Unapologetically Black Runway
Some creatives say a tougher environment has spurred them to be more emboldened in their work — and to care less about waiting for fashion’s gatekeepers to open doors.
At NYFW, an Unapologetically Black Runway
Some creatives say a tougher environment has spurred them to be more emboldened in their work — and to care less about waiting for fashion’s gatekeepers to open doors.
8 Key Takeaways From New York Fashion Week
What people were talking about, who went viral and why it matters.
8 Key Takeaways From New York Fashion Week
What people were talking about, who went viral and why it matters.
Direct-to-Community Designers in New York
Some of the most interesting designers showing in New York summon energy from fans and collaborators who push them to turning points more important than jaded editors.
Direct-to-Community Designers in New York
Some of the most interesting designers showing in New York summon energy from fans and collaborators who push them to turning points more important than jaded editors.
The BoF Podcast: Bethann Hardison, Kerby Jean-Raymond, LaQuan Smith and Patrick Robinson: ‘We’ve Had Diversity, but Then It Disappeared’
The creatives spoke about the barriers that black designers face and how a new generation is finding success outside the fashion system.
The BoF Podcast: Bethann Hardison, Kerby Jean-Raymond, LaQuan Smith and Patrick Robinson: ‘We’ve Had Diversity, but Then It Disappeared’
The creatives spoke about the barriers that black designers face and how a new generation is finding success outside the fashion system.
American Fashion on the Cusp of Change: Bethann Hardison, Kerby Jean-Raymond, LaQuan Smith and Patrick Robinson
At BoF’s VOICES, the creatives spoke about the barriers that black designers face and how a new generation is finding success outside the fashion system.
American Fashion on the Cusp of Change: Bethann Hardison, Kerby Jean-Raymond, LaQuan Smith and Patrick Robinson
At BoF’s VOICES, the creatives spoke about the barriers that black designers face and how a new generation is finding success outside the fashion system.
What is The BoF 500?
The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.
