Across the September 2025 Fashion Month, Black designers used the global runways to celebrate cultural heritage, sustainability and storytelling.  New York showcased a broad spectrum of talent—from Sergio Hudson’s polished tailoring to Theophilio’s Caribbean‑infused streetwear.  London highlighted diaspora narratives with Labrum London’s cultural osmosis, Tolu Coker’s filmic exploration of Black womanhood and Ahluwalia’s love‑themed collection.  Milan offered fewer Black voices, but Tokyo James’ Chaos collection stood out for its innovative tailoring and exploration of duality. While not every detail from Paris was available, the season made one thing clear: Black designers are shaping fashion’s future and commanding space on its most influential runways.

New York Fashion Week (NYFW)

11‑16 September 2025

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Sergio Hudson – Sergio Hudson (USA)

Hudson launched his namesake label in 2016.  The designer is known for refined tailoring and sophisticated womenswear; red‑carpet pieces and polished ready‑to‑wear have made him one of the most prominent American designers. His NYFW presentation emphasised animal prints and pencil skirts. The collection combined strong tailoring with glamour, continuing the designer’s reputation for modern power dressing.

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LaQuan Smith – LaQuan Smith (USA)

Smith is celebrated for body‑conscious designs that merge athleisure and high glamour.  His consistent runway presence has made him a celebrity favourite; stars such as Usher, Serena Williams and Teyana Taylor have worn his work. Smith returned to NYFW with a show defined by daring silhouettes, where figure-hugging designs and innovative sportswear took centre stage.

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Rachel Scott – Diotima (Jamaican‑born)

Rachel Scott founded Diotima in 2021. The brand fuses artisanal techniques and Caribbean influences, creating luxury garments centred on craftsmanship. Textures and hand‑worked elements were focal points of her NYFW presentation. She showcased crocheted dresses, mesh knits and tailored pieces in earthy tones, underlining the brand’s commitment to slow fashion and Caribbean heritage.

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Edvin Thompson – Theophilio (Jamaican‑American)

Thompson’s label Theophilio blends his Jamaican heritage with New‑York street style, creating vibrant ready‑to‑wear.  He returned to the NYFW calendar after a hiatus. The show offered a vivid palette and culturally rich garments, mixing bright prints and slinky knitwear. Hairstylist Yusef Williams contributed to the presentation, emphasising beauty as part of the storytelling.

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House of Aama (Rebecca Henry & Akua Shabaka) – House of Aama (USA)

This mother‑daughter label explores historical and identity‑based themes.  The designers reinterpret folklore and vintage silhouettes through a contemporary lens. Their NYFW collection offered demure yet vibrant pieces, including floaty dresses with heritage prints and tailored separates embellished with lace and trims. The collection’s exploration of Black history resonated strongly with audiences.

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Keith Herron – Advisry (USA)

Herron’s brand, Advisry, is an emerging label known for conceptual, youth‑driven fashion.  His designs often combine streetwear and avant‑garde tailoring. At NYFW he presented bold yet comfortable pieces—oversized jackets, wide‑leg trousers and playful knitwear—that reflected a new wave of creative energy.

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Lanny Smith – Actively Black (USA)

Former professional basketball player Lanny Smith founded Actively Black, an athleisure brand that celebrates Black culture. The label seeks to empower underrepresented communities through sportswearActively Black closed New York Fashion Week with a cultural statement rather than a traditional runway. At Sony Hall, founder Lanny Smith staged a powerful tribute to Black history and creativity. Civil rights icons and cultural figures shared the stage with performances and tributes, underscoring the brand’s mission to fuse fashion with community, heritage, and impact.

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L’Enchanteur (Dynasty & Soull) – L’Enchanteur (USA)

The sibling duo behind L’Enchanteur are known for jewellery and apparel that tell spiritual stories through craft.  Their work is celebrated for intricate accessories and imaginative styling. At NYFW the brand returned with a presentation that integrated jewellery, crochet and knitwear, offering a dream‑like narrative. For its first runway show, L’Enchanteur took New York Fashion Week 20,000 leagues under the sea.

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Ib Kamara – Off‑White (Sierra Leone‑born)

Kamara, previously a stylist and editor, succeeded the late Virgil Abloh as creative director of Off‑White. His NYFW show united streetwear and high fashion, continuing Abloh’s tradition of cultural disruption.  The collection blended deconstructed tailoring with sportswear and offered a dynamic vision for the future of the house.

London Fashion Week (LFW)

13‑17 September 2025

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Foday Dumbuya – Labrum London (Sierra Leone‑born, London‑based)

Dumbuya founded Labrum in 2015 to tell stories of the West African and Caribbean diaspora through contemporary fashion.  He often collaborates with musicians and artists. His collection, titled Osmosis, celebrated cultural exchange. Cowrie shells appeared as prints, embellishments, and headpieces alongside sharp suiting, eveningwear, bomber jackets, and jogging pants in earthy browns, tans, and vivid reds and greens. Military references drew from West African and Caribbean marching bands as well as the British King’s Guard. The runway at Central Hall Westminster featured live music from the Balimaya Project, while passport-stamped blazers, braided rope details, and gilded embellishments referenced immigration and new beginnings. An Adidas collaboration introduced running gear and accessories.

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Tolu Coker – Tolu Coker (British‑Nigerian)

Coker is a multidisciplinary designer known for storytelling and documentation of Black identities.  She often works with film and photography. Coker eschewed a traditional runway and instead presented a film, Unfinished Business, starring Naomi Campbell.  The film explored motherhood, legacy and Black womanhood. Coker aimed to create heirloom pieces that evolve with the body, such as a collared corset‑style dress with double zip and flared skirt, tailored separates, bomber jackets and wide‑leg suit trousers.

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Priya Ahluwalia – Ahluwalia (British‑Indian‑Nigerian)

Founder Priya Ahluwalia is renowned for upcycling and for celebrating her Indian and Nigerian heritage.  She has won the LVMH Prize and is known for sustainable practices. Her collection, titled Affinity, investigated different facets of love. References ranged from Bollywood films and Shakespeare to Motown, Indian paintings, and Nigerian deities. The show featured draped fabrics, twisted details, fringing, and knots; recycled denim sets with laser-printed graphics; jacquard knits inspired by Nigerian head wraps; patterns drawn from the Taj Mahal; and pearl and marigold embellishments. A collaboration with Puma reworked the Suede sneaker in black and silver.

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Jawara Alleyne – Jawara Alleyne (Jamaican‑born)

Alleyne, a Central Saint Martins graduate, is part of Fashion East’s alumni and is known for his deconstructed tailoring and Caribbean influences. His collection explored the bittersweet feeling after carnival—known as “tabanca.” Punk-inspired cut-outs and layered garments expressed nostalgia, joy, and anticipation, while his signature asymmetry and raw energy remained central.

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Olivia Ozi‑Oiza Chance – OIZA (British‑Nigerian)

Chance launched her womenswear label OIZA in 2022.  The brand juxtaposes African and British cultures through hand‑stitched lace garments decorated with pearls, cowrie shells and floral motifs. OIZA continues to channel heritage through bold silhouettes and romantic details.

Milan Fashion Week (MFW)

17‑23 September 2025

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Tokyo James – Tokyo James (London‑born Nigerian)

Iniye Tokyo James has built his label around innovative tailoring that redefines African luxury.  He splits his time between Lagos and London and has shown in Lagos, London and Milan. His Milan show, titled Chaos, explored dualities—chaos versus order, fragility versus strength, tradition versus rebellion. The collection juxtaposed voluminous ruffles with sharp tailoring and deconstructed leather with fluid fabrics, with a palette of orange, red, black, and white dominating the runway. James collaborated with the cultural foundation Nahous to create five exclusive looks bridging African heritage with international luxury. Standout pieces included a structured leather jacket with shredded panels worn over a floor-length skirt, an ivory sculptural ruffle mini-dress edged in burnt sienna, beaded trousers paired with leather crochet accessories, and a textured suit finished with hand-beaded embellishments.

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Brett Johnson – Brett Johnson (USA)

Entrepreneur Brett Johnson aims to build a Black-owned ultra-luxury house. He launched his eponymous label abroad, focusing on markets in Milan, Paris, and Dubai where consumers value craftsmanship and longevity. Johnson partners with small Tuscan workshops to produce high-quality garments and bases his designs on heirloom tailoring, inspired by his father’s wardrobe. While specifics of his Milan show were not detailed, his commitment to craftsmanship, timeless design, and redefining who luxury is for was emphasised.