Black History Month 2008 Fashion Trailblazers

• Black History Month 2008 Fashion Trailblazers

  Fashionista Past - Diana Ross
  Diana Ross has always wowed style watchers with her triumphant style. The singer and actresses' signature bouffant hair and body hugging, fashion-forward ensembles remain en vogue today. The Golden Globe winning, Oscar-nominated diva performed at the Costume Institute's Goddess exhibit for the cognoscenti in 2003 wearing a custom Gucci dress; she was featured in a MAC ad campaign in 2005 and, of course, was inspiration for Beyonce's character in the Academy Award-winning film Dreamgirls. (Photo: Frank Driggs Collection, Getty Images)

• Black History Month 2008 Fashion Trailblazers

  Fashionista Present - Andre Leon Talley
  As Editor-At-Large at glossy fashion bible, VOGUE, Andre Leon Talley is the most recognized Black man in fashion. Talley has used his influence to promote some of fashion's newest stars and his influence to critique designers for the lack of models of color on the runway. Last year, he curated a retrospective of Oscar fashion exhibited during the Academy Awards; he authored 'A.L.T.: A Memoir' and 'A.L.T.:365 ' and was the inspirationbehind the Academy Award-nominated 'The Devil Wear Prada' character, Nigel. (Photo: Francois Durand, Getty Images)

• Black History Month 2008 Fashion Trailblazers

  Fasionista Future - Andre J
  This bearded muse (yes, bearded) acquired international fame when he appeared on French VOGUE's cover last year with Estee Lauder model Carolyn Murphy. Not since RuPaul has a Black man wearing women's clothing shot to superstar status. While RuPaul was the first crossover pop singer, Andre "don't call me a drag queen" J stands crossover into mainstream fashion. Love him or hate him, he engenders a powerful response; in the least, he represents fashion's tenets of art and expression. (Photo: Bryan Bedder, Getty Images)

• Black History Month 2008 Fashion Trailblazers

  Model Past - Beverly Johnson
  Beverly Johnson was the first Black model on the cover of VOGUE in 1974 after appearing first on GLAMOUR's cover in 1971. Johnson graced GLAMOUR's cover six more times within the next two years-- their circulation doubled after her first time. Coined the "supergirl next door," she reappeared on VOGUE's cover in 1975. As the first to also appear on the cover of French ELLE, Johnson later became an actress and singer and was honored by Oprah Winfrey in her Legends Ball special for her success. (Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd., WireImage.com)

• Black History Month 2008 Fashion Trailblazers

  Model Present - Naomi Campbell
  Known for her athletic body and confident, always-imitated-never-duplicated stride, Campbell was one of the original members of the "supermodel" era in the early 1990s, becoming the first Black woman to appear on Vogue UK, Vogue Paris, Vogue Nippon and Time magazines. She's appeared on over 500 magazine covers, and released an album, two books and fragrances, appeared in film and television and championed great causes. She is currently writing for British GQ and in 2007, began scouting models in Kenya to open an agency there. (Photo: Francois Durand, Getty Images)

• Black History Month 2008 Fashion Trailblazers

  Model Future - Chanel Iman
  Chanel Iman, the 5'10 American beauty currently on February 2008 cover of Teen Vogue, first appeared on VOGUE's cover in May 2007, featuring the newest, hottest faces. Signed to the Ford agency at 12, then third-place runner-up in Ford's Supermodel of the Year contest at 15, Iman surpassed colleagues two years ago when she debuted at New York Fashion Week walking for Anna Sui, Derek Lam, Marc Jacobs, and Proenza Schouler in her first season alone. A major fashion and beauty contract is certainly in the cards. (Photo: AOL)

• Black History Month 2008 Fashion Trailblazers

  Designer Past - Patrick Kelly
  In the 1980s, iconic fashion designer Patrick Kelly launched a bold, colorful collection inspired by his Southern roots and often incorporated controversial messages into his designs to address racism. His clothing was such a hit that the Mississippi native became the first American to be inducted into the prestigious Chambre Syndicale, an elite organization for French designers. Since his death in 1990, Kelly's collection is still celebrated through exhibitions around the world. (Photo: Julio Donoso, Corbis)

• Black History Month 2008 Fashion Trailblazers

  Designer Present - Tracy Reese
  Detroit native Tracy Reese is ranked as one of the most successful fashion designers today. The Parsons School of Design graduate launched her namesake ultra-feminine and vintage-inspired line initially at age 23, and then its sister line, Plenty in 2002. Reese now offers footwear, accessories and Plenty Home. With a flagship store in New York City's ultra-hip Meatpacking District and presently offering her tenth anniversary collection, it isno surprise that Reese is considered one of the best American designers today. (Photo: AOL)

• Black History Month 2008 Fashion Trailblazers

  Designer Future - Rachel Roy
  Although Rachel Roy achieved socialite status for her chic ladylike designs, it is the array of sleek and elegant pieces in her line as well as acquiring major retail success in less than threeyears that helped her earn fashion fame. Roy already has quite the celebrity following: Sharon Stone, Cate Blanchett, Lucy Liu, Iman, Penelope Cruz, Jessica Simpson and Serena Williams are fans. After appearing on Oprah Winfrey's show twice, she is certainly the designer to watch. (Photo: Mat Szwajkos, Getty Images)

• Black History Month 2008 Fashion Trailblazers

  Fashion Entrepreneur Present - Edward Wilkerson
  Lafayette 148 New York's Design Director Edward Wilkerson is an avid traveler and passionate photographer. The former designer for Anne Klein, Calvin Klein and Donna Karan joined Lafayette 148 in 1998. Wilkerson's direction has led the designer's bridge line, (sizes 0-24) to become one of the top brands at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. His travels continue to infuse a global aesthetic into the collection. The company's offices and his home are often featured in design magazines. (Photo: Hal Horowitz, WireImage.com)

Black History Month 2008

• Black History Month 2008

  TV, Miss New York, Flava Flave and Omarosa-Cole

• Black History Month 2008

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• Black History Month 2008

  Fashion, Rachel Roy

• Black History Month 2008

  Art, Kehinde Wiley
  

• Black History Month 2008

  Model, Chanel Iman
  

• Black History Month 2008

  Politics, Adrian Fenty, Cory Brooks and Kwame Kilpatrick
  Fenty is the 37-year-old mayor of DC. Prior to becoming mayor, he interned for DC delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton. Cory Booker - The 38-year-old Newark mayor lived in a tent in front of one of Newark's worst housing projects and went on a 10-day hunger strike to protest drug dealing. Kwame Kilpatrick The 37-year-old mayor of Detroit is the youngest of the city. He was elected when he was only 31 years old.

• Black History Month 2008

  Farrah Gray
  Gray became a millionaire at 14 selling his own pre-paid phone cards, homemade lotion. He was also the executive producer of a teen talk show and comedy show. The now 23-year-old multi-millionaire is the owner of Farr-Out Foods. The motivational speaker received an honorary doctorate from Allen University at age 21.

• Black History Month 2008

  Designers, Vanessa and Angela Simmons
  

• Black History Month 2008

  Fashionistas
  Andre JThis bearded muse (yes, bearded) acquired international fame when he appeared on French VOGUE's cover last year with Estee Lauder model Carolyn Murphy. Not since RuPaul has a Black man wearing women's clothing shot to superstar status. While RuPaul was the first crossover pop singer, Andre "don't call me a drag queen" J stands crossover into mainstream fashion. Love him or hate him, he engenders a powerful response; in the least, he represents fashion's tenets of art and expression.

• Black History Month 2008

  Fashion, Alek Wek
  Author/handbag designer Alek Wek was the first Black cover girl on the American edition of ELLE magazine. Wek launched the WEK1933 handbag line in 2001, a collection inspired by her late father's briefcase and aptly named after the year he was born. Wek became a successful model after she fled the civil war in her native Sudan in 1991. After the release of her book, "Alek: From Sudanese Refugee to International Supermodel" she has become the "voice" of her native country, using her celebrity to bring international attention to the strife there.

Black History Month 2008

• Black History Month 2008

  Film, Sydney Poitier
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• Black History Month 2008

  Film, Ethel Waters
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• Black History Month 2008

  Film, Melvin Van Peebles
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• Black History Month 2008

  Dance, Katherine Dunham
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• Black History Month 2008

  TV, Bill Cosby
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• Black History Month 2008

  Art, Jean-Michel-Basquiat
  (AP)

• Black History Month 2008

  Literature, Wells Brown Wheatley
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• Black History Month 2008

  Models, Beverly Johnson
  Beverly Johnson was the first Black model on the cover of VOGUE in 1974 after appearing first on GLAMOUR's cover in 1971. Johnson graced GLAMOUR's cover six more times within the next two years -- their circulation doubled after her first time. Coined the "supergirl next door," she reappeared on VOGUE's cover in 1975. As the first to also appear on the cover of French ELLE, Johnson later became an actress and singer and was honored by Oprah Winfreyin her LegendsBall special for her success. (Ron Galella, Ltd., WireImage.com)

• Black History Month 2008

  Model, Iman
  
  Iman was one of the first models to be successful in both print and runway in the 1970s and 1980s. After retiring from modeling, she launched a cosmetics line in 1994 to offer better make up options to women of color. She has also teamed up with Missy Elliott to create the Misdemeanor lipstick to benefit a non profit against domestic violence and is currently featured the 'Save a Child' campaign against HIV and AIDS. The Somalian-born beauty recently expanded her empire by launching an accessories and jewelry line. (Reuters)

• Black History Month 2008

  Designer, Patrick Kelly
  In the 1980s, iconic fashion designer Patrick Kelly launched a bold, colorful collection inspired by his Southern roots and often incorporated controversial messages into his designs to address racism. His clothing was such a hit that the Mississippi native became the first American to be inducted into the prestigious Chambre Syndicale, an elite organization for French designers. Since his death in 1990, Kelly's collection is still celebrated through exhibitions around the world. (Julio Donoso, Corbis)

Black History Month 2008

• Black History Month 2008

  Music - Prince
  Though his career began in the 1970s, the man legally known as Prince Roger Nelson is virtually the only black artist who continues to push the envelope with every music project released. Never complacent with the current state of the music industry, the Minnesota native made history by going up against the record label system and winning his freedom from iron clad contracts he likened to slavery. From changing his name to reinventing his musical stylings, the pint-sized musical genius was also one of the first major superstars to embrace the power of digital media. (Photo: Kevin Mazur, WireImage.com)

• Black History Month 2008

  Film - Angela Bassett
  The Emmy and Academy Award nominated thespian is an alum from the prestigious Yale School of Drama. The former beauty salon receptionist broke into acting with regional theatre work in the mid-1980s before a thriving film career took shape. "I really believe that what I do as an actress is my God-given talent," the Olay spokeswoman has said. "This is my calling not my career." Bassett's portrayal of biographical characters, notably Tina Turner, has made her stand out amongst other actresses of her time. For her exceptional work in 'What's Love Got to Do with It,' the Harlem, New York native was the first African-American to win the Best Actress Golden Globe Awards for a Musical or Comedy in 1993.(Photo: Peter Kramer, Getty Images)

• Black History Month 2008

  Film - Denzel Washington
  The debonair Mount Vernon, New York native holds the distinction of being the only living black Academy Award winner to win honors in both acting categories. With a degree in Drama and Journalism from Fordham University, Washington has portrayed a diverse array of characters on the big screen and small since his professional acting debut in 1977. The 'Training Day' and 'Glory' star has expanded his role in Hollywood with producing and directing inrecent years.(Photo: Piyal Hosain, Fotos International, Getty Images)

• Black History Month 2008

  TV - Mara Brock Akil and Shonda Rhimes
  Two black sistas are creators and executive producers of two hit primetime television series and their spin-offs. With 'Girlfriends' and its spawn 'The Game,' Brock-Akil, a former journalism student, has the black sitcom industry on lock with her engaging storylines revolving around successful blacks and their sometimes awkward relationship dynamics. With the ABC ratings draw 'Grey's Anatomy' and its follow-up 'Private Practice,' audiences have proven insatiable when it comes to Rhimes' take on the medical profession. (Photos: Arnold Turner, WireImage.com, 2)

• Black History Month 2008

  Film - Robi Reed, Kasi Lemmons, Tracey, Edmonds
  As one of the most prominent casting agents in the film business, Primetime Emmy Award winning Reed has put black faces in more than 50 major films. For her latest film, 'Talk to Me,' Kasi Lemmons garnered critical acclaim and major accolades. Nothing less should be expected from the prized director, who first mesmerized filmgoers with the beguiling drama 'Eve's Bayou' in 1997. The former wife of music super producer Kenneth"Babyface" Edmonds, may have become tabloid fodder with her "marriage" to Eddie Murphy but has flexed much muscle in Hollywood as a producer of movies such as 'Soul Food,' 'Light It Up,' 'Josie and the Pussycats' and 'Who's Your Caddy.' (Photos: Retna, The Bible Experience, WireImage.com)

• Black History Month 2008

  Music - Russell Simmons
  The man who is credited with virtually shaping the industry of hip-hop, Russell Simmons and his sharp business acumen has transcended the music business (Def Jam Records), film ('Krush Groove'), television ('Def Poetry Jam'), the fashion industry (Phat Farm), finance (Rush Card), literature ('Do You!') and most recently political activism (Hip Hop Action Network). Beyond music, hip-hop lives through the fiber of everything the 50-year-old Queens, NY native does. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images)

• Black History Month 2008

  Politics - General William E. "Kip" Ward
  As commander of the newly created U.S. Africa Command (Africom), Ward, the four-star general is charged with coordinating military support for diplomatic and development programs ina strategically important, yet often overlooked region of the world. (Photo: Caleb Jones, AP)

• Black History Month 2008

  Politics - Senator Barack Obama
  The junior U.S. Senator from Illinois and a 2008 Democratic presidential candidate is the only African-American currently in the Senate and only the fifth African-American ever to be electedto the Senate. With his mixed race background and message of change he is campaigning on a platform of hope to help unite the United States. (Photo: Scott Olson, Getty Images)

• Black History Month 2008

  Technology - Lonnie Johnson
  The rocket scientist and nuclear engineer invented the Super Soaker water gun in 1991, which became a top-selling toy with more than 40 million sold and $200 million in sales. Now, the self-described tinkerer has turned his sights on solar energy technology that would convert solar heat into power.(Photo: John Bazemore, AP)

• Black History Month 2008

  Business - Bob Johnson
  Johnson launched Washington, D.C.-based Black Entertainment Television (BET) in 1980 with a loan from cable executive John Malone. BET became the first African-American-owned company to be publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange in 1991. The Hickory, Miss. native became the first Black billionaire in the United States, when he sold the company to Viacom in 2000 for $3 billion. He left the company in 2006 and created RLJ Companies Inc., a portfolio of companies in the financial services, real estate, hospitality, professional sports, film production, automotive and gaming industries, which include the NBA Charlotte Bobcats, Our Stories Films and Urban Trust Bank. (Photo: BET)

Martin Luther King Jr.

• Martin Luther King Jr.

  American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., (1929 - 1968), addresses crowds during the March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., where he gave his 'I Have A Dream' speech. (Central Press/Getty Images)

• Martin Luther King Jr.

  King gestures and shouts to his congregation at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga. on April 30, 1967 as he urges America to repent and abandon what he called its "tragic, reckless adventure in Vietnam." (AP Photo)

• Martin Luther King Jr.

  King is pictured at an integration rally in Montgomery, Ala., May 21, 1961. (AP Photo/Horace Cort)

• Martin Luther King Jr.

  King is embraced by his wife, Coretta Scott King, during a news conference at Harlem Hospital in New York. The Sept. 30, 1958 file photo was taken as he recovered from a stab wound following an attack by a woman. (AP)

• Martin Luther King Jr.

  King displays his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize medal in Oslo, Norway, Dec. 10, 1964. King was honored for promoting the principle of non-violence in the civil rights movement. (AP Photo)

• Martin Luther King Jr.

  King sits for a police mug shot after his arrest for directing a city-wide boycott of segregated buses. (Photo by Don Cravens/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images)

• Martin Luther King Jr.

  The Rev. Ralph Abernathy, right, and Bishop Julian Smith, left, flank King during a civil rights march in Memphis, Tenn., on March 28, 1968. (AP Photo/Jack Thornell)

• Martin Luther King Jr.

  King and Malcolm X smile for photographers on March 26, 1964, in Washington D.C. They shook hands after King announced plans for "direct action" protests if Southern senators filibustered against the civil rights bill. (AP Photo/Henry Griffin)