Black History in Fashion : One of my favorite designer Mr. B Michael @bmichaelamerica b michael // Advanced American Style Right from the start, B Michael was fated to be a fashion designer. Growing up in Durham, Connecticut, he found early inspirations in his mother, whose family extends back four generations. Her creativity and keen sense of style passed on to her son, and like his eclectic family tree, b michael AMERICA incorporates the fantastic with understated cool, sensational color with elegance and emotion with design. A former account executive for a Wall Street firm, B Michael decided to pursue his creative side and launched a successful millinery line after designing for Oscar de La Renta and Louis Feraud among others. The designer launched his first couture collection in 1999 with the help of PR Guru Eleanor Lambert, as with his approach to millinery, his designs exuded a glamorous clean aesthetic. His juxtaposition of creativity with simplicity is exemplified by the kaleidoscope dress (from the Spring 2014 collection), which was sewn together from fourteen fabrics, consisting of fifty pieces. He has shown his collection in Beijing, China, Korea and Shanghai. Particular to b michael AMERICA, he heightens his couture aesthetic by infusing emotions such as joy, adding a discernible feeling and festive mood to his creations. The designer describes his signature style, “It is a modern approach to glamour. It is also about achieving a very sophisticated, yet simplistic look.” His collections have garnered appreciative fans including socialites and personalities such as Cicely Tyson for the Tony Awards, Nancy Wilson’s gown in the Smithsonian, Whitney Houston’s wardrobe for Sparkle, Tamara Tunie, Amy Fine Collins, Nancy Wilson, Beyonce Knowles, Colleen Atwood, Lena Horne, Lynn Whitfield, as well as Angela Bassett. B Michael is no homebody either; you might find him in some of New York’s trendiest spots. In 1998, B Michael became a member of the CFDA. #blackdesignermagic #blackdesignermagic #bmichael #blackhistoryinfashion #bmichaelamerica #blackfashiondesignersrock (at New York, New York)
