Black Style Icons Who Inspire Us Everyday

While we love seeing Rihanna slay the red carpet, Naomi Campbell serving in ad campaigns and on the runway, and Beyoncé dancing in spectacular costumes, we have to pay homage to the ladies that paved the way for those we admire today.

Becoming a style icon goes beyond what is worn on the body, and the women on the next pages prove that. Wearing a see-through dress on the red carpet today may seem normal, but baring breasts on stage in the 1920s and ’30s as a black woman… not so much.

Fighting for what you believe in whether it’s refusing to perform in front of a segregated audience, standing up to your abusive husband, or taking the courage to become a model on your own after everyone said your skin wasn’t “light enough” is what made these women exceptionally strong.

As we celebrate Black History Month, take a look at five women who helped define beauty today.

Photo: General Photographic Agency/Getty Images

Not only was Josephine Baker a phenomenal dancer, singer and actress –who refused to perform in front of American segregated audiences– her style was flawless. She fearlessly took risks, and fiercely wore and owned whatever she desired. Her style was so influential that Rihanna, who was named a fashion icon at last year’s CFDA Awards, page homage to the dancer when she appeared on the red carpet in a see-through Swarovski crystal gown.

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