People felt excited and liberated to just be who they are, unapologetically. вЂњBut the bigger message was that people felt free. вЂњIt was overwhelming, it was fun, it was exciting,вЂќ he recalls. вЂњI donвЂ™t think I got a chance to really quote unquote, live out loud, until I was in my early adult years,вЂќ he says, adding that he was in his 20s when he attended his first Pride parade. As a gay Black man, the connection to groups often marginalized and overlooked is deeply personal. Though fashion has only recently begun to embrace curvaceous figures, and diversity and inclusion in its many forms, those things have always been important to Smith. La La Anthony in a custom gown at the 2022 Met Gala Cindy Ord/MG22/Getty Images The girls want to look like Kim K, Rihanna, BeyoncГ©, whoever.вЂќ Celebrities just really wanted to wear LaQuan Smith itвЂ™s a trickle-down ef fect. вЂњEven though I wasnвЂ™t always in the latest editorials or in retail stores, I still had a clientele. вЂњOne of the things that has really allowed me to be where IвЂ™m at right now is my direct-to-consumer business and working with celebrity A-list clients,вЂќ he says. Today, Smith is helming a brand found at Farfetch, Moda Operandi and The Webster, and he employs a full-time staff, working from his studio in Long Island City. I try not to get hung up on those вЂ¦ pedestals.вЂќ вЂњ IвЂ™ve always been really focused on my work.

вЂњWhat no one told me is how difficult it was going to get,вЂќ Smith says, noting t hat, despite the early fanfare, it would be years before he was able to get picked up in retailers and establish a viable, sustainable business. A Vogue feature followed, and at 21 the designer held his first New York Fashion Week show. In 2010 SmithвЂ™s bold, meticulous and often skin-baring designs grabbed the attention of fashion editor AndrГ© Leon Talley. Machine Gun Kelly Calls Megan Fox His 'Wife,' Refers to 'Our Unborn Child' During Billboard Music Awards Performance

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