Join us for an exciting evening with American designer Byron Lars and award-winning journalist Constance White, a renowned expert on Black style. The two legendary figures of Black American fashion will share their journeys, insights, and exclusive behind-the-scenes stories of Lars’s rise from Women Wear Daily’s “Rookie of the Year” to dressing iconic women such as Michelle Obama, Taylor Swift, Angela Bassett, Tracee Ellis Ross, and many more. 

This event is presented in partnership with Fashion Group International.

About the speakers

Founder of the eponymous Byron Lars label, ready-to-wear Beauty Mark, and In Earnest fashion brand, Byron Lars first captivated the design world in 1991 with his bespoke collection of blouses coveted for the designer’s ultra-feminine riffs on traditional menswear. Creating glamorous, but relatable clothes made with impeccable tailoring, Lars has designed collections sold at Bloomingdale’s, Henri Bendel, Bergdorf’s, Anthropologie, and other major retailers over the last three decades. 

Lars also designed his own collection of Black Barbie Dolls. Creating one glamorous doll for each of the 16 years of his collaboration with Mattel, Lars’s Black Barbies are prized collectibles with an enviable following of Barbie enthusiasts the world over, including famed fashion designer Jason Wu.

An award-winning journalist, Constance C.R. White is a veteran writer, editor, and arbiter of culture and style. She has written two books on Black style and her podcast How To Slay covers fashion, diversity, and entrepreneurship. White started her fashion career at WWD and has held positions at The New York Times and eBay. White was the first Black American woman to hold a senior post at a major fashion magazine and the first Black woman to cover the European shows for a major publication. She is currently Senior Executive Director of The Social Justice Center at FIT.