Designers Who Feature Black Models Prominently

In recent years, the fashion world has taken real steps toward greater diversity and inclusion but the way designers support and showcase Black models varies widely from season to season.

This article highlights designers and fashion houses that have not only featured Black models on their runways but have made them a central and celebrated part of their shows, campaigns, and brand storytelling. These designers have helped push fashion toward a more inclusive, representative future and have done so consistently enough that their casting choices are now notable industry moments.

From Paris to New York, designers are not just acknowledging diversity, they are shaping it.

1. Chanel

Chanel has long been known for its legacy, elegance, and for repeatedly placing Black models in high-profile runway slots.

In shows like Spring/Summer 2026, Chanel featured Black models in key positions, not only walking, but closing and opening major looks. This shows the brand isn’t just including diversity, they are giving Black models moment-making exposure.

Models like Awar Odhiang have walked and closed couture shows for the house, demonstrating trust in their presence. When designers place Black models in centerpiece moments like these, it sends a message that diversity is a priority, and not just an afterthought.

2. Dior

Dior’s casting choices have also been a highlight for representation in recent seasons. Known for its bold yet elegant runway narratives, Dior has consistently included Black models across its shows, from ready-to-wear to couture.

Whether it’s a show in Paris Fashion Week or a campaign shoot, Dior’s lineup often features Black talent in strong, visible roles. These aren’t side characters, these are central figures in the collection’s story.

That level of inclusion helps normalize diverse representation in one of fashion’s most influential houses.

3. Valentino

Valentino has made intentional choices to showcase Black models on multiple runways and at key moments. Across both couture and ready-to-wear seasons, the brand’s shows are known for their artful casting, often blending classic styling with bold faces that bring energy and confidence.

Black models in Valentino’s roster are presented not as accents but as essential elements of the presentation, which makes all the difference when you’re talking about visibility on the global stage.

4. Balenciaga

Balenciaga’s runway stories blend modernity and edge, and the brand’s casting reflects that aesthetic. Black models regularly appear in central positions within Balenciaga lineups, walking for both ready-to-wear and more experimental fashion moments.

Balenciaga’s casting choices show that representation and artistic storytelling can coexist, and that Black models are key to shaping forward-thinking fashion narratives.

5. Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton’s runway and campaign work often include multicultural casts that prominently feature Black models. The brand’s global reach means that its casting choices resonate well beyond a single season, and its runway lineups consistently highlight models from different backgrounds in influential positions.

Whether for couture-inspired presentations or seasonal ready-to-wear, Black models are woven into Louis Vuitton’s visual storytelling, not just present, but meaningful.

6. Off-White

Even beyond individual seasons, houses influenced by designers like Virgil Abloh have continued to make representation a priority. Abloh’s legacy, especially at Off-White and in his impact on luxury fashion’s sensibilities, helped shift casting norms across the industry.

While Abloh’s direct influence remains central, the designers and brands shaped by his collaborative and inclusive mindset continue to feature Black models prominently, not as exceptions, but as recurring voices in fashion’s narrative.

7. Rick Owens

Rick Owens may be known for minimalist avant-garde designs, but casting diversity has been a consistent part of his runway aesthetic. Black models regularly appear in Owens’ lineups, walking alongside a broad range of looks that defy traditional fashion boundaries.

His consistent inclusion of diverse models sends a message that strong design and inclusivity can be intertwined without compromise.

It’s one thing to include Black models in a show, it’s another to feature them. The designers on this list have done more than check a diversity box. They’ve given Black models visibility in key roles, in front of global audiences, and in some of fashion’s most influential spaces.

This matters because representation on the runway and in campaigns has real cultural impact. It shapes how audiences see beauty, strength, confidence, and presence and it opens doors for future talent from underrepresented communities.

The fashion industry still has work to do when it comes to diversity and inclusion, but the progress we’re seeing from designers like Chanel, Dior, Valentino, Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, and others shows that change is possible and happening.

As Fashion Week seasons continue, we’ll keep highlighting the brands and the faces that are moving the industry forward, not just in fashion, but in visibility, influence, and opportunity.