Although many Black photographers, models and fashion designers are getting work based on their skills these days, the opportunities weren't always as abundant. Many of the iconic figures on the next few slides all faced intense scrutiny, dealt with racial barriers and had to work twice as hard as anyone else to achieve their goals.

Continue on to view the stories of the global fashion community's pioneers, legends and influential Black figures.

Virgil Abloh | Creative Director - Louis Vuitton

In 2018, Virgil Abloh became French fashion house Louis Vuitton’s first Black creative director. His success in the fashion industry led him to create his own fashion house in Milan, Italy called Off–White. Before his days as a major fashion executive, Abloh received a master's degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology and, more notably, was the main contributor to Kanye West's early endeavors to merge hip-hop, contemporary art and fashion.

Photography: Nike

Gordon Parks | Photographer

In addition to being a key element in documenting the Civil Rights Movement, Parks was the first Black photographer on staff at LIFE magazine.

Photography: The Gordon Parks Foundation

Dana Scruggs | Photographer

Dana Scruggs was the first Black woman to shoot “ESPN the Magazine’s” Body Issue and the cover of Rolling Stone.

Photography: Yasara Gunawardena

Willi Smith | Fashion Designer

One of the most influential names on this list, Willi Smith, is the creator of what we know as streetwear. His company WilliWear made more than $25 million between its launch in 1976 and Willi’s death in 1987. It was the first clothing company to create both men’s and women’s clothing under the same label.

Photography: Kim Steele

Tyler Mitchell | Photographer

In 2018 at 23 years old, Tyler Mitchell took some breathtaking photos of Beyoncé and became the first Black photographer to shoot a Vogue magazine cover.

Photography: Miranda Barnes

Dapper Dan | Fashion Designer

Dapper Dan is a legendary streetwear designer from Harlem, New York who is credited with bringing high fashion to hip-hop culture.

Photography: Jelani Day

Elizabeth Keckley | Seamstress

Born a slave in Virginia, Elizabeth Keckley used the money she’d made as a seamstress to buy her freedom and move to Washington, D.C. where she ran a successful dressmaking business. Through her business, she met and became the personal dressmaker and very close friend of First Lady, Mary Todd Lincoln.

Dorothea Towles Church | Model

Dorothea Towles Church was the first Black woman to work as a model in Paris. While on vacation in Paris in 1949, she was approached by Christian Dior to replace a model who was on vacation herself, and the rest is history. She went on to model for a few legendary designers including Jacques Fath, Elsa Schiaparelli, Pierre Balmain and Robert Piguet.

Photography: Twitter

Naomi Sims | Model

Sims is widely regarded as the world’s first Black supermodel. After a short, but super successful career as a runway model, Sims turned her attention to entrepreneurship and started a multi-million dollar wig business geared towards Black women.

Djimon Hounsou | Actor

This world-famous Beninese actor actually got his breakthrough as a print model. After a successful modeling career in Paris, Hounsou moved to the States in 1990 to pursue acting. He appeared in music videos for Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson before landing his first big role in the 1997 movie "Amistad."

Tyra Banks | Model & TV Personality

Tyra Banks started her career as the first-ever African American Victoria’s Secret Angel, as well as the first Black woman on the cover of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition. After a long career on the runway, Tyra became a larger force across multiple industries. She executive produced and served as the host for "America's Next Top Model" for 22 seasons, won two daytime Emmy awards for her talk show "The Tyra Banks Show," published a New York Times Best-Selling book called "Modelland" and is consistently ranked among TIME magazine's most influential people every year.