Black In Fashion: Day 16 Jermikko Shoshanna

Pictured: Jermikko
Via: Jermikko Designer Instagram

     Jermikko Shoshannah was the first designer and clothing manufacturer brand led and operated by a Black woman in the state of Illinois. Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1946, there’s not much that Jermikko hasn’t accomplished. In 1971, as a student at the School of the Art Institute, Jermikko worked under Stanley Korshak, a well-known department store designer who now operates the largest department store in the United States. While working under him, Jermikko earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute in 1972.

     Jermikko’s career spans over 5 decades with countless collections launched in major stores such as Macy’s, Saks, and over 600 stores across the US. In recent years her fashion was featured in Spike Lee’s critically acclaimed Chi-Raq (2015), Beyonce’s “Pray You Catch Me”, the 2016 hit music video where Queen Bey wore Jermikko’s Swapout Hoodie, inspired by the late Trayvon Martin story. With many accolades under her belt, Jermikko continues to be an innovator and trailblazer as a fashion designer, inventor, and manufacturer in Chicago, Illinois.

Pictured: Jermikko’s Swapout Hoodie
Via: Black Fashion Week