It’s the praise for me.
Read on to see who else they named and be sure to check out more from our interviewshere.
Reality starTs Madison: “My fashion icon is Miss Lawrence.
It’s the praise for me.
She tears fashion to pieces!
My Black queer icon in general is none other than mother, Ms. RuPaul Andre Charles.
If I could be anybody else, it would definitely beRuPaul.”
My grandmother was on me."
RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Shea Coulee: “Miss J. Alexander fromAmerica’s Next Top Model.
Also, let’s just throwGrace Jonesin there for good measure.
We gotta throw Ms. Grace Jones up in there.”
Their fashion was always poppin', always, and always dope."
Comedian Kalen Allen: “Jeremy Pope.
Whenever he posts a picture, I text him saying, ‘You ate this up.
This is everything!’
I think it’s so unique and something that only he has tapped into.
The Blackening’s Dewayne Perkins: “Janelle Monae.
I went to her concert and saw the spirit of love.
I went to Essence Fest where she performed ‘Lipstick Lover.’
I love that Janelle’s identity is being forced to be seen.
Yeah, she loves women.
King Richardstar Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor: “Grace Jones.
What I saw in her was someone who owned all of the genders and sexualities.
I found it so sexually freeing and expressive.”
Rapper Monaleo: “Willow Smith.
I really looked up to her.
When I started experimenting with what I wanted my image to be, Willow was on my mood board.
I was, like, 8 or 9.
I loved her hair.
I loved how bright and colorful she was allowed to be.
I wanted all of that and thought it was so cool to see from her.
She showed me what it looks like being a Black girl experimenting and being yourself.”
P-Valley’s Nicco Annan: “George Faison, the creator of the choreography forThe Wiz.
I met him at a dance audition for a show that I was doing,Bubbling Brown Sugar.
He saw me through all the people and was just like, ‘What took you so long?
You better kill this combination.’
I was like, ‘Uh, oh.’
But the challenge of it made me rise up.
It showed me that second best is not enough and to always put your best foot forward.
It doesn’t matter who you sleep with or who you love.
Do the work.”
Jonica Booth ofRap Sh!t: “Rihanna [and] Teyana Taylor.
[Teyana’s] fashion is out of this world.
Zendaya eats up the carpet every time, too.”
Poseactor Angelica Ross: “Law Roach!
Law plays no games with Zendaya or herself!
When you are that bitch, you might be that bitch.”
TV personality Mal Wright: “James Baldwin.
Also, Queen Latifah.”
Brian Michael Smith fromQueen Sugar: “Laverne Cox.
She puts other people on.
She’ll executive produce other people’s projects to ensure people have opportunities and platforms.”
All Boys Aren’t Blueauthor George M. Johnson: “Langston Hughes.
He seemed to be a little spicy.
Rapper Kidd Kenn: “Nicki Minaj is my icon all around the board.
I love her style, her fashion, her business acumen, her music, her as a mother.
Everything about her.”
