Hylan Booker: Fashion, Art, and Breaking Boundaries
From Sighs and Whispers by Laura McLaws Helms
March 31, 2026 · 1h 33m
About this episode
Laura McLaws Helms interviews fashion designer and artist Hylan Booker about his career and contributions to fashion and art.
Fashion and cultural historian Laura McLaws Helms speaks with fashion designer and artist Hylan Booker. Born and raised in Detroit, Hylan Booker came to the UK in 1958 as a G.I. in the US Air Force. In his downtime, he studied at the Swindon School of Art, before enrolling at the Royal College of Art in London, where he studied alongside Ossie Clark. Booker launched his own line after graduation in 1966, quickly becoming one of the most talked-about collections in Swinging London. In 1968, he was tapped by the historic House of Worth to design its couture collection, becoming the first Black to hold such a role at a European couture house. Through the 1970s, he freelanced for many British fashion companies and established a cosmetics line for women of color, before returning to the United States in 1980. After designing menswear in New York, Booker moved to Miami in the 1990s, where he established his own couture line of exquisite evening gowns. After closing his line in the wake of 9/11, Hylan switched his focus to art—primarily painting, as well as soaking up the beauty of art while working as a guard for LACMA, which provided him the opportunity to also start writing about art…
People in this episode
Host: Laura McLaws Helms
Guest: Hylan Booker
Topics covered
- fashion
- art
- cultural history
- design
Keywords
- Detroit
- Swindon School of Art
- Royal College of Art
- House of Worth
- cosmetics line
- LACMA
Mentioned in this episode
Products: cosmetics line for women of color, couture line of evening gowns
Places: Detroit, UK, London, the United States, New York, Miami, Los Angeles
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