Jeffrey Banks facts for kids

Jeffrey Banks was born on November 3, 1955. He is an American fashion designer and author. Many people see him as a very important Black fashion creator.

Early Life and Big Ideas

Jeffrey Banks started his fashion journey early. He worked as a design assistant for famous designers. From 1971 to 1973, he helped Ralph Lauren. Then, from 1973 to 1976, he worked with Calvin Klein.

Banks shared an interesting story about how Calvin Klein's famous logo shirts began. He said he took the Calvin Klein logo from a press folder. He then had it printed onto a brown T-shirt. This was a gift for Calvin Klein.

Someone else thought the shirt was part of a new clothing line. So, similar shirts became uniforms for staff at Klein's next fashion show. People who bought clothes for stores loved them. They asked to buy these logo shirts, and that's how they became popular!

Building a Fashion Brand

After working with Calvin Klein, Jeffrey Banks decided to start his own company. He launched his own fashion label in New York City. This happened in 1977, according to his official website. Some sources say it was 1978.

By 1996, his fashion business was very successful. Clothes and accessories from Jeffrey Banks Ltd. and Jeffrey Banks International were sold all over the world. His company made about $20 million in sales. His designs included suits, shirts, eyewear, and other accessories.

Writing Fashion Books

Jeffrey Banks is also a talented author. He has written several books about fashion. He worked with Doria de La Chapelle on these books. They were published by Rizzoli.

In 2007, they wrote a book about tartan patterns. In 2011, they published a book about the preppy style. Then, in 2015, they wrote a book about the hat designer Patricia Underwood.

Banks and de La Chapelle also worked with Erica Lennard. They created a book called Perry Ellis: An American Original. This book was published in 2013. It was the first detailed book about the designer Perry Ellis, who was a friend and colleague of Banks.