The Glow Up 50 2021: Pioneers of Style

Black creativity is not and never has been a trend—though we have certainly launched more trends than we could possibly count, or have ever rightfully been credited for. Accordingly, in March 2020 we launched The Glow Up 50 to celebrate our own—the tastemakers, trendsetters and boundless creators who elevate our organic aesthetic on a global scale. Of course, we couldn’t have anticipated that within a week of our inaugural launch, the world would change dramatically—as would the dynamics of the beauty, fashion and media industries. As is the nature of creatives, our 2021 class of honorees rose to the challenge, not only producing incredible and inspiring work, but launching initiatives, forming coalitions and assuming their rightful places as leaders in their respective spaces—or in some cases, creating their own. Since last Monday, we've been celebrating the 2021 honorees of The Glow Up 50 with help from The Root's Webby Award-winning video team and Target, which recently committed to spending two billion dollars with Black-owned businesses. This week, we invite you to celebrate them too, by perusing our lists of honorees and tribute videos below—and stay tuned, because there's more to come this week! Because Black creativity is not a trend; it’s a triumph.