The business of fashion is one of the most mysterious and complex industries to navigate. There is only so much blueprint for how to launch and run a successful fashion brand—it comes with a lot of financial risk and there’s no guarantee. However, fashion designer Laquan Smith has managed to grow and operate his eponymous line for more than a decade. Smith continues to own his lane of encouraging women to be unapologetically sexy and dressing some of the most impactful women in the world. It would take pages to list the women who love his clothes, but this year honorable mentions go to dressing VP Kamala Harris for the Congressional Black Caucus Dinner, Serena Williams for the cover of <em>Essence</em> and Victoria Monet for the 2024 CFDA Awards. For Smith’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection and runway show, the designer partnered with Samsung Galaxy Ring to showcase the intersection of creativity and technology. Smith is clearly defining his own lane and standing on business in the process. — G.E.