Edward Buchanan traded his life in his hometown of Ohio for the bustling New York City of the 1990s – following his love of fashion to study at the acclaimed Parsons School of Design. After earning his degree in 1995, Buchanan was soon moving through the fashion industry ranks, taking on roles at Armani Exchange and the GAP before being appointed as the Design Director at Bottega Veneta in Milan. While at the fashion house, Buchanan played a pivotal part in launching the Bottega’s ready-to-wear line and became the driving force behind the brand’s first runway show. Even though Buchanan left the brand in 2000, he has since joined a cadre of Black creatives navigating the Italian fashion industry. The Business of Fashion 500 honoree has gone on to collaborate with esteemed fashion houses — such as Max Mara and Agnona, Off-White, and Pucci. And in 2009, he launched his own brand, Sansovino 6. Most recently, Buchanan was lauded for his brand-defining work with Bottega Veneta appearing in Bottega’s 50th anniversary campaign in the Summer of 2025. Buchanan is a pioneer who paved the way for Black queer designers like Olivier Rousteing and Maximillian Davis to take on Italian fashion houses like Roberto Cavalli and Ferragamo respectively.