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20 Groundbreaking Style Icons of Color Through the Decades

With their fearless style, confidence, poise and fashion choices, these fashionistas are proof that beauty comes in all colors
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Carolina Herrera
While many designers are artists that function behind the scenes, Carolina Herrera is known both for what she sends down the runway and her stunning personal style. She first made the International Best Dressed List in 1972 and was later inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1980 -- a year before she launched her own fashion line. Herrera's eye for fashion has influenced the country for years. She's the woman responsible for dressing first ladies from Jackie O to Michelle Obama in elegance.

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Iman
"With her regal neck, face, frame and resemblance to Nefertiti ... Iman became an overnight modeling sensation." In the 1990s, she was considered "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World," and with her elegant yet experimental sense of style, it's no surprise she's had fellow style icon David Bowie by her side since 1992. Today, she still inspires models of color in the industry (like Jourdan Dunn), especially with her namesake cosmetics line, launched in 1994, which has made finding makeup easier for women with darker skin tones.

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Grace Jones
Many of today's artists who go the avant garde route in their style choices can trace their inspiration back to Jamaican singer Grace Jones. With her signature flat top hairstyle and androgynous appearance, Jones is often credited for influencing the cross-dressing movement of the 1980s. Look at current men's and women's ready-to-wear runway shows (think David Anderson and Haider Akermann) and it's easy to see how Jones is still influencing trends in fashion across genders.

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Salt-N-Pepa
Remember when literally every celebrity was shaving one side of her head? All the credit goes to Cheryl James ("Salt"), Sandra Denton ("Pepa") and Deidra Roper ("DJ Spinderella"), who sported this signature look back in the mid-'80s. The girl group's edgy asymmetrical bobs were often paired with door-knocker earrings that have also made a comeback with the recent '90s style resurgence.

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Selena Quintinilla
Along with her iconic voice, Selena was known for her fun and flashy outfits on stage. Many of the designs she performed in were her own, and you don't have to look far to see their current influence on today's style. It's virtually impossible to avoid the crop tops and embellished bustiers that were a signature of the pop star, who often paired them with high-waisted pants.

BY ERICA SMITH | OCT 6, 2014 | SHARES
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