NBAF Fashion Honoree Jeremy Haynes Declares Black the Statement Color of Summer 2026

Jeremy Haynes didn’t just arrive, he entered the red carpet in a chic, reflective jacket, cornrows set with precision, and an electric smile that made the room feel smaller in the best way. There’s a warmth to him, a distinctly Southern charm that immediately puts you at ease, but it’s paired with a quiet confidence that lets you know you’re in the presence of someone who understands transformation on a deeper level.

That duality, welcoming yet elevated, has long defined Jeremy’s presence in fashion.

I first saw it years ago during a high-stakes New York press run, where every look had to land. When it came time to elevate the wardrobe, Jeremy's  name was the only one that came recommended by their longtime stylist Fiskani. 

At the time, he was at BCBG, but even then, he was operating beyond retail. Jeremy didn’t just pull clothes, he translated energy. He had a way of identifying what would not only photograph well, but what would live beyond the moment—pieces that sparked conversation and stayed with audiences long after the cameras were gone.

That instinct has defined a career that now includes a roster of clients such as Mary J. Blige, Usher, Ari Lennox, Ne-Yo, and Missy Elliott, just to name a few. Each name speaks to his ability to move seamlessly between eras, sounds, and personal brands while still elevating each artist’s visual identity.

Years later, that instinct hasn’t faded, it’s sharpened. Whether refining the presence of icons like Usher and his wife Jennifer Goicoechea at the Oscars or continuing to shape Atlanta’s aesthetic from within, Jeremy has remained a quiet architect of elevation. He understands not just style, but identity and how to amplify both without losing authenticity.

We caught up with him just before he was honored as a fashion icon at NBAF, a moment that felt less like a peak and more like a well-earned acknowledgment. Fresh off time in Milan, immersed in the same fashion energy that frames The Devil Wears Prada, Jeremy was already thinking ahead, already translating global influence into something distinctly his own.

And when asked about Summer 2026, he did what visionaries do, he disrupted expectation and simple said BLACK. 

A choice that feels almost counterintuitive for a season defined by color, but entirely aligned with someone who understands fashion as language. I would be remiss not to add that stating Black is the seasonal color in a city uniquely set apart as the birthplace of civil rights, affectionately nicknamed 'Wakanda', Jeremy's prediction seems almost prophetic. In Atlanta, BLACK is damn near a religion. 

According to Jeremy, black carries a level of reverence and quiet authority that transcends seasons. It doesn’t compete, it commands. It simplifies while still making a statement, allowing the wearer, not just the garment to take center stage.

He paired that prediction with another: the rise of volume through harem, or balloon, pants; silhouettes that blend comfort with drama, creating movement that becomes part of the look itself. What makes his influence even more meaningful is that he’s chosen to root it in Atlanta. Talent like his often migrates to fashion capitals, but Jeremy brings the world back home, reinforcing what many already know: Atlanta isn’t chasing fashion relevance, it’s shaping it.

And if Jeremy Haynes is calling it now, consider it less a prediction and more a promise, black isn’t just a color this summer, it is THE statement.