Fifteen years ago, British menswear designer Boateng joined Givenchy as creative director for Givenchy Homme , where he was tasked with creating the brand’s first ready-to-wear men’s line, the first time a person of color was tapped to helm a storied luxury fashion house. But even before Boateng landed at Givenchy, he was already used to showing up in places he didn’t belong. The Ghanaian immigrant was the youngest Black designer to open a business on London’s Savile Row in 1995, and was part of the New Bespoke Movement that was responsible for launching the neighborhood — once an insider’s only secret — to international recognition. “In Britain we don't shout enough,” Boateng told The New York Times in 2006. “So I took it on myself to make it known to the world.” His work – ostentatious suits in bright colors perfect for parties – caught the eye of London Prime Minister Tony Blair as well as celebrities like Richard Branson, Jamie Foxx, Will Smith, and Jude Law. When Hubert de Givenchy visited Boateng’s atelier, he was obviously impressed, and hired him months later. When Boateng was appointed, the brand’s chief executive told The Times that Boateng understood the direction the fashion house should head in, but also where it came from: Givenchy would always be ‘classic clothing about cut and cloth.’”