Jeffrey Banks

Fashion designer Jeffrey Banks was born on November 3, 1955 in Washington, D.C., to Eleanor and Clarence Banks. Banks attended McKinley High School in Washington, D.C. and the Pratt Institute in New York City, New York. Banks graduated from the Parsons School of Design in New York City in 1975.

While working at the Britches of Georgetown as a high school student, Banks met fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Weeks after graduating from high school, Banks went to work in 1971 as a design assistant for Ralph Lauren. Banks was then hired as a design assistant for Calvin Klein in 1973, leaving in 1976 to complete his degree at the Parsons School of Design. In 1976, Banks was hired as a designer for Nik-Nik Clothing and Sportswear and, subsequently, he started his own design studio, Jeffrey Banks Studios, Jeffrey Banks Ltd., and Jeffrey Banks International. Banks created designs for numerous clothing companies including Alixandre Firs, Merona Sport, Bloomingdales, Johnnie Walker Scotch, Neema Clothing, Watson Brothers, and Platinum Hosiery. As a fashion consultant, Banks also worked with Haggar Clothing Company, HMX Sportswear, and Hartmarx Sportswear. In 2009, Banks joined HSN as a designer and partner. His career as a fashion designer spanned over more than four decades.

Banks also published numerous books with co-author Doria de La Chapelle that included Tartan: Romancing the Plaid in 2007, Preppy: Cultivating Ivy Style in 2011, and Patricia Underwood: The Way You Wear Your Hat in 2015.

Banks served on the executive board of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), as vice-chair of the Hetrick-Martin Institute, and as a senior member of the board of trustees for the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City.

Throughout his career, Banks received numerous awards and honors including the Pratt Award for Design Excellence, the Earnie Award for Boyswear from Earlshaw’s Kids Magazine, the Coty Award for Outstanding Fur Design with Alixandre Furs from Coty, Inc. in 1975, the Coty Award for Outstanding Menswear from Coty, Inc. in 1982, and the Cutty Sark U.S. Menswear Designer of the Year Award from the Cutty Sark Men’s Fashion Awards in 1987.

Jeffrey Banks was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on February 17, 2023.