Zerina Akers

Zerina Akers is an American fashion stylist and costume designer. She is best known for her positions as Beyoncé's personal stylist, costume designer for the Emmy-winning 2020 musical film Black Is King, and founder of the e-commerce site "Black Owned Everything". Recognition of her work has appeared in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.

Early life Akers was born in Landover, Maryland. Akers first gained an interest in fashion when designing clothes for high school fashion shows.

Career Akers studied for two years at The Art Institute of Philadelphia, and began her career in the fashion industry as an intern at W Magazine in 2006. During her time as an intern, she worked amongst names such as Alex White, Karl Temper and Shiona Turini. She then moved to New York and completed her studies at LIM College. During her time at LIM College, Akers studied abroad at the University of Westminster, completed an internship with Stella McCartney, and freelanced at W Magazine and Women's Wear Daily. In 2011, she began work at Brooks Brothers, coordinating and styling catalog shoots. The costumes in the film were intended to celebrate the culture, traditions and history of black people, both in Africa and the diaspora. Akers styled Beyoncé in more than 75 costumes for the film, working together with both global brands and young black designers. For her work on the film, Akers won Best Styling in a Video at the 2020 UK Music Video Awards, and Stylist of the Year at the 2020 Essence Best In Black Fashion Awards. Akers was also included in The Hollywood Reporter 's 2021 "Hollywood's Most Powerful Stylists" list, and Insider 's "Luminaries" list, celebrating "25 women pushing boundaries and accomplishing extraordinary feats". The "Black Owned Everything" marketplace features black-owned brands and designers, and its launch coincided with a three-month pop-up store in Los Angeles. Together with actor, writer and producer Lena Waithe, Akers took part in Adobe's "Create Change: Conversations with Creators" series, which focused on utilizing creativity to make impactful change, especially amid 2020's social and cultural climate. In 2021, Akers styled Macy's Icons of Style campaign and Zales' Mother's Day campaign.