Fashion designer Langston Howard credits his creativity to the city of Detroit.
The 17-year-old is a byproduct of an entrepreneurial family. He has pursued that path from a young age, by creating paintings, among other things, and then selling them to classmates and family members while in elementary school. Art also influenced his foray into fashion, he shared in an interview with AFROTECH™.
“Fashion came into the picture probably when I was about 12,” he told the outlet. “I started brainstorming my first brand. I remember that my first ever sketch was this denim jacket that had a lion embroidered on the back. And I think it was ’cause I liked LeBron at the time and that was just what I was going for.”
When Howard turned 13, he enrolled in the Fashion Industry Club, which introduced him to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Detroit’s Highland Park Club, he shared. He learned the basics of sewing and design, as well as the entrepreneurship of fashion. This propelled the launch of Howard’s first brand, The Top By LRH. It was an athletic and leisurewear brand intended to help people achieve mental, physical, and financial success, he told AFROTECH™.
“It was pretty much the platform where I was able to push positive messages out. So I had garments that just made the buyer and the wearer feel confident about themselves and feel like they could take over the world,” he explained.
Howard gained industry experience by collaborating with seasoned designers to present a look in the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessey Show during New York Fashion Week in 2023. He joined four other teenage boys through a fashion mentorship program offered by Detroit’s Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan (BGCSM) and retailer Maison Black, according to WXYZ. Howard said he was mentored by Marcus Thomas, founder of footwear brand Marcus Alexander. He also designed and showcased multiple garments for the event. This marked his first time not only attending but also designing for a show, he told AFROTECH™. He was 14 years old at the time.
“That was the opportunity the [Boys and Girls Club of Greater Detroit] provided. And since then, every year they keep giving me more and more opportunities that allow me to learn, grow, and just for me to get myself out there,” he explained.
In 2025, Howard rebranded his former label under the name LRH Made, elevating it into the high-end streetwear space, he shared. In spring 2026, the brand’s first collection will launch. He said to AFROTECH™ it will be called Ivory and is inspired by his late great-grandfather and Uncle Ivory. Additionally, in collaboration with Pacsun, Howard will release a collection called Built for Change, featuring positive affirmations, which drops next fall, he shared.
“I’m super heavy on [positivity] because at a young age I really struggled with my confidence,” he explained to AFROTECH™. “Like I’m short and I’ve always been insecure about it. …It was about improving my mindset in general, so I started a brand where not only I could help myself but I could also help others.”
Howard aspires to create a brand that is viewed in the same light as the Supreme brand of clothing, he shared. His steps in fashion will continue to be strengthened in light of the new 15,000-square-foot Boys and Girls Club inside Michigan Central Station in Detroit, according to a news release. The venture is supported by Usher and Big Sean, who have launched the Detroit Entertainment Innovation Incubator housed in the new club. Usher’s New Look and Big Sean’s Sean Anderson Foundation supported the launch with a combined $1 million investment, per another news release.
“One of the best investments I’ve truly ever made is in the future of Detroit. I believe in these kids. I believe in the opportunities they have,” Big Sean said in a press conference during the grand opening on Feb. 3.
@sammiedormedia Big Sean on investing in Detroit youth through state-of-the-art Spark Lab Studios located at the new Boys and Girls Clubs at Michigan Central Station in Detroit. #bigsean #usher #boysandgirlsclub #detroit #youth
As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the incubator hub includes Spark Lab Studios for youth ages 14–24, providing access to creative technology, hands-on learning, and mentorship from executives and creators. The goal is to equip the youth for high-growth careers in fashion, film, television, and music production, as well as AI, 3D, immersive technologies, and special effects, a news release mentioned.
“I think it was André 3000 who had said ‘great things happen in small rooms.’ We wanted to make these rooms as best as we possibly could to be able to help them go as far as they want,” Usher said during the press conference.
Howard will be able to learn from seasoned founders such as Tamika Mayes, who leads a women-focused health and wellness brand called Reyz and will be working adjacent to him in a makerspace dedicated to designers and entrepreneurs. Additionally, Howard has already been able to participate in a workshop led by designer Brea Stinson, who has worked with Usher, HER, and the late D’Angelo, during the grand opening.
“I’m really looking forward to the future here at Michigan Central. This space is really amazing, and it’s an opportunity for creatives like myself,” Howard expressed to AFROTECH™. “I can get away from the creative side, and I can really focus on the business side. And this is an incubator space where I’m gonna learn how to really grow and scale a real sustainable business.”
Programming at the Spark Lab Studios began Feb. 9.
The launch of the new incubator hub is part of a broader Boys and Girls Club of Greater Detroit’s commitment to invest $30 million in supporting talent across the creative economy, technology, and mobility sectors, according to information shared with AFROTECH™.
