LaQuan Smith has been making a name for himself by dressing top celebs like Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian in sexy neoprene, clear PVC, and ornate lace ensembles that always steal the spotlight. Now the 26-year-old designer has landed a spot on Forbes 30 Under 30 in Art and Style list, which spotlights the best of the best from today's young, bright talents in the field.

Smith's foray into fashion started when he was just 4 years old, creating illustrations of fashion models and, despite rejections from top fashion and art schools like Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons the New School for Design, he went on to debut his first collection in 2010, create his own label, and gross $500,000 in the past year alone with no debt. Not bad!

And he’s gathered some prominent cheerleaders along the way. While serving as an apprentice at Blackwood Magazine, he also worked with famed stylist Elizabeth Sulcer. André Leon Talley later took him on as a protege, which we’re sure provided an invaluable experience as he prepared his first collection in his bedroom in Queens, New York. Fast forward all these years later, and he’s set to debut his sixth collection during New York Fashion Week in February.

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(Photo: Derrick Salters/WENN.com)