Retailing at Saks Fifth Avenue and other upscale stores, the company creates high-end gowns and eveningwear that have been worn by celebrities such as Tina Fey and Salma Hayek. The bankruptcy filing by Mr. Gaskins, who is black, is another blow against the black design community.

“There’s been a lot of attention in the past few years to [having] models of color walk the runways, but behind the scenes, there’s been an equal imbalance in the number of African-American designers,” said Susan Scafidi, intellectual property and fashion law professor at Fordham University School of Law. Losing another African-American designer will only widen the divide.

“Bankruptcy is supposed to allow the individual having the problems to get back on his feet, but I don’t know how that’s going to happen in this climate,” Ms. Scafidi said.

“There’s been a lot of attention in the past few years to [having] models of color walk the runways, but behind the scenes, there’s been an equal imbalance in the number of African-American designers,” said Susan Scafidi, intellectual property and fashion law professor at Fordham University School of Law. Losing another African-American designer will only widen the divide.

Since Mr. Gaskins’ company is small, some industry insiders think it lacks the capital necessary to restructure and emerge financially healthy from bankruptcy.

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