Fashion
History from the Black Prospective
My mother and all the women in my family were
fashion designers, although they were labeled as ‘dressmakers.’ Their talent and creativity was not unusual in the
black community. Black women designed beautiful clothes out of scraps, flour
sacks, and fabrics of many sources. They
did not hire people to make their clothes, they were the ones hired.
When I was
a child, most Black women sewed, it was so common that as a talent the ability
to sew was not valued or respected. However, there were some designers who
broke the mold and commanded the respect they deserved. I want to call them to
your attention; therefore, I will be posting several articles to reveal some of
this unknown history.
I am
a lifelong member of NAFAD (National Association of Fashion and Accessory
Designers) an organization founded in New York city in 1949 by Jeanetta Welsh
Brown, executive secretary National Council of Negro Women IInc., under the
auspices of Mary Mcleod Bethune to draw attention to the Black Designers and
give them more influence in the world of fashion.
It was not until
the early 19th century that black women began to be recognized as fashion
designers in the full sense of creating personal designs. Thanks to Elizabeth Keckly, Francis Criss, Ann Lowe
and Zelda Wynn Valdes, African-American women began to gain
recognition for their skill as fashion designers. Ms. Bethune understood the
need for designers to be organized, and Zelda Wynn Valdes
played an integral role in the formation of the National Association of Fashion
and Accessory Designers. (NAFAD)
You might not know Zelda Valdes’ name, but you will
know her work…
Fashion legend Zelda
Wynn Valdes (1905 – 2001) was the first black designer and costumer to
open her own shop, which was the first black-owned business on Broadway in
1948. Zelda Wynn Valdes died at the age of 96 on Sept. 26, 2001, but her
lasting contributions to fashion will live on forever.
During the rise in her
professional career she caught the attention of Hugh Hefner, who hired her to
design the first Playboy Bunny costumes in the 1950s… At 65,
when most others were retiring, Arthur Mitchell, creator of the first black
ballet company, asked her to design the uniforms for the Dance Theatre of
Harlem.
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| Zelda Wynn Valdes 1905 - 2001 For more information please visit my website: |
