We all know that February is Black History Month. So, in honor of the incredible struggles that we as a nation have overcome (and are still battling) for the sake of civil rights and equality, Her Campus UNF is dedicating each Friday of the month to recognizing a Black woman from history.
It is important to remember to recognize women that have the paved the way in different stems of history – including fashion!
Zelda Wynn Valdes became a fashion legend in the late 40s until her death, just after the turn of the century in 2001. Her designs were said to have launched careers of singers, and have been worn my many famous entertainers, including Josephine Baker, Ella Fitzgerald, Eartha Kitt, and Dorothy Dandridge (pictured below).
Zelda Wynn Valdes got her start at a very young age by watching her grandmother make clothes. One day, she offered to make something for her grandmother, and to the surprise of many, it turned out beautifully. (Her grandmother loved the dress so much that she was actually buried in it after she died.)
It wasn’t until 1948 that Valdes actually made history. By opening “Chez Zelda,” her own shop, Valdes became the first black designer and costumer to ever do so on the always famous street of Broadway in New York City.
Valdes became the president of the New York chapter of the National Association of Fashion and Accessory Designers (NAFAD)Â in 1949, which was an organization of Black designers founded by another historical woman, Mary McLeod Bethune. This organization thus inspired many to explore their visions, can dive into careers in the fashion industry.
Even Hugh Hefner was able to see the talent that Valdes held when he hired her in the 50s to design the very first Playboy Bunny costumes.
In 1970, she was then approached by Arthur Mitchell, and was asked to serve as the head costumer designer for the Dance Theatre of Harlem. This is where she stayed for 18 years, retiring at the age of 83.
(Photo of Joyce Bryant)
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Valdes showed her talents for decades, covering the 50s through the 70s, by creating clothes that hugged a woman’s curves, and completely flattered their bodies.
“I just had a God-given talent for making people beautiful,” she told a reporter of the New York Times in 1994.
And that, she definitely did.Â
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Photo Credit:
- Dorothy Dandridge by Ed Clark, Time Life Pictures
- Joyce Bryant by Michael Ochs