5 Black Women Designers who Shaped History with Fashion

The transition between Black History Month in February and Women's History Month is always exciting for me, being both Black and Woman. It's a two-month continual celebration of two intersections I love and I am proud to be a part of.

Since it is Friday and we are still on our Black Designer journey, it would only be fitting to look back into our collective history and bring out the names of those great Black Heroines who, with needle and thread, created some of the most prolific and chic pieces of their time, pieces that transcended the barriers placed upon their creators, being both Black and Woman during times when power was afforded to neither.

In our next installment of #AllBlackEverythingFromHeadToToe, 5 amazing Black Women designers in honor of their contributions to fashion, Black History, and Women's History.

Zelda Barbour Wynn Valdes 

Zelda Barbour Wynn Valdes (June 28, 1905 - September 26, 2001) a fashion designer and costumer, is the creator of the original Playboy Bunny costume. She is also well known for work with the Dance Theater of Harlem. Valdes became one of the first black women to own a shop on Broadway in New York, known and loved for her fashion-forward, elegant gowns that drastically emphasized a shapely silhouette. Her pieces were the favorites of the likes of Dorothy Dandridge, Ella Fitzgerald, Joyce Bryant, and Mae West.

Ann Lowe

Ann Lowe’s (1898 – February 25, 1981) is probably best known for the wedding dress that Jacqueline Bouvier wore when she married John F. Kennedy, despite not being properly cited by the Washington Post until later. Lowe’s boasted several other high-profile clients, including both the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts.

Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley

The badassery of Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley (February 1818 – May 1907) can be seen in that she was a former slave who bought her own damn freedom and was both civil rights activist and seamstress. She is best known as the personal seamstress and close friend to First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of President Abraham Lincoln. Her mad skills propelled her prominence in both black and white communities, allowing Elizabeth to cross color lines in a way that was unheard of. Her business serviced some of Washington’s elite including Varina Davis, wife of Jefferson Davis, and Mary Anna Custis Lee, wife of Robert E. Lee.

Mildred Blount

Mildred Blount (1907 to 1974) is best known for her contribution to the iconic film Gone With The Wind. Her interest in millinery while working at a famous hat shop in New York City led her to Hollywood where she became the first African American member of the Motion Pictures Costumers Union, a distinction which allowed Mildred the ability to work in major film studios. Blount’s clientele included greats such as Marian Anderson, Joan Crawford, and Gloria Vanderbilt leading to her moniker, “milliner to the stars”.

Ola Hudson

Ola Hudson (1946–2009) the beloved costume designer to Janet Jackson, David Bowie, Ringo Starr, Diana Ross, and numerous others, has her designs as a permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). She is the mother of Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash.