With African Americans into the fashion industry, they faced hardships but created a distinctive style in fashion history. One of the most influential African American designers in the fashion industry was Zelda Wynn Valdes.
Who is Zelda Wynn Valdes? Born June 28 1905, Zelda Wynn Valdes is an African American fashion and costume designer. Raised in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Zelda started out in fashion constructing outfits from her doll collection as a child. She cut and sew different patterns from newspapers and use them on her dolls. She grew up studying her grandmother’s work as a seamstress and also: Worked in her uncle’s tailoring shop. She offered to create a dress for her grandmother, who said she couldn’t because she was too tall …show more content…
She told NY Times in 1994, “I just had a God-given talent for making people beautiful.” Zelda had several famous clients that wanted her cut and sew garments. One of her most notable pieces of work was she done for American adult magazine publisher, Hugh Hefner. She was appointed to create the conspicuous Playboy Bunny outfit. “And history has proven, the low-cut, skin-tight, sexy outfits are an iconic symbol of seduction and allure, forever ingrained in pop culture.” She also created African-American actress and singer, Joyce Bryants gowns. Joyce Bryant was very notable in the black community These two were among some of Zeldas most notable achievements. Along side from working with those two, she designed evening, cocktail, and wedding gowns for: her entertainment-world clients Josephine Baker, Mae West, Ella Fitzgerald, Dorothy Dandridge, Eartha Kitt, and Marian Anderson. She also dressed the wives of famous black celebrities, including Nat “King” Cole and Sugar Ray Robinson. Unlike some other designers who exclusively created “costumes” versus “fashion”, Valdes moved between the two modes and her clients appreciated that as they ordered clothes for performance and also for their private …show more content…
The event “brought together the upper stratum of black society in New York, taking place at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem which was officiated by Adam Clayton Powell, Jr..” Zelda enjoyed the time she shared with her clients and they appreciated how she helped each personally style and design listening to every need. Zelda Wynn Valdes was also the first Black designer to open a shop on Broadway Street and West 158th in New York in 1948. The name of her Manhattan based boutique shop was Chez Zelda. After a certain period, ‘Chez Zelda’ was later moved to midtown Manhattan to 57th street. Zeldas sister, Mary Barbour,” assisted her and supervised the staff of the store that attracted celebrities and stylish women from all walks of life.” After a year, the Pennsylvania-bored designer became the president of the New York chapter of NAFAD, known as the National Association of Fashion and Accessory Designers. The goal of the group was “to promote black design professionals in a time when the fashion industry reflected the segregation of American society.” The founder of the organization, Mary McLeod Bethune recruited Black designers. While being apart of the organization, Zelda designed outfits for the Dance Theatre of Harlem for 18 years of her
Who is Zelda Wynn Valdes? Born June 28 1905, Zelda Wynn Valdes is an African American fashion and costume designer. Raised in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Zelda started out in fashion constructing outfits from her doll collection as a child. She cut and sew different patterns from newspapers and use them on her dolls. She grew up studying her grandmother’s work as a seamstress and also: Worked in her uncle’s tailoring shop. She offered to create a dress for her grandmother, who said she couldn’t because she was too tall …show more content…
She told NY Times in 1994, “I just had a God-given talent for making people beautiful.” Zelda had several famous clients that wanted her cut and sew garments. One of her most notable pieces of work was she done for American adult magazine publisher, Hugh Hefner. She was appointed to create the conspicuous Playboy Bunny outfit. “And history has proven, the low-cut, skin-tight, sexy outfits are an iconic symbol of seduction and allure, forever ingrained in pop culture.” She also created African-American actress and singer, Joyce Bryants gowns. Joyce Bryant was very notable in the black community These two were among some of Zeldas most notable achievements. Along side from working with those two, she designed evening, cocktail, and wedding gowns for: her entertainment-world clients Josephine Baker, Mae West, Ella Fitzgerald, Dorothy Dandridge, Eartha Kitt, and Marian Anderson. She also dressed the wives of famous black celebrities, including Nat “King” Cole and Sugar Ray Robinson. Unlike some other designers who exclusively created “costumes” versus “fashion”, Valdes moved between the two modes and her clients appreciated that as they ordered clothes for performance and also for their private …show more content…
The event “brought together the upper stratum of black society in New York, taking place at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem which was officiated by Adam Clayton Powell, Jr..” Zelda enjoyed the time she shared with her clients and they appreciated how she helped each personally style and design listening to every need. Zelda Wynn Valdes was also the first Black designer to open a shop on Broadway Street and West 158th in New York in 1948. The name of her Manhattan based boutique shop was Chez Zelda. After a certain period, ‘Chez Zelda’ was later moved to midtown Manhattan to 57th street. Zeldas sister, Mary Barbour,” assisted her and supervised the staff of the store that attracted celebrities and stylish women from all walks of life.” After a year, the Pennsylvania-bored designer became the president of the New York chapter of NAFAD, known as the National Association of Fashion and Accessory Designers. The goal of the group was “to promote black design professionals in a time when the fashion industry reflected the segregation of American society.” The founder of the organization, Mary McLeod Bethune recruited Black designers. While being apart of the organization, Zelda designed outfits for the Dance Theatre of Harlem for 18 years of her