These creatives have changed fashion history, both with their revolutionary blow to racism and paving the route for Black artists to the rise. In order to understand the Fashion Industry and the world, as we know it today, we need to look back at the pioneers with reverence.
Imagine being in a country where you are looked down upon and denied of due dignity and appreciation. Quite traumatising, right? This was the reality back in the 20th century United States of America, the aftershocks of which can be felt even to the present day. Parched of every opportunity and refused of every legitimate claim, yet some coloured people changed the course of history, and emerged victorious in breaking away from the shackles of a domineering society to establish a mark of their own. The Fashion and Entertainment Industries too, remain indebted to these people and their contributions to the glam world.
[Photo Source: The Chronicles]
1. Zelda Wynn Valdes
The infamous Playboy bunny suit — iconic strapless corset, bunny ears, pantyhose, bow tie, collar, cuffs, and fluffy cottontail — will forever be immortalised in popular culture as a symbol of female allure. Zelda Barbour Wynn Valdes, the creator of Playboy Bunny suit, is the first African American fashion and costume designer. Besides, she was the first Black designer to open her own shop in 1948, located on Broadway in New York City. Her designs were immensely popular among the elite society and were worn by eminent personalities. In the early 1950s, Life Magazine described Valdez as the “Black Marilyn Monroe.”
[Photo Source: Shondaland.com]
2. Beverly Johnson
In 1974, Beverly Johnson achieved what was termed as ‘milestone’ in a fashion model’s career: to be on the cover of Vogue. But what made her to the headlines was that Beverly was the first Black Model on Vogue’s cover, a breakthrough for Black models—including for Johnson herself. She was turned down by a number of cosmetic companies, which idolised and glorified the aesthetically white and blonde beauty standards. Back in those days, there were no Black makeup and hair artists on the sets, so Johnson had to resort to DIY tips, like using Vaseline to stick her hair back. She recalls her first encounter with racism in the industry, “I got into the pool. And all of a sudden, the editor came out and made everybody get out,” Johnson recalled. “They drained the pool. Twenty years later, one of the models told me it was because of me.” In order to survive in the industry. Johnson did not react to this.
[Photo Source: Vogue]
3. Madam C.J Walker
Madam C. J. Walker was the first Black woman millionaire in America and made her fortune from her homemade line of hair care products for Black women. Born Sarah Breedlove to previously enslaved parents, she took her inspiration to create hair products after an experience with hair loss, which led to the creation of the ‘Walker system’ of hair care. The self-made millionaire used her fortune to fund scholarships for women at the Tuskegee Institute and donated large parts of her wealth charities. Walker’s reputation as a benevolent entrepreneur was matched only by her reputation for philanthropy. She established clubs for her employees, encouraging them to give back to their communities and at a time when jobs for Black women were highly restricted, she promoted female talent; even stipulating in her company’s charter that only a woman could serve as president.
[Photo Source: Wikipedia]
4. Ruth E Carter
On February 14th 2019, Ruth E Carter became the first Black woman to win an Oscar for costume design, but many had already come across her work before Black Panther smashed records at the box-office. Her career spans three decades and more than 40 films—and if you’ve seen Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, or How Stella Got Her Groove Back, or even that one episode of Seinfeld, you’ll recognize Carter’s meticulous approach. Still, it was Black Panther was a major game-changer in Carter’s life. A distinct trait of Carter’s costume design is her immersive approach to research and careful attention to detail, even when her assignment is to imagine what the inhabitants of a fictional sub-Saharan African nation would wear. Carter says that her philosophy for costume design is that it shouldn’t look like a costume: it should reflect the world, the people, and the story you’re telling with authenticity or else, how is the audience supposed to connect with them?
[Photo Source: Oprah Magazine]
5. Halle berry
Halle Berry is a former beauty queen and an acclaimed actress with a career spanning over three decades. For her performance in Monster's Ball in 2001, she became the first African American woman to win an Academy Award for best actress. She was also seen in X-Men & its sequels, Swordfish, Die Another Day, Kidnap and many more, bagging prominent roles in them. Berry overcame Hollywood's racial barriers when she was cast as the first African American to play the Queen of Sheba, in the showtime movie ‘Solomon & Sheba’. She earned both a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award for Best Actress in a Television Movie for her role.
[Photo Source: Wikipedia]
6. Hattie McDaniel
McDaniel was the youngest daughter of two freed slaves and the first African American to win an Academy Award. She made ends meet working as a maid or a cook, while she pursued a career in film. When she scored an audition for the role of Mammy in ‘Gone with the Wind’, to everyone’s surprise, she arrived dressed in an authentic maid's uniform, ultimately winning the part outright. When McDaniel arrived at the 12th Annual Academy awards, she was escorted away from the Gone with the Wind table and had to sit separately. Despite the gross injustice, McDaniel won hearts with an emotional acceptance speech. Her Academy Award achievement may have been perceived as a step forward in challenging racial inequalities in Hollywood, but McDaniel also faced a lot of criticism for continuing to play subservient roles throughout her career (reportedly played a maid’s role 74 times). Aware of the criticism, McDaniel once said of her work, "I'd rather play a maid and make $700 a week than be a maid and make $7".
[Photo Source: MediaPost]
7. A Question of Colour (1993)
A Question of Colour confronts a painful taboo: the distressing feelings many African-Americans harbour within themselves about their appearance. Kathe Sandler, an African American filmmaker, explores the often-subconscious world of ‘colour consciousness’, in this one-hour long documentary. First documentary of its kind, it traces ‘colourism’ back to the subjugation and emaciation of Black women by slave owners, the preferential treatment their mixed-race children received and their never-ending agony. The film puts special emphasis on the burden borne by Black women who are often demoralised, for not conforming to the white standards of beauty. This sensitive documentary can help viewers examine the multifaceted interplay between racial identity, culture and self-image in society. The film was premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and received two Prized Pieces Awards from the National Black Programming Consortium.
[Photo Source: Vimeo]
8. Ballet black
Ballet has a long history of being a field of ‘whites and blondes’. Ballet Black is considered as a major breakthrough in breaking the hegemony of the whites over this tranquil form of expression. Founded in 2001, Ballet Black aims to bring ballet to a more socially and culturally diversified audience by celebrating Black and Asian ballet dancers. Recently, Ballet Black collaborated with Freed of London, to design and create the first skin tone pointe shoes, handmade in the UK for Black, Asian and mixed-race dancers. Their ultimate goal is to see a phenomenal change in the number of Black and Asian dancers in mainstream ballet companies. Black ballet has earned many prestigious awards and nominations, including Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards for Best Independent company (2012) and Best Classical Choreography (2018).
[Photo Source: Capital Theaters]
- Kartik Singh
Comments