Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Black History Month with Style Society: Eunice Johnson



When I think about black women who are trailblazers in fashion there is one person that always comes to mind, Eunice Johnson. Producer and director of the world's largest traveling fashion show, Eunice Johnson broke style barriers for blacks everywhere with the Ebony Fashion Fair creating a new couture runway for our community.


The Fashion Fair flourished into an annual show, bringing designs from New York, Paris and Milan, where she traveled herself to persuade designers to include their collections in her shows."She was the pioneer who created the awareness to designers that not only should we be in your shows, but can be in your clothes." says celebrity stylist June Ambrose.




"She exposed Black Americans to a world they would not have seen without Ebony Fashion Fair at the time. It was a chance to see what was happening outside of the United States because they showcased a lot of Italian and French fashion..." - Stephen Burrows.


Eunice Johnson died at age 93 on January 3, 2010 and was honored at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art for her work in fashion.  Her legacy as a fashion pioneer and the runway she paved that unites all people in fashion will never be forgotten.

{sources Ebony Magazine, www.ebonyfashionfair.com}

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