Jan Ernst Matzeliger was an African-American inventor in the shoe industry. Matzeliger was born September 15, 1852, in Paramaribo, Suriname, to a father who was a Dutch engineer and a mother who was a black Surinamese slave. At the age of 10, Matzeliger began working in machine shops under his father's guidance, until leaving his hometown of Suriname to be a sailor on an East Indian merchant ship, where he later settled in Philadelphia. As a dark-skinned man, his options were limited, and[...]
Scott Barrie was best known for his sexy matte jersey dresses, which were popular in the 1970s and 1980s. Scott Barrie whose real name was Nelson Clyde Barr was born in Philadelphia in January 1946. As a kid, Barrie knew he wanted to be a designer. He started making his own clothing using his grandmother's sewing machine at the age of 10. Barrie studied Applied Arts at the Philadelphia Museum College and Art and Fashion Design at the Mayer School of Fashion where he graduated in 1965. As a wa[...]
There were other models before her, but Helen Williams was the first black model to cross over into mainstream. Helen Williams was born in East Riverton, New Jersey in 1937. With her love of fashion, she began sewing her own garments at the age of seven. At 17, Williams worked as a stylist at a New York photography studio. She was spotted on separate occasions by Lena Horne and Sammy Davis Jr, who happened to be in the studio doing press shots. They encouraged her to pursue a career in f[...]
“I thought it was right ... to try to do something to help my own people and to get more exposure. It was also a statement [to] the fashion industry, 'stop this discrimination, black is beautiful.' I am sick and tired of seeing only skinny blonde girls and not black women on the runway." Adama Paris whose real name is Adama Amanda Ndiaye was born in Kinshasa, Zaïre in 1976. Living in different parts of the world exposed her to a variety of different fashions which inspired her to create h[...]
Gordon Parks Was The First Black Freelance Photographer For Vogue read more
// // ]]> Detroit native Kevan Hall knew by the age of seven that he wanted to be a fashion designer. After graduating from Cass Technical High School where he studied fashion design and won first place as "Designer of Tomorrow". He attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. Hall's love for luxury and haute couture came about after a trip to Europe where he visited European fashion houses such as Dior and Givenchy. Upon graduation, he received the Peacoc[...]
Meet Ophelia DeVore-Mitchell Founder of The First Black Modeling Agency... Ophelia DeVore-Mitchell was one of the first African American models in the United States. She changed the face of beauty within the fashion industry. Through her modeling agency and school, she promoted the careers of some of the country’s top African American models, entertainers and television personalities. Emma Ophelia DeVore was born on August 12, 1922, in Edgefield, South Carolina. She later moved to N[...]
Naomi Campbell Goes In On Instagram Models, Calls Them "Instagirls" Leave it to Naomi Campbell to tell you exactly how she feels. The iconic supermodel made an appearance on The Meredith Vieira Show, where she shared her thoughts on models getting their start on Instagram. "I just feel like my generation of women, like Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Claudia, we had to earn our stripes and take our stepping-stones to get to where we have gotten, to accomplish what we[...]
I remember the first time I laid eyes on an Oscar De La Renta gown, it was love at first sight. Technically I don’t have a favorite color, but I’m very fond of black. Some of my favorite looks from the late great designer are his black gowns. They’re breathtaking! I’ve always wondered if I had the opportunity to wear one of his dresses, where would I wear it to. Then I thought, life is too short to save a dress for the perfect moment. I’d wear it for a night out on the town, to dinn[...]
Meet Detroit Designer Char Glover... With the start of Project Runway Season 13, I was very excited to see one of Detroit’s own as a contestant. Designer Char Glover is giving the world a front-row view of the talent that resides in the Motor City. With her talent and creativity, I know she will go far in this competition. When the models strutted down the runway wearing the designer's pieces, there was no doubt, some serious competition. But Char most definitely held her own. Her look[...]