Hello, Beauties🌸 Today’s post, I Remember Forgotten Black Fashion History Maker, Zelda Wynn Valdes.
Since I started blogging in 2013, one of my passions has been women’s health. Most February, I share and encourage you to take a closer look at your heart health. Remember my interviews with Nina and Merrill? Both suffered a stroke and lived to talk about it.
The sobering statistics – the diseases take a life every 33 seconds. Heart Disease is still the number one killer for men and women.
We all know our dress size. But do you know your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers? When out of range, those numbers directly contribute to heart disease. I ask you to find out what those numbers are and do what you need to do if your results are out of whack.
Sure, heredity plays a role in heart health, but there are simple steps and preventive measures you can take to maintain a heart-healthy quality of life. Don’t smoke, exercise – even if just brisk walking, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and limit stress.
Now, let’s go back to the purpose of this blog post. Carter G. Woodson is known as the father of black history. In February 1926, he launched the celebration of “Negro History Week.” The trailblazer for Black History Month, he saw our history not willingly captured.
Black history should be every day, but I like to utilize this time of the year to educate myself and call attention to any forgotten visionary or pioneer.
I recently purchased a fabulous history coffee table book: Vintage Black Glamour by Nichelle Gainer. I learned about the find on social media. This treasure epitomizes black glamour. Because of the rarity of the photos, Nichelle must have conducted an archaeological dig.
This vintage tribute to the forgotten doesn’t contain information on Zelda Wynn Valdes. Still, the book piqued my curiosity about perhaps other fashion history makers’ contributions excluded from the pages of history.
Zelda (June 1905 – September 26, 2001) was more than just a seamstress. She began her career in the peak years of Jim Crow segregation in Charlotte, North Carolina. However, she was born in a small town, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, south of where I reside. Her fondness for sewing and pattern-making developed alongside her training as a classical pianist with the Catholic Conservatory of Music.
According to online sources, after graduating from high school in the early 1920s, she moved to White Plains, where she got a job at a posh boutique. The position was a stockroom worker, but Valdes had a plan: Zelda would accept the role in the back, tucked away from white clients, but would eventually shine in the front of the stores as a seamstress.
Wynn Valdes quickly gained a reputation for being more than a seamstress but having a keen, artistic eye with technical precision. Valdes worked with only the most exquisite textiles, and her garments were unabashedly feminine. She turned silk organza, crepe, hammered satin, and Italian knit jersey into slinky, curve-hugging evening gowns with intricate hand beading and sequins. Ms. Wynn Valdes gained a reputation for her hip-hugging creations.
The celebrity client list included the loyal clientele of black women in New York City, the wives of famous black men such as Edna Mae Robinson, wife of the boxer Sugar Ray Robinson, Marian Anderson, Dorothy Dandridge, Josephine Baker, Eartha Kitt, Ruby Dee, Diahann Carroll, Mae West, and Marlene Dietrich.
Zelda’s Accomplishments:
♦ 1948: Chez Zelda Opened her first boutique on Broadway
♦ March 28, 1948: Designed and made all the bridal attire for Nat King Cole and his bride, Maria Ellington.
♦ 1949: Instrumental in forming the National Association of Fashion and Accessories Designers (NAFAD)
♦ 1950: Chez Zelda moved her boutique to 57th Street in Midtown
♦ The 1960s: Zelda forged a relationship with Playboy Club Hugh Hefner and designed the iconic bunny costume
♦ The 1970s: Approached by Arthur Mitchell to serve as head costume designer for his Dance Theatre of Harlem
She closed her business in 1989 but continued working with the Dance Theater of Harlem until she died in 2001 at 96.
Are you familiar with forgotten Black History Maker Zelda Wynn Valdes? If yes, share in the comments section.
As always, thank you for reading. Have a fabulous week.
