Hello, Beauties🌸 Today’s post, Do You Remember Eunice Johnson’s Ebony Fashion Fair?
Johnson H. Johnson, 1918 – 2005. With a $500 loan from his Mom, Mr. Johnson created Johnson Publishing Company the publisher of Ebony, Jet, the Negro DIgest magazines and Fashion Fair Cosmetics. He was the first African American to appear on the Forbes 400, the list of the wealthiest Americans.
The Ebony Fashion Fair Show, started by Johnson’s wife, Eunice, 1918 – 2009. Mrs. Johnson grew up in Selma, Alabama, fascinated by fashion, according to a 2005 article in Ebony magazine. She was an accomplished seamstress and made shirts for her father.
Eunice received her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in art, from Talladega College in Alabama. She earned a Master’s degree in Social Work from Loyola University in Chicago.
April 1958, a friend in New Orleans asked Eunice for help putting together a hospital charity fashion show. Eunice began what was to become a 52-year tradition of sponsoring the world’s largest traveling fashion show featuring African American models. Can we credit Eunice Johnson with Black Girl Magic?
The fair gave the black community a place to celebrate and aspire to new luxury styles, as well as much needed representation in the fashion world.
The Ebony Fashion Fair Show presented over 4,00 shows over 50-plus years. The events raised more than 55 million dollars that went towards helping charities and college students across the United States.
In his memoir, John H. Johnson writes that at first, Eunice Johnson had to “beg, persuade and threaten” European designers to sell high fashion to black women.
Indeed, by acquiring 8,000 ensembles, Eunice Johnson was a top American purchaser of couture. A photograph of Johnson, probably taken in the 1980s, shows her securing fashions with iconic French designer Yves. St. Laurent.
Each year, in preparation for the Ebony Fashion Fair, Mrs. Johnson and her daughter, Mrs. Linda Johnson Rice select ~ 200 garments from the haute couture designers such as Christian Dior, Oscar de la Renta, Valentino, Yves St. Laurent, Missoni, and Bob Mackie.
The traveling fashion show did make a stop in Harrisburg, PA. I did get to experience the spectacle of glamour and performance by the Ebony Fashion Fair Show sponsored by The Jinx Club back in 1987. Again in 1988 sponsored by local Alpha Kappa Alpha Epsilon Sigma Omega.
Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair Exhibit touring nationally since fall 2014:
The George Washington University Museum: May – July 2017
North Carolina Museum of Art: November 2017
Museum of Design Atlanta: Sept 2015
Milwaukee Art Musem: Feb 2015
Chicago History Museum: March 2014
Johnson served as producer and director of the Ebony Fashion Fair from 1961 until 2009 when its fall tour, canceled due to economic challenges that affected its corporate sponsors. Mrs. Johnson died on January 3, 2010, of renal failure.
Do you remember Eunice Johnson’s Ebony Fashion Fair? Did you attend any of the fairs? Do share in the comments section.
As always, thank you for reading. Have a fabulous week.
P.S. My photos: Face Forward Photography