Thursday, 5 February 2015

MAM's "Inspiring Beauty" Offers Rare Glimpse At Fashion History


Haute couture creations dot the halls of the Milwaukee Art Museum like delicate flowers in an intricate bouquet. Diana Ross croons "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" over the speakers, and filmography from iconic fashion designers is projected on the majestic walls.
It's a venerable symphony of style.
And it's all thanks to a temporary exhibit that showcases 50 years of fashion – and the inspired vision of one determined woman.
"Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair" opens Thursday and tells a story of vision, innovation and power, brought to life through some of the most famous fashion designers of all time. From Oscar de la Renta, Givenchy, Valentino and Dior to Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint-Laurent and Emanuel Ungaro, it's a rare glimpse at fashion history.
Organized by the Chicago History Museum, in cooperation with Johnson Publishing Company, "Inspiring Beauty" provides a multi-sensory retrospective on the 50-year history of the Ebony Fashion Fair, which redefined the concepts of beauty, style and empowerment for African-Americans. African-American models like Pat Cleveland, Judy Pace and Terri Springer graced the fair's regal runways, while the careers of black designers – including Lenora Levon, Quinton de' Alexander and L'Amour – were nurtured by the fashion spectacular.
To celebrate Milwaukee's local connection to the fair, the exhibition includes 13 designer garments from Mount Mary University's signature Ebony Fashion Fair collection, part of the its 10,000 piece Historic Costume Collection housed at Mount Mary. The selections feature garments by Koos Van Den Akker, Vivienne Westwood, Thierry Mugler and Anna Sui, among others.
More than 100 objects – including ensembles and accessories, as well as archival photographs and video – help re-create the one-of-a-kind experience and explore the history of the traveling fashion show and its director and producer, Eunice Walker Johnson. A Dior coat circa 1964 – in immaculate condition – is the oldest piece in the stunning collection.
"I don't think, during this era, most people knew the magnitude the Ebony Fashion Fair would have on the African-American community, except the visionary herself, Eunice W. Johnson," says Florida Perry Smith, CEO of Premier Consulting LLC and an image and fashion expert. Smith was co-chair of the Milwaukee Ebony Fashion Fair, which was hosted by The Links Incorporated, Cream City (WI) Chapter, for more than a decade. "Her vision was the pinnacle to fashion and beauty for our culture."
The Ebony Fashion Fair is a celebrated annual tour of nearly 200 cities that showcased haute couture and ready-to-wear fashion for a mostly African-American audience for more than 50 years. Many of the shows were held on Sunday afternoons, with women of all generations – many adorned in flowery hats, fine jewelry and proper dresses – rushing out of church services to get to the fair.
"When I was a little girl, my mother would take her students and me to the Ebony Fashion Fair show," Smith said. "We would put on our Sunday best. I was in awe of the beautiful fashions on and off the stage. The attendees were almost all African-American, and they came 'dressed to impress.' The models were so beautiful, and their skin was glowing. That was the amazing part of the show: The models had the same color skin as me. They were relatable."
The founder of Ebony and Jet magazines, Johnson was one of the first entrepreneurs to market cosmetics made particularly for black women. Within three years, the growing popularity of Fashion Fair Cosmetics, which she founded, prompted Revlon to introduce the Polished Ambers line, Avon to start Shades of Beauty and Max Factor to produce Beautiful Bronzes for African-American consumers.
"Her vision created opportunities for exposure and a glimpse of couture fashion not presented in the African-American communities," Smith said. "With her expertise, Ebony Magazine featured the African American community in a positive light, making the magazine relatable not only to African-Americans but contributing to changing the landscape for how the world viewed us."

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