Fashion legend ZELDA WYNN VALDES (1905 – 2001) was the first black designer and costumer to open her own shop, which was the first black-owned business on Broadway in 1948. Her sexy, hip-hugging designs have been worn by many popular, world famous entertainers such as recent CL History Spotlight Joyce Bryant, Marian Anderson, Josephine Baker, Ella Fitzgerald, Dorothy Dandridge, Mae West, Ruby Dee, Eartha Kitt and Sarah Vaughan, among many others.
Born Zelda Wynn in 1905, she got her start in fashion creating outfits for her dolls as a child in Chambersburg, Pa., and began cutting out patterns from newspaper. She studied her grandmother’s work as a seamstress & also worked in her uncle’s tailoring shop. She offered to create a dress for her grandmother, who said she couldn’t because she was too tall & too big. Zelda did it anyway, and her grandmother loved it so much that she was buried in it.
Accentuating the female form, her work speaks for itself and often contained a mermaid quality starting off tight and fitting at the top and flaring with dramatic ruffles at the bottom.
“I just had a God-given talent for making people beautiful,” she told a New York Times reporter later in her career.
But it wasn’t a pleasant time when she landed her first job at a fancy clothier, she recalled in the same article. Some of the clients doubted her abilities as a young black woman, but Zelda was determined to show them what she could do. Over time, many had seen what she could do and wanted her to do the same for them. She opened her shop on Broadway and West 158th Street with her sister, Mary Barbour, who worked as her assistant while also supervising the staff.
During the rise in her professional career she caught the attention of Hugh Hefner, who hired her to design the first Playboy Bunny costumes in the 1950s. Zelda also played an integral role in the formation of the National Association of Fashion and Accessory Designers, which has inspired many to continue with the vision and carry on the legacy of pursuing exciting careers in the fashion industry.
At 65, when most others were retiring, Arthur Mitchell, creator of the first black ballet company, asked her to design the uniforms for the Dance Theatre of Harlem. She designed costumes and supervised the wardrobe department for the dance troupe for well into her 90s, after closing her business at age 83 because of frequent travel and her sister’s illness and before retiring in 2000.
Zelda Wynn Valdes died at the age of 96 on Sept. 26, 2001, but her lasting contributions to fashion will live on forever.
CELEBRITIES WEARING SOME OF ZELDA’S DESIGNS IN THE 40s, 50s, & 60s
Legendary singer Ella Fitzgerald in the 1940s wearing on of Zelda’s designs. Zelda spoke of designing for Ella in one of her last interviews with the NY Times, saying:
“I only fit her once in 12 years. I had to do everything by imagination for her. She liked fancy clothes with beads and appliques.”
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Singer/actress Dorothy Dandridge. Zelda was her go-to designer!
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30s, 40s, 50s Sex symbol Mae West Zelda was one of Mae’s favorite designers because she knew how to accentuate the curves.
Hugh Hefner and the playboy bunnies. Costumes by Zelda.
& More photos of singer Joyce Bryant modeling Zelda’s work in 1953
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Special thanx to Judy Tyrus, the Archives Curator at Dance Theatre of Harlem for allowing us to use the top image of Zelda at work in her studio. We really appreciate all of your help!!
BEAUTIFUL DESIGNS. WOULD LOVE TO SEE A WIDE SCREEN FILM ABOUT THIS PIONEER!!!
me too! beautiful designs… by the way I love these posts. So inspiring and uplifting!
Wow… what an artist. The dress that Mae West is wearing is breathtaking
I agree….I can see someone wearing that even today.
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, its gorgeous!
Yes! This article is amazing, and I thought I saw Halle Berry rock a dress similar to Mae West’s at the Grammy’s? It’s crazy how people inspire other’s
Absolutely beautiful! That pink dress on Dandridge could be rocked today. I can see Beyonce in something like that….cuz it looks like she has the hips to really work it.
On a side note….in the article of Zelda fitting Ms. Dandridge (The High Price od Stardom) it said expenses were high and how actors were paying $75,000 a year on clothes and $2,000 on songs….man have times changed! People can spend that in 1 day without a blink! Just had to comment on that one.
Yep! and at the bottom it said the dress she was fitting for Dorothy cost $1,000.
larger image of the photo:
WOW!!!
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What a great post! I absolutely live for these”History Spotlights” We have sooo many great pioneers of our African American History, who’ve contributed so much to society but are forgotten!
Thank you for reviving these greats and sharing their stories with us all!
My inspiration so beautiful
Very inspiring because she didn’t have the technology we have now to design clothes…what an inspiration!!!
AWESOME! Thanks CL! Keep these coming. I love the history lessons.
Wow what a talent? Rest in piece ma’am!
Wonderful, I have never heard of this individual. Thank you for the history once again! Keep up the great work.
WOW!!! thanks for the highlight!! Never heard of her before…
Amazing designer! concreteloop thanks for giving us our forgotten history of great individuals!
Very informative post
THIS IS THE ONLY SITE THE POST POSITIVE BLACK HISTORY, AND I CAN TRULY APPRECIATE THAT!!!!!
WOW I HAD NO IDEA SHE DID THE PLAYBOY BUNNY OUTFITS, ITS ALWAYS A STRONG BLACK FACE BEHIND EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD!!!!! WHAT BEAUTIFUL ELEGANT DESIGNS..
Thanks so much for the post. I love how it’s Black History here all year long and you always cover people they don’t talk about in school. I din’t knw a black woman did the playmate outfit! We are everywhere and white folks still continue to steal! Our greatness is starting to shine….finally! Thanks CL
Goodness now this is inspiring am motivated now. Loves it
Wow! Very inspiring did not know that a Black women designed the playmate outfits. I really love the pink dress worn by Dorothy Dandridge it is divine.
Keep it up CL!!!
Thank you for sharing this inspiration and piece of history. Even if it touches and inspires one, it’s worth the exposure.
This is amazing ! Because My family is from Chambersburg,Pa.,it`s located in a area called the West Shore, which Black people call the White Shore because it is a predominately white area with a small number of Blacks living there.it is not too far from Hagerstown,Md, This woman might have been be related to me, I`ll have to ask my Grandmother, because Chambersburg is small and most black people that were born there and are originally from there are related.In fact you have to be careful,, I just recently met this girl in Chambersburg,and I asked her what her last name was , and when she told me , I was like wow ! we can`t go no further, we`re cousins.
Oh em gee…I was born in Chambersburg too!!! Well actually Waynesboro Hospital…but yeah.
Very small town. It’s like all of 2 black families in the town. Thankfully I didn’t grow up there.
This was a dope read.
I live in the area….actually the town down from it….and it is is small but not THAT small! There are a hell of a lot more black folks there then just two families! You making Chanbersburg, PA sound like hickville USA….Just had to comment on this.
one word…amazing!!!
i love going back in history.she dressed some beautiful pioneers!
I love the black history spotlight! It showcases the talented african americans of the past and introduces us to the oneswe never heard about. What a talented and inspiring woman!
I really commend CL for doing pieces like this, I intend to do the same once I get my site up. This is why I praise this site over the others, which are pure ignorant. And though CL does have its moments, there is at least a balance. Plus, those on here who post comments show a bit more of maturity and intelligence compared to the other gossip sites.
didnt beyonce’ where a dress similar to the one that Mae west had on but it was like a champagne color or something? the dress looks similar! this lady was talented. Great job on this CL
I just LOOOOOOVVVVEEEE black talent and ability.
She was very artistic , Love her sense of style!
Wow! Great post. Those dresses are beautiful. Her story needs to be on film.
I am literally sitting here emotional, on the verge of tears after reading this article. CL, keep exposing us to the wonderful accomplishments our people have made over the years. I have never heard of this woman, yet so many celebrities wore her creations! Amazing talent. Inspiring coverage of Ms. Zelda.
This was so inspiring!! Kudos to CL for this amazing spotlight. Keep these great spotlights coming, it is so important for us to know what a rich and successful history we have!!
loved this story..thanks for sharing!
Thanks CL for exposing us to another Black Pioneer..whom I have never heard of! Angel…you must do a whole day worth of posts of HISTORY-SPOTLIGHT…these posts are so informative, and it show US in a postive light.
Wonderful Post!!!
Never heard of her, I guess there’s hope for black designers
I LOVE THE HISTORY SPOTLIGHTS, GUYS!!!! GOOD ONE!
WOW! Thank you for sharing this. I’ve never heard of her. Her creations where AMAZING! I have to post this story on my facebook.
Im glad to see the sight has more depth to it then just gossip. I love the gossip but its great they use this sight to enlighten people about black history in the entertainment industry as well
Mane! Joyce Bryant was fine as hell!!
Wow! I had no idea an African American woman designed the Playboy bunny outfits. I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this article. Great job CL!!! No one infuses history with pop culture like you do!
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