Copyright Date:
2024
Edition Date:
2024
Release Date:
02/06/24
ISBN:
1-620-14312-7
ISBN 13:
978-1-620-14312-4
Dewey:
338
Language:
English
Reviews:
Publishers Weekly
This fashion-forward chronicle of the life of entrepreneur Eunice W. Johnson (1916–2010) begins with her Selma, Ala., childhood in an elegant home, where “she grew up believing that beauty and dignity were things everyone should experience.” Later, the gifted seamstress designed clothes for her father and won local sewing contests; eventually, alongside her husband, she published Ebony, a magazine “filled with articles... that celebrated Black life, culture, and achievements.” In 1958, the Ebony Fashion Fair was established to raise money for a hospital by showing stylish clothing on Black models. Soon, Braithwaite writes, the event becomes a traveling fashion show that continues until 2009, crisscrossing an often inhospitable America and raising tens of millions to benefit varied causes, all under Johnson’s direction. From fashion sketches to runway views, Gaines supplies digital illustrations with an elaborate fashion-plate feel. Back matter includes an author’s note. Ages 6–11. (Feb.)
A chic biography about Eunice W. Johnson who brought elegant and contemporary fashion to Black America through the annual EBONY Fashion Fair! Eunice W. Johnson believed in the power of fashion and beauty to inspire people. After she and her husband, John H. Johnson, founded EBONY magazine, it quickly became the premiere lifestyle publication for mid-century Black readers. Among the many hats she wore, Eunice delighted in writing a fashion column describing the latest styles. In 1958, Eunice launched a project that would change fashion forever--the EBONY Fashion Fair. In towns and cities across the United States, Black models walked the runway in the freshest trends that season and Black attendees got to see people who looked like them in bright colors and haute couture. To make the Fashion Fair happen every year, Eunice negotiated with snobby fashion houses in Europe and navigated racism back home in the US, to acquire the most show-stopping styles for her show. Decades later, her name remains a watchword for glamour and elegance in the Black community. Winner of Lee & Low's New Voices award, Miles of Style celebrates a visionary who used her influence to showcase the strength and beauty of the Black community.