The North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) is currently hosting their first fashion exhibit with “Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair.”
Organized by the Chicago History Museum, the exhibition celebrates 50 years of the Ebony Fashion Fair, a traveling fashion show that took place from 1958-2009 and featured high fashion pieces from designers such as Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen and more.
Created by Eunice Johnson, the Ebony Fashion Fair ended its 51-year run in 2009 due to Johnson’s death. The fair even inspired a line of cosmetics, Fashion Fair Cosmetics, created by Johnson and her husband in 1973.
Created at a time when racial tensions were high, the Ebony Fashion Fair was about more than just fashion and beauty — it was about empowering African-American women, featuring mainly African-American models.
“At the time that it was first presented… racial discrimination affected every aspect of life for African-Americans in the United States and that black fashion designers and fashion models were basically non-existent,” Linda Dougherty, Chief Curator at the NCMA, said. “With this fashion show, Eunice Johnson presented high fashion to the African-American community.”
It also showed the world that all women were beautiful.
“It made designers see that (women of color) could also be beautiful and wear couture designs,” Kimberly Lane, a former Ebony Fashion Fair model, said. “The Ebony Fashion Fair inspired a lot of little girls to do great things.”
Not only did it inspire young girls, it brought people together with all types of people attending the show.
“Ebony Fashion Fair gave me a feeling of unity, even though it was mostly African-American models, " Lane said. "It really means unity.”
