An Iconic Black Designer Who Dressed Hollywood Starlets and Broadway Stars
“I have a God-given talent for making people beautiful.” Zelda Wynn Valdes
Hi friends! Happy Wednesday! This is going to sound silly but I forgot how much I hate winter. We’re talking Grinch-levels of loathing. In my opinion, it should never go below 40 unless you live in a place where the cold is expected. I tried reading a book about living Danishly, which focused in part on the author getting through a dreary, Danish winter, to help me through. The general consensus? Don’t leave your house. I even tried to channel a younger, college-aged Kate who used to go to the three bars we had in my college town in a mini skirt and North Face jacket. Sometimes I’d even skip the jacket if it ruined ~the outfit~. It was a braver and stupider time. This is all to say our woman of the week is an iconic designer who would have most definitely put me in a better outfit than I wore in college… or ever. She’s credited with designing one of the most iconic silhouettes in history and dressed women and Broadway stars to the nines. Meet Zelda Wynn Valdes!
Zelda Wynn Valdes
Much like Cookie Monster was born to devour cookies, Zelda Wynn Valdes was born to design clothes. She got her start by watching her seamstress grandmother sew clothes. One day, the student became the teacher when Valdes asked her grandmother if she could make a dress for her. Her grandmother said she was too tall and too big for anything Valdes could make, but she made her a dress that fit her like a glove. In fact, the dress was SO good that her grandmother was buried in it. After high school, she moved to work at her uncle’s tailoring shop and eventually became a stock girl at a fancy pants boutique. Of course, because we can’t have nice things, she had to work twice as hard as everyone else because she was the only (or one of the few) Black women working in the store. Her talents shone through and she was eventually promoted from working in the back to working in the front as a seamstress.
Valdes had a lot of talents as a designer. Much like she had done with her grandmother, she designed clothes to fit the body, not the other way around. She embraced feminine and curvy figures, something many designers still don’t have a grasp on today. I beg anyone to make a blazer for women that doesn’t feel like a straitjacket or cost more than my mortgage. She was known for using high-quality fabrics and textiles and her ability to combine glamour and luxury while making it look sexy and effortless. She was successful enough to open her own store, Chez Zelda, on Broadway in New York. It was the first Black-owned business in the area. Her client list was extensive and filled with A-listers including Josephine Baker, Eartha Kitt, Marlene Dietrich, Dorothy Dandridge, and Ella Fitzgerald. In fact, she only met and fitted Fitzgerald one time even though she dressed her for years. She did it all by observing recent pictures of her in the paper and making necessary changes to her measurements. I can’t even eyeball a teaspoon when I’m baking.
Remember I said Valdes was credited with designing an iconic silhouette? Well, here’s the sitch. She has been credited with designing the Playboy Bunny outfit! Word was she formed a friendship with Hugh Hefner while meeting him out and about (true) and because she was such a well-known fashion icon at the time (also true) she used that relationship to design the Playboy costumes (unclear). But, some sources say while she designed over 35 different looks for Hefner, she only assisted with the costume making. Either way, she held fashion shows at the mansion and was famous enough to be considered a designer worthy of creating an iconic look.
In the 70s, Valdes began to tour and design the costumes for the Dance Theater of Harlem. She was so incredible at designing clothes for the body that she’s the one who dyed Black dancers’ ballet tights to match their skin tone. She worked there until she died in 2001. Valdes was truly an incredible force who lifted as she climbed. She helped form the National Association of Fashion and Accessories Designers, which was created to promote Black designers. Not only did she open so many doors for Black female designers, but her iconic silhouettes also live on to this day.
Tik Tok Account You Should Follow
We could all use some more women’s sports news in our life. Tik Tok user @sportswithlogs is giving that to us in spades. She only covers women’s sports and tells so many interesting stories that you don’t hear about in mainstream media. One of my favorite videos is her responding to a tweet that said “Will anyone ever break Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 115 international goals?” with a video of the six women who have already done so. Highly recommend a follow!
That’s all, folks! See ya next Wednesday!
Citations
“How Zelda Wynn Valdes Redefined Fashion” Shondaland