Apparently President Donald Trump renamed " Black History Month to " African American History Month" ....... Why fix something that doesn't need fixing........ Let's fix the real issues...
Today lesson is about Zelda Wynn Valdes- ( June 28, 1905- September 26,2001).
Growing up in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Zelda began her professional career working in her uncle's White Plains, New York tailoring shop. During that time she began working as a stock girl at a high-end boutique and eventually she worked her self up to selling and making alternations with these accomplishments she became the shop's first black sales clerk and tailor.
With all the knowledge that she learned while working at her uncle's boutique she was able to open Chez Zelda which was her own boutique in Manhattan on Broadway and West 158th St in 1948.
Within that year she dressed the entire bridal party for Marie Ellington and Nat King Cole.
By the year 1950 she moved " Chez Zelda" to 57th st in midtown.
She became the designer of the original Playboy Bunny Costume although it is still not clear if she was the sole creator of the costume. She also was one of the founders of the National Association of Fashion Accessory Designers which is an industry group that intend to promote black design professionals.
In the year 1970, Arthur Mitchell asked her to design costumes for his new company known as the Dance Theater of Harlem. With that recognition under her belt she designed for eighty-two productions in the year 1992. She eventually closed her boutique in 1989 but she continued to work with the Dance Theater of Harlem until she passed in 2001 at the age 96.
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