A Star is Born: Eunice Johnson

Eunice Johnson, born April 4,1916, was the wife of John H. Johnson - founder of Johnson Publishing Company Inc. Although it was her husband who is credited with founding the company Eunice Johnson was more than just his wife. Not only did she name their prestigious publication, Ebony Magazine, it was her who helped the magazine receive its fashionable status. From purchasing the pieces that graced its pages to jumpstarting the careers of many Black fashion professionals, Johnson is the epitome of Black fashion history.

In 1958, Johnson created Ebony Fashion Fair - a traveling philanthropic fashion show creating space for Black talent within the industry. From Black designers and Black models to a Black staff and a Black audience, with the platform of Ebony Fashion Fair Eunice Johnson was able to bridge the gap between haute couture and the Black community. An accomplishment that hadn't been made yet.

Buying haute couture for the fashion shows made Johnson one of the largest buyers in the world, purchasing more than 8,000 garments and spending approximately $1.5 million. However, all the money in the world can't help you escape racism (not that she was trying to). Johnson and her team weren't always welcomed at shows and showrooms, at the very least they experienced some resistance. But Eunice Johnson was a woman of purpose and persistence; not only did she take up space and demand respect for herself, but she demanded it for Black models as well and created space for them.

"We were the ones who convinced Valentino to use Black models in his shows back in the 1960s," Johnson told the New York Times. "I was in Paris, and I told him, 'If you can't find any Black models, we'll get some for you. And if you can't use them, we're not going to buy from you anymore.'"

In addition, Johnson found Emilio Pucci two Black models to use in his 1963 show, making it the first time Black models walked in Europe, but also at the Pitti Palace. Through her work she helped launch the careers of models such as Jane Murphy, Cathy Belmont, Sonia Cole, and Pat Cleveland. Johnson is also integrated in the career journeys of Jeffery Banks, Stephen Burrows, Patrick Kelly, Audrey Smaltz, Andre Leon Talley and more.

In the midst of creating space and opportunities, Johnson also carved out some space for the Black community within the beauty industry, in 1973 she created Fashion Fair Cosmetics providing shades for darker skin tones. Her cosmetic line is still a prominent beauty brand for women of color today.

Ebony Fashion Fair came to an end in 2009, one year before her passing. Throughout its fifty-year run the fashion event raised more than $51 million for local and national charitable organizations and reached more than 180 cities a year within the US, Canda, and the Carribean.

Johnson's impact on the Black community, the fashion industry and the beauty industry continue to live on, and not only do we continuously celebrate her legacy but today we celebrate the day she was born.