Fashion Icon Eunice W. Johnson Dies at 93
Eunice W. Johnson
Few women, let alone Black women, have had as profound an affect on the fashion industry as did Eunice W. Johnson. While building the Ebony/Jet media empire with her husband John H. Johnson, Mrs. Johnson was simultaneously making major strides in fashion.
EBONY Fashion Fair, Eunice’s traveling fashion show, broke barriers by featuring couture fashions on Black models who otherwise may not have had the opportunity to strut down the catwalk in such designs. Furthermore, EBONY Fashion Fair brought high-fashion to Black communities across the country, traveling to more than 175 cities per year, with the proceeds going to charity. Acting as the show’s director and producer since it’s inception in 1961, Mrs. Johnson also gave many Black designers their big break at her EBONY Fashion Fair, while many of her models went on to become noted actors.
Eunice W. Johnson with legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent
Mrs. Johnson can also be credited with the 1973 creation of Fashion Fair Cosmetics, one of the first brands of makeup for women of color. Created for her EBONY Fashion Fair models who often had a hard time finding complimentary makeup, the line recently underwent an image overhaul to take into the new decade.
For me, Mrs. Johnson is an icon, not just for breaking barriers in fashion and beauty, but for being an authentically fierce Black woman. At a time when no one saw a place for Black women in the fashion industry, she made a place for herself, and brought others along for the ride. She created a successful cosmetics company (which practically makes someone a Saint to a beauty junkie like me!), and oversaw all of her businesses and philanthropic endeavors with an elegance and flair that few possess. May Mrs. Johnson rest in peace, knowing the great impact she had on this Brown Bombshell and many others.
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