In honor of Black History Month, we here at MEFeater are celebrating the talents of African-American fashion designer and costumer Zelda Wynn Valdes.
Valdes Is an important figure in black and women’s history as well as fashion history. Her career spanned 40 years.
A Pennsylvania native, Valdes rose to prominence in the 40s and 50s, her curve-embracing ensembles were worn by some of Hollywood’s biggest starlets including Dorothy Dandridge, Josephine Baker, and Ella Fitzgerald.
The designer started out as an assistant to her Uncle in his White Plains, New York tailoring shop in 1948, later opening up her own shop in the 1950s called Chez Zelda boutique.
Valdes’ most notable creation to date is the iconic Playboy Bunny costume. Hugh Hefner sought out the customer to design the first- ever version of the Playboy Bunny Costumes in the 1950s.
Valdes was known for creating clothes that accentuated the curves of the female body. Her low-cut and skin-tight outfits, which symbolized seduction and allure, is still a very popular style of clothing in today’s culture.
By 1970 Valdes had been approached by Arthur Miller to be the head of costume design for his then brand new performance company The Dance Theater of Harlem. She spent the next 18 years of her life with a company before retiring at age 83.
Zelda Wynne Valdes died at age 96 in 2001.
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