14 min

Ep. 61: How Dorothea Towles Church Became the First Black Woman to Model for Major European Fashion Houses Black Fashion History

    • Fashion & Beauty

Dorothea Towles Church spent over five years in Europe during the 1950s, modeling for designers like Christian Dior, Elsa Schiaparelli, Robert Piguet, Jacques Fath, Pierre Balmain and more. As the first Black woman to model for major European fashion houses, Church used her gifts and access to help othe black women learn about the fashion industry and give back to her community. Taniqua dives into the career of Dorothea Church.
Black Fashion Spotlight:
Invisible Beauty Film
Episode Sources/Further Reading:
Blazing the Way One Runway Turn at a Time
Dorothea Church, 83; First Black Model to Work for French Designers
1950s Fashion Model | Dorothea Church
Church, Dorothea Towles (1922-2006)
Dorothea Towles: Christian Dior's Choice for the "New Look" 
 
Follow us on IG: @blackfashionhistorypodcast @taniquarudell 
www.blackfashionhistory.com 
 
   

Dorothea Towles Church spent over five years in Europe during the 1950s, modeling for designers like Christian Dior, Elsa Schiaparelli, Robert Piguet, Jacques Fath, Pierre Balmain and more. As the first Black woman to model for major European fashion houses, Church used her gifts and access to help othe black women learn about the fashion industry and give back to her community. Taniqua dives into the career of Dorothea Church.
Black Fashion Spotlight:
Invisible Beauty Film
Episode Sources/Further Reading:
Blazing the Way One Runway Turn at a Time
Dorothea Church, 83; First Black Model to Work for French Designers
1950s Fashion Model | Dorothea Church
Church, Dorothea Towles (1922-2006)
Dorothea Towles: Christian Dior's Choice for the "New Look" 
 
Follow us on IG: @blackfashionhistorypodcast @taniquarudell 
www.blackfashionhistory.com 
 
   

14 min