Black Fashion History Taniqua Martin

In this special Black History Month episode, Taniqua speaks with Linda Ann Dixon about the legacy of her great grandmother Ann Lowe.

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" 
 
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Donyale Luna is the first Black supermodel to appear on a Vogue magazine cover, yet not much is known about her as a barrier breaking model. Taniqua recaps the recent HBO documentary on the life of Donyale Luna.
Share you thoughts here.
 
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In 1966, Rosemary E. Reed-Miller followed her interest in fashion and opened Toast and Strawberries,a boutique overlooking Dupont Circle. When Toast and Strawberries opened, she was the only Black woman boutique owner in DC at the time. In this episode, Taniqua dives into her life and career in fashion.
Black Fashion Spotlight:
Project Runway Winner Bishme Cromartie’s Debut NYFW Show Exuded Edgy Romance
Watch the full show here.
Episode Sources:
Black Dress TV Rosemary Reed Miller
The artist as entrepreneur / Rosemary E. Reed Miller ; interviewed by Elaine Heffernan.
Rosemary Reed Miller, Washington boutique owner, dies at 78 BUSINESS EXCHANGE: Late D.C. Entrepreneur Leaves Sterling Legacy
 
 

Audrey Weaver is a designer that creates hand-crafted artisan scarves and hats & accessories located in the New York City area.
Over the past years, she has received editorial credits for her designs in publications such as The New York Times, Essence Magazine, Glamour, and Women’s Wear Daily as well as being featured in The Oprah Winfrey Show, CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story and more. In past years, the scarves have been sold in boutiques and departments stores across the country. 
Taniqua speaks with Audrey Weaver about her career as a scarf designer, technical designer and tailor to the stars.

Fashion shows have a deep rooted history in Black American culture. While we didn’t invent fashion shows, we have surely used them to celebrate our beauty, support our causes, make political statements and so much more. In this episode, Taniqua shares a brief overview of the history of these shows in Black communities and how it's impacted the culture. 
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Episode Sources/Further Reading:  
1. African Americans and Consumerism 
2. Socialite Mollie Moon Used Fashion Shows to Fund the Civil Rights Movement
3. Irvin C. Miller's Brown Skin Models Big Hit in Cleveland
4. The Great Migration and Fashion Shows in Black Communities
5. The History Behind Harlem's Fashion Shows
6. Dorothea Church, 83; First Black Model to Work for French Designers
7. Fashion and Consciousness
8. The Fashion Show that Helped Launch a Movement
9. A Lesson in Black Fashion History
10. Black Power Dressing