Eunice Johnson of Ebony Fashion Fair Fame Dies At Age 93
Eunice Johnson of Ebony Fashion Fair Fame Dies At Age 93
Always impeccably dressed and wearing designer fashions herself, everything came back to fashion and education.
The Ebony/Jet website is reporting that Eunice Johnson, the producer and director of the Ebony Fashion Fair, and widow of Ebony/Jet founder John H. Johnson, has died of renal failure at the age of 93. There will be a tribute in honor of her work at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on January 11th.
“Mrs. Johnson elevated the image of Black women being fashion conscious, fashion forward and affluent,” said Kenneth Owen, assistant producer of Ebony Fashion Fair, who was handpicked by the fashion pioneer 26 years ago to work alongside her.
Born on April 4, 1916 in Selma, Ala., Mrs. Johnson came from a prestigious family. Her sophistication and fashion sense wasn’t bought. She was born with it. Mrs. Johnson’s father, Dr. Nathaniel D. Walker, was a doctor who practiced medicine for five decades, while her mother, Ethel McAlpine Walker, taught education and art at Selma University. The institution was founded by Dr. William H. McAlpine, her maternal grandfather, who also founded the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc. and was close friends with Booker T. Washington.
Mrs. Johnson dined with kings and queens, presidents and musical royalty, yet she remained down to earth. To hear her speak revealed a story. When she opened her mouth, her heavy, southern drawl would make people look twice.
“She was a shy woman. She wasn’t somebody you could approach and talk to right away,” said Audrey Smaltz, the Ebony Fashion Fair commentator from 1970 to 1977.
“She was an astute fashion person who had more than just fashion in her background. She was an interior designer. She was a lover of art. She had the greatest art collection you could imagine. Because of Eunice Johnson, I met Pablo Picasso and Giorgio de Curico. She introduced me to luxury, art and culture way beyond what I went to school for. I graduated with an art degree. She took me to a Ph.D.”
I remember going to a Ebony Fashion Fair show and having a wonderful time. Ebony & Jet magazines are an important part of this country’s history and I hope that despite the changes in the magazine industry it will still be able to thrive. Learn more about the fabulous life of Enice Johnson at the Ebony/Jet website.
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