First lady Michelle Obama is credited with turning relatively unknown designers into superstars, the most famous being Jason Wu, who became a household name after she selected his dress to wear to her husband’s first inaugural ball.
But she has also helped America rediscover superstars. In 2010 she wore a pantsuit by Stephen Burrows, one of the most influential black designers in U.S. history, and the first African-American designer to become a household name.
After briefly toiling in his own boutique, simply titled O Boutique, Burrows landed a spread in Vogue magazine and began being sold in the legendary New York boutique Henri Bendel.
He soon became the go-to designer for New York nightlife, creating dresses worn by Studio 54 regulars and Hollywood starlets alike. His fashion shows featuring early black supermodels like Pat Cleveland became nearly as iconic as his clothes.
Burrows dressed celebrities from Diana Ross to Bette Midler, Grace Jones and Farrah Fawcett — who wore one of his most memorable pieces, a liquid gold dress that epitomized disco chic, to the 1978 Academy Awards. But Burrows’ greatest influence may have been overseas.
In 1973 he helped America win the Battle of Versailles. During a benefit to raise funds for the Palace of Versailles in France, American and French designers sent competing designs down the runway. With France considered the fashion capital, the evening was not supposed to be much of a competition.
But American designers Oscar de la Renta, Bill Blass, Halston, Anne Klein and Burrows, who was the youngest, brought the house down with their show featuring 11 black models sporting their designs. The showdown inspired a feature-length documentary, Versailles 73.
Burrows is the subject of an exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York, “When Fashion Danced,” which runs through July 28. During a private tour of the exhibit hosted by Thelma Golden of the Studio Museum in Harlem, Burrows spoke to The Root about his legacy, his future and why diversity has gotten worse in the fashion industry…
Read More: theroot.com
